Virtual Counseling

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Whether it’s events in the past that have left you scarred, events in the future that are giving you anxiety, current problems with relationships, or all of the above, I believe what’s within you is what matters most. That is how I approach therapy.

My training has been with individuals, couples, and families. I have learned to be flexible and creative when working with families so that I can connect with all ages. I work to change how the whole family experiences one another, allowing all family members to feel more connected and consequently more open and trusting. With couples I use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which emphasizes understanding and communicating emotional experiences with your partner.  Often couples think it’s a communication issue but the problem often goes much deeper. My goal is for you both to feel safe enough with each other to turn toward each other in times of need and strengthen your bond.  With individuals I use a blend of therapies including mindfulness. Ultimately I want to help you optimize the way you think, feel, and even breath in order to feel less overwhelmed by stress and emotion, and more confident to navigate life’s challenges. The style of therapies I use are evidence-based, meaning that studies have shown them to be effective. That’s important to me as a therapist because I want know I am providing you the best help I can.

Ingrid Kepinski is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (#203610) in Texas under Dr. Paul Stanford’s (#202565) supervision. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, the University of Texas at Dallas with a Master’s in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience, and from Texas Woman’s University with a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. Ingrid Kepinski is has completed an externship in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, and received training by Connie Cornwell who was trained by EFT’s creator Dr. Sue Johnson and Gail Palmer. She completed her internship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s Family Studies Center, where she worked with diverse couples, families referred by various local and charter schools, and clinical populations referred by psychiatrists and other clinics at the hospital. Ingrid Kepinski has worked in research and has been published on studies exploring substance dependence and personality, substance dependence and neural substrates, and on chronic pain and opioids. She has collaborated on research studies exploring various topics including psychopathy, attachment, racial experience, and hormonal impact on behavior. She is a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and Society of Neuroscience (SFN).

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I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.
— Maya Angelo

Sometimes we can get thrown into changes we weren’t ready for: a personal or family member with a medical diagnosis, an unexpected death of a loved one, struggles with infertility, or relationship challenges. Maybe the change is welcomed: a recent engagement or marriage, the birth of a child, graduation, or a child moving on to college. Regardless of whether these changes are expected or unexpected, wanted or unwanted, I am confident that together, we can embrace these changes in the midst of our joy or grief and become our own resources when we learn new ways to approach the issue or the situation. This is the heart of my therapeutic approach. I believe individuals, couples, and families have the ability to change—sometimes they just need some assistance to do so. With almost 15 years of experience working with couples, individuals, and families, I have helped many clients obtain the tools necessary to improve their lives. I am ready to walk with you on your journey and look forward to discovering ways which strengthen your approach to life’s changes. I’m experienced in working with: grief/loss, spirituality, premarital/marital, parenting, discernment counseling, children/adolescence, coping skills, infertility issues, depression, and stress/anxiety.

Dr. Hunter is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#203169) in Texas. She graduated from the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor with a Bachelor’s degree in Religion, received a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Truett Seminary at Baylor University, and has a Ph.D. in Family Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. She brings a history of experience working in the church where she did pastoral counseling, premarital counseling, and led parenting and couple’s classes. If applicable, she utilizes her clients’ faith and spirituality, whatever they may be, as useful tools to aid in the change process. She has worked with all ages ranging from preschool to senior adults. She also specializes in discernment counseling, a process for helping couples make a more informed decision about whether they want to work on the relationship or end the relationship. In addition, her background as a hospice chaplain has familiarized her with the challenges that come with bereavement, grief, and loss in a variety of different family situations. She is also a certified facilitator of Prepare/Enrich, the most widely used and validated premarital assessment and training program.

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You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Every now and then you may stumble on one of life’s many challenges whether it be interpersonal, familial, marital, or within yourself. It takes a lot of courage to ask for help, and the first and most important step is to just show up.  Life is filled with many uncertainties; you do not have to do it alone. I am here to join you on your journey.

Connecting with a therapist can be a difficult but important step, and I want you to feel safe and comfortable enough to discuss anything. I am dedicated to providing my clients a safe, empathetic, warm, judgement-free zone. Therapy can do amazing things from healing and coping to finding the courage that is already within you. My goal is to get you tangible results in the shortest time possible using practical techniques.

