Helena Lorenz, M.S.W., LCSW
I am a firm believer that we come to therapy seeking two things: acceptance for who we are in the moment & nurturance for who we want to become.
We all have things about ourselves and our lives that we want to alter, but perhaps feel as if we don't have the proper tools to go about it healthfully and productively. It is my job as a therapist to show you that you already have all the necessary knowledge and skills to create lasting change; you simply need someone equipped with the right flashlight to illuminate them for you. In my practice, I focus on building up your existing strengths and providing vital supplemental guidance on boundary-setting, healthy communication, prosperous mind-body connection, and more.
While my wonderful clients have a wide range of presenting concerns, I have a few areas of specialty that I want to mention!
Chronic Illness
As someone personally coping with chronic illness, I have intimate knowledge and experience of how recurrent medical struggles can have a lasting impact on one's mental health. Unexpected and unwanted changes to our bodies can bring about a whole host of challenging questions. Does my body hate me? Who am I if I can't do my normal activities without help, or sometimes not at all? Do I have less value to my family/friends/workplace if I can't be productive in the way I used to be? Why is the medical system so hard to navigate? Why am I so sad about losing a future that maybe never existed in the first place? And those questions just scratch the surface of the confusion and grief that can emerge. There is so much to dive into regarding chronic illness, and I love helping people navigate all of its complexities, pitfalls, and unexpected joys.
Anxiety
Anxiety is simultaneously so ubiquitous and so misunderstood. Oftentimes, it is demonized and seen as something we should free our minds from entirely. But I believe that anxiety can be useful and, in fact, healthy if properly understood and managed. We need our brains to be on the lookout for future dangers so that we can take care of ourselves; we just want to make sure we are doing so in a way that doesn't detract from the present. In understanding and treating my clients' anxiety, I emphasize psychological and physiological education because I believe that change can be achieved more quickly, and be longer lasting, when you have a better understanding of the underlying principles that govern your brain and body. In prioritizing this interconnectedness, I also incorporate many research-backed deep breathing and mindfulness techniques to help you healthfully navigate life's many stressors.
OCD
The average person most likely associates the term OCD with fastidious cleanliness or orderliness, but OCD is so much more complex than that two-dimensional picture. Oftentimes, OCD can feel like genuine mental torture, where your brain is constantly populating unwanted and intrusive thoughts, creating a cascade of debilitating anxiety. This anxiety then prompts your brain to construct potential escape routes — exercises and rituals that it thinks will help make the bad feelings/thoughts go away forever. So you engage in the ritual, the anxiety dies down, and the intrusive thoughts disappear, but then they re-emerge shortly thereafter with a vengeance, and you feel forced to repeat the cycle all over again to feel any relief. In my practice, I use ERP (Exposure Response Prevention) to help break this seemingly never-ending cycle. In the process, we take care not to shame ourselves for the obsessions but to see these thought patterns as a normal part of life — not something we have to fight against with unproductive, compulsive behaviors.
I recognize that coming to therapy can be a difficult and sometimes scary endeavor, and I attempt to never lose sight of the bravery it takes to bring one's issues out into the open in this way. Many years ago, I had my entire life changed by a positive therapy experience, and now I have the privilege of being on the other end of the equation, seeing again what amazing impact this work can have on any and every kind of person.
Though I have worked in and been passionate about therapy for many years, it only encompasses one slice of my life. When not in session, I enjoy board games with friends, listening to new podcasts, hot yoga classes, and walks with my husband and precious dog.
Helena Lorenz, M.S.W., LCSW has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Southwestern University and a Masters in Clinical Social Work from the University of Houston.
Helena Lorenz, M.S.W., LCSW
LCSW License # 105368
$185 Individual Counseling Appointment
$195 Couple and Family Counseling Appointment
