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About Dr. Angeli Desai, Licensed Clinical Psychologist

As a licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Angeli Desai values the profound transformations that can arise from holistic therapy focused on relationships. This approach encompasses not only our connections with others but also how we engage with ourselves.

Angeli Desai's educational journey includes a B.A. from George Washington University, majoring in Psychology, followed by an M.A. in Psychology from New York University. She further advanced her expertise by obtaining a Doctorate in Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Dr. Angeli Desai's post-doctoral training spans various settings, including substance abuse, psychodynamic psychotherapy, group and couples therapy, inpatient psychiatry, and addressing sexual trauma, showcasing her commitment to individualized approaches in mental health resources.

Having lived in multiple regions across the country, Dr. Desai understands how culture and diversity influence our upbringing, worldview, identity development, and more.

Her extensive experience and knowledge encompass areas such as psychoanalytic psychotherapy, addiction, disordered eating, body image issues, trauma, internal family systems (IFS), and couples therapy. Angeli Desai’s professional training equips her to effectively support clients facing a range of overlapping challenges.

Ultimately, she emphasizes the significance of helping clients remain curious about their behaviors. Dr. Desai has witnessed remarkable changes in her clients’ relationships, work, and overall wellbeing through collaborative psychotherapy.

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How I can help you

Dr. Angeli Desai's approach to holistic therapy is grounded in kindness, openness, and acceptance of ALL parts of ourselves. She practices a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes the importance of making you aware of behaviors, emotions, and thoughts that you may be unaware of. Without this awareness, meaningful change cannot occur.

With newfound awareness, Dr. Desai will work to help you change the patterns that no longer serve you or your relationships. Through individualized approaches, Angeli Desai can assist you in disengaging from unhelpful patterns and developing new, healthier ones.

Unpacking and exploring your underlying issues can create more space and freedom, allowing you to lead a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

Dr. Desai provides a wide range of mental health resources, including treatments for depression, anxiety, challenges from adjustments to new experiences, acute and complex traumas, and couples counseling.

In a comfortable and safe setting, Dr. Desai aims to offer individualized approaches tailored to the unique needs and struggles of her individuals and couples.

Within the therapeutic relationship, clients can experience healing at multiple levels, which can be both felt and observed in their present day, particularly through relationship-focused work.

FAQS

HOW CAN THERAPY HELP ME?

There are a myriad of benefits you can reap from holistic therapy. I can provide you with guidance, support, a deeper understanding of yourself, and new ways of thinking and behaving around various stressors through individualized approaches.

Psychotherapy can help you manage relationships and daily challenges, particularly through relationship-focused work. Most importantly, the benefits you obtain from therapy are largely dependent on the collaborative process between us, along with the mental health resources that we utilize.

DO I REALLY NEED THERAPY? I CAN USUALLY HANDLE MY PROBLEMS.

Choosing to see a therapist is ultimately up to you. Having said that, if you have reached out, the chances are you need help to deal with certain internal and external challenges. Engaging in holistic therapy can be beneficial for those who possess enough self-awareness and insight to recognize their need for support. This process often involves individualized approaches that include acceptance and a commitment to pursue change. Additionally, psychotherapy can facilitate relationship-focused work that enhances your mental health resources.

WHAT IS YOUR FEE?

If you're interested in exploring holistic therapy options, please reach out to me for a free, brief initial consultation. We can assess your goals, discuss individualized approaches, review fees, and determine our level of fit for psychotherapy and relationship-focused work.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I COME TO THERAPY?

I see clients at least once per week, as holistic therapy is most beneficial when it occurs on a weekly basis. In some cases, more than once a week may be recommended, especially when we are focusing on individualized approaches to your mental health. Together, we will assess your current difficulties and needs to develop the ideal treatment plan that may include psychotherapy and relationship-focused work. Please remember that consistency in treatment is crucial for it to be helpful and effective.

privacy and confidentiality policies

The law protects the psychotherapist-client relationship, ensuring that information shared during holistic therapy sessions cannot be disclosed without client authorization.

Exceptions to Confidentiality Include:

If I suspect child abuse, dependent adult, and/or elder abuse, I am required by law to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately. In the context of individualized approaches to care, if a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person(s), I must notify the police and inform the intended victim. Additionally, if a client intends to harm himself or herself, I will make every effort to secure their cooperation to ensure their safety. Should they choose not to cooperate, I will need to take further measures, as provided by law, to protect their well-being. We will explore confidentiality and its exceptions in greater detail when we meet, as it is an essential aspect of our psychotherapy and relationship-focused work.

RESOURCES

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Dr. Angeli Desai

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown offers valuable insights into holistic therapy, encouraging readers to embrace their true selves.

Comfortable with Uncertainty, by Pema Chödrön, provides mental health resources that guide individuals through life's unpredictability, making it a great addition to your individualized approaches for well-being.

The Worry Trap: How to Free Yourself from Worry & Anxiety using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, by Chad LeJeune PhD, explores how psychotherapy techniques can help you manage anxiety effectively.

The Confidence Gap: A Guide to Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt, by Russ Harris, empowers readers to build confidence through relationship focused work and personal development.

The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Handbook for Living, by Dalai Lama, combines wisdom and practical advice, making it a cornerstone in the realm of mental health resources.

The High-Conflict Couple: A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Guide to Finding Peace, Intimacy, and Validation, by Alan Fruzzetti and Marsha Linehan, emphasizes the importance of relationship focused work in managing conflict.

Attachment Theory: A Guide to Strengthening the Relationships in Your Life, by Thais Gibson, offers insights into individualized approaches to enhance your emotional connections.

Attached: Are you Anxious, Avoidant or Secure? How the science of adult attachment can help you find - and keep - love, by Amir Levine and Rachel Heller, dives deep into attachment styles and their impact on relationships, making it a key resource for anyone interested in holistic therapy.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk, is an essential read that integrates holistic therapy and psychotherapy in understanding trauma recovery.

Angeli Desai, Psyd