I believe your ability to heal is already in you. I see myself as an additional resource to help with the process. I start each session asking what your desired outcomes are and everything we discuss afterwards will relate those goals you listed during that session. I believe that change is only change if it is noticed, either by you or maybe even those around you. If we program our brains to see change, we are more likely to change. Even if a problem is big and the work is hard, I believe we can get through it. Sometimes it hard to say things out loud. Worthwhile change is not typically easy. Through the therapeutic process you will not only be able to see the change, but feel the difference. And as a therapist, I am blessed with the opportunity to help you reach your full potential.

Dr. Hossain received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Hossain went on to complete her Master’s of Science in Counseling with a focus in Family and Marriage Therapy from Southern Methodist University, as well as her Doctorate in Higher Education Policy & Leadership from Southern Methodist University. Dr. Hossain is a Licensed Family and Marriage Therapy Associate (#203866) working under the supervision of Dr. Paul Stanford (#202565).

Dr. Hossain listens to each client’s needs and interests to provide therapy catered to them specifically. Dr. Hossain enjoys art and uses embodied art therapy to help clients find the mind-body connections for mental, physical, and emotional healing. She trained in grief counseling at Journey of Hope, where she provided mentoring and ran support groups for youth. Dr. Hossain is also skilled in play therapy and offers Garry Landreth’s Child-Parent Relation Therapy to strengthen the quality of parent-child attachment bonds. Dr. Hossain makes a careful analysis of each client’s needs and interests to allow clients to repair and sustain their relationships. She has studied multiple counseling approaches and has a passion for systems therapy. Through a Bowenian lens, she helps clients learn to become less emotionally reactive. From Gottman’s method, she helps her clients manage conflicts instead of struggling to live in a conflict-free relationship. Through Solution-Focused Therapy, she helps couples develop healthier roles, interactions, and dynamics. She also provides Discernment Counseling for couples in which one or both partners is “leaning out”. Dr. Hossain can help tackle relationship hurdles, strengthen intimacy, and help you live the life you dreamed of.

Dr. Hossain is multilingual and enjoys working with clients from diverse ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds and across multicultural and minority issues. Dr. Hossain speaks Bengali fluently and understands and can communicate in Hindi and Urdu proficiently.

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One of the most important features of life is conversation. Through conversation we form and reform our life experiences; we create and recreate our meanings and understandings; and we construct our realities and ourselves. When possibility is enhanced… we can take the necessary action to address what concerns or troubles us… and accomplish what we want.
— Harlene Anderson

The above quote from a respected colleague is the foundation that influences my clinical practice as a professional.  Through my experience, I have to come to learn that counseling is most beneficial when possibilities of hope, healing, and action are developed through meaningful conversations.  I see that my role as a therapist is to help patients to explore their life’s narratives such that it enables them to explore new alternatives in order to develop new meaning in theirs lives.

My primary focus in private practice is individuals and couples dealing with a variety of relationship issues, including but not limited to: infidelity, domestic violence, and trauma.  I plan to achieve, through meaningful conversation, the healing of such wounds. In other words, enabling these couples to heal from their hurt and pain and transition to a healthier stage in their relationship. A major focus of my clinical work includes working with clients dealing with life transitions (i.e.  starting college, changing residences or careers, or grieving the loss of a relationship).  The emotional rollercoaster of life transitions can be impactful and navigating away can be tough to manage. We may perceive life transitions to be inherently difficult, but the reality is most life transitions, like other life stresses, can be manageable depending on how you view them.  Through meaningful conversation, I can help clients to gain a different perspective of their life transitions: to help clients realize they have the power to decide how much of an impact the life transition will have on their life; to help clients realize that with each transition old memories are not to be forgotten; and finally to help clients realize that with each transition there is always the exciting prospect of new, lasting memories to be made. Ultimately, it is my passion to meet you where you are at and through meaningful conversation get you where you want to be in your life.

Lily Ha is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#202496) in Texas. She completed her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas and also completed her doctoral coursework in Marriage and Family Therapy at St. Mary’s University. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate and her dissertation is focused on the experiences of second generation Vietnamese Americans and their families.

Lily has completed an Emotion Focused Therapy externship and a received her certificate of completion for International Collaborative Practices from the Houston Galveston Institute in Houston, Texas.  She is a trained facilitator in the Twogether in Texas curriculum for couples looking to enhance skills and seeking premarital counseling and is a certified facilitator of Prepare/Enrich, the most widely used and validated premarital assessment and training program. Finally, she is EMDR trained for work with trauma and recovery.

