S. Elizabeth Ponds, LCSWA

I believe that clients are the experts of their own experiences and are capable of being empowered to reach their goals. I use the social model of disability and neurodivergent-affirming care. I am autistic, and I especially enjoy aiding autistic and ADHDer clients to validate and accommodate their authentic selves. I understand the existential journey into self-acceptance and connection to healthy, affirming communities. Many of my clients have been diagnosed with an auto-immune or connective tissue disorder (like hEDS, POTS, MCAS, etc), so I have experience helping link clients to resources in these areas as they navigate having multiple disabilities and co-occurring conditions.

As a queer agender person, I specialize in working with LGBTQIA+ clients, including asexual, aromantic, bisexual, and trans/nonbinary clients. I hope to help clients think outside pathology paradigms (like the DSM) and deconstruct oppressive ideologies (like religious fundamentalism, white supremacy, capitalist patriarchy) so that they can be present with their own inherent self-worth and that of their fellow humans.

I take an eclectic, holistic, trauma-informed, lived-experience approach to honor individual needs. I love providing psychoeducation and connections to community resources, the focus being interpersonal stabilization to reduce the need for therapy. I see therapy as a co-creative, actively engaged process where a client has power over their own growth. I am looking to get trained in IFS and EFIT, believing in relational, non-shaming, more somatic modalities as a true path to healing from trauma, so I utilize concepts from those perspectives (but I am not trained in them yet, just fyi!).

I practice cultural humility and competence. I actively listen to diverse voices in the community so that I can empathetically and sensitively help clients of all ethnicities, classes, abilities, beliefs, etc. It would be a privilege to help you in your self-empowerment journey! Please email or call if you are interested in scheduling an appointment.