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Perfectionism is a self-destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.
— Brené Brown

We all need a safe, compassionate, empathetic, and no judgment zone space to have a moment to process what is going on inside of us and around us. It is of the upmost importance to learn how to stop, reflect, and discover the source of our frustration and pain and how to express and articulate that without the residual feelings of shame and guilt for doing so. We should never be afraid to show up and show our authentic self to those we love and deserve the respect to be seen and heard. Maybe you are at a point in your relationship where you are stuck and feel immobile and unable to communicate with one another the depths of your fears, hurts, frustration, or love for one another without the repeated cycle of shutting down, isolating, pulling away, or chasing after one another yet still not resolving anything. When faced with any sort of distress in life with your partner or other facets of life, it is easy to get caught up in negative repetitive sequences of interaction that lead to feelings of isolation from the connection that you crave. This tends to present itself as walls of anger and insecurities and stand in the way of the connections you are yearning for. One of the gifts therapy provides is learning to find yourself and learn about your partner, while learning to have compassion for yourself and your partner and be free from the cycle of shame and guilt that plagues us and distorts getting to know our authentic self and our relationships. Sometimes change, whether welcomed, anticipated, or unwanted, can be difficult to adjust to. Other areas that can be difficult and impact our relationship with our partners are unresolved issues from our past. As Brené Brown says, sometimes the most important and bravest thing we can do, is just show up. That is therapy-just showing up.

My goal as your therapist is to present new ways to express new experiences in therapy, that can make you both more aware of one another and make sense of the world in a new and significant way. Individual identities can be formed and transformed by the quality of our relationships and interactions with others. Let us make them healthy! When it comes to therapy, I believe in a client-centered and collaborative approach. While I may be an expert on how therapy works and the process, I am not the expert on your life and the difficulties that you are experiencing. This is why therapy is collaborative and person-centered. I work best with individuals and couples that are committed to breaking their painful, unproductive cycles and are ready to explore, change and grow. Everyone deserves to be understood, acknowledged, loved, and to belong. We have the ability to be freed from the pain of disconnection, and to be our authentic self in meaningful, fulfilling relationships. It is my belief that when we have healthy and emotionally intelligent individuals, we have healthy and emotionally intelligent couples and families.

For couples that love each other deeply but feel stuck, I offer support with resolving issues surrounding extended family and spiritually, strengthening intimacy, recovery and healing from betrayal, improving communication and connection, decreasing conflict, infertility, expecting and new parents, and multicultural couples. For those that are dating or engaged and want to focus on things such as wedding planning frustrations, family planning/children, strengths and areas impacting personality dynamics and communication skills, and culture and spirituality. For families or individuals, I offer support in navigating through adult children/parent relationships and the transitional phases between adolescent daughter/mother relationships.

Dr. Christian is a Licensed Professional Counselor (#69091) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (#202828) in Texas under the supervision of Dr. Paul Stanford (#202565). She graduated from Dallas Baptist University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and double minored in Criminal Justice and Social Psychology, and also received a Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) from DBU, and has a Ph.D. in Family Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. Her love for helping others becoming more loving and authentic towards themselves started when she worked with adolescents and their families in a church setting and then expanded her work to women and children receiving services in a domestic violence shelter. Dr. Christian has done seminars and been invited as a guest speaker in many churches to discuss sexuality and faith and how to talk to your adolescents about sex. Before venturing into private practice, Dr. Christian has worked with startup private pay mental health and substance abuse facilities and has spent a majority of her time introducing, creating workbook content, and conducting couples and family therapy in rehab facilities. Dr. Christian did part of her doctoral clinical training at UT Southwestern’s Family Therapy Clinic where she was under the leadership of Connie Cornwell. That experience led her to Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and to obtain an Externship opportunity under the teaching of Dr. Sue Johnson. Dr. Christian is also Gottman Level 1 Certified and a facilitator of Prepare/Enrich.

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We don’t have to do it all alone. We were never meant to.
— Brené Brown

The quote above drives my work as a therapist because I believe that we need the help and connection of others to thrive; and that is where I fit into the picture. As an LMFT-Associate I am trained in relational systems and have the ability to help individuals, couples, and families to create and maintain connections that bring joy and belonging into your lives. Studies show that people with deep and meaningful relationships have better mental and physical health than those who lack those relationships, which is why I am so passionate about working with you to make sure those relationships are healthy and happy.

I practice mainly from the therapy lenses provided by Contextual Therapy and Solution Focused Therapy. This means that I believe that having context and background into issues, relationships, and ourselves is an important place to gather understanding and then once we have that understanding, we can move to a place where we use that context to find solutions. That being said, I believe that the therapeutic relationship with my clients is the most important component to creating effective change, so I meet my clients where they are and create a plan on a case-by-case basis to best meet your unique and specific needs.

Megan Pardy received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies, as well as her Masters of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Tech University. Mrs. Pardy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#202912). She is experienced in running Pre-Marital workshops and is trained in the ‘Great Start’ Pre-Marital Curriculum as well as the most widely used and proven curriculum, Prepare Enrich. She previously interned at Hospice of Lubbock providing grief counseling and running grief support groups. Mrs. Pardy also interned at Texas Tech University’s Counseling Center providing individual and couples counseling to a wide range of clientele. Mrs. Pardy spent several years working with families offering family counseling and parenting skills with a program under the Family and Youth Services sector of the state government. Her specialties include individual and couples counseling, premarital counseling, life transitions, anxiety and stress reduction, female empowerment, LGBTQIA+ counseling, grief and loss, coping skills, and parenting skills.

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Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.

— Brené Brown

Are you an individual who simply desires to connect with others effectively? Do you yearn to engage with your partner, friends, family, or others and find it difficult to do so? Couples, do you feel you have been disconnected and can’t seem to find your way back to romance? Does your relationship seem distant and you wonder what happened to being best friends, lovers, and companions? Perhaps there are times you both have different opinions about how to raise your children, develop healthy boundaries with your external family members and need help? Maybe you are a blended family and it’s challenging to agree what’s best for everyone in your new family system?

I pursued both the Educational and Mental Health fields because I simply believe in people. I get it. Life simply is sometimes hard. My desire as a clinician is to develop a safe environment for my clients where they can be vulnerable and offer a space where their voices are heard. I am a passionate therapist who desires to equip clients with the tools and strategies they need to develop positive changes for their lives. I want to help them not miss moments of happiness that are right in front of them. With over 30 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families, I have supported my clients with the tools needed towards coping with life’s challenges and finding their personal solutions.

I’m experienced in working with premarital/marital, divorce, infidelity, blended families, parenting (within all developmental stages: early childhood to adulthood), adult children and parental communication patterns, coping skills, stress/anxiety, depression, grief/loss, and medical family therapy (cancer, alopecia areata, disabilities).

Dr. Buchanan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Texas. She graduated from the Texas Christian University with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, a Master of Education from Texas Christian University, and has a Ph.D. in Family Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. She brings a history of experience working as an educator, teaching a variety of student populations from early childhood to graduate studies including at-risks youth, special needs, and many other student populations. She also has experience training in the church including keynote speaking, parenting and couples classes, youth mentoring, and more. If applicable, she utilizes her clients’ faith and spirituality, whatever they may be, as useful tools to aid in the change process. These experiences have allowed her the ability to connect with individuals, couples, and families from different walks of life.

She also has extensive clinical and educational training in Solution Focused Therapy and completed an Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy certificate of completion under Dr. Sue Johnson from The International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy. Lastly, in an effort to enhance couples skills for those seeking premarital counseling, she is also a certified facilitator of Prepare/Enrich, the most widely used and validated premarital assessment and training program.

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I specialize in treating couples and individuals with relationship issues. Whether you’re married, living together, or dating, I’m experienced in helping people just like you. Or maybe you’re divorced and need help co-parenting, I work that population too. I am trained in interpersonal relationship dynamics and processes. I’ve conducted research on couples and would love to help your relationship thrive. I help people reconnect with their partner, rekindle the passion they once had, and redefine their relationship moving forward. I work WITH clients instead of for them. Your goals are my goals and I have the training and experience to assist you in meeting those goals.

Dr. Stanford is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor (#202565) in Texas and a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (# LCM532) in Maryland. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Nova Southeastern University with a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, and from Florida State University with a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy. Dr. Stanford is an adjunct professor for the marriage and family therapy program at Texas A&M – Central Texas and Pepperdine University, teaching courses in family theory and couples therapy among others.

Dr. Stanford is a certified service provider for Twogether in Texas, a trained facilitator of the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP), and a certified provider of Discernment Counseling. Dr. Stanford also has training in couples therapy, sex therapy, sexual abuse and trauma, and play therapy. Dr. Stanford has interned at the Brief Therapy Institute in Fort Lauderdale, the Center for Couples and Family Therapy at Florida State University, Healing Transitions: Creative Counseling for Children and Families, Inc., and S.U.P.E.R.B., an anti-bullying program. Dr. Stanford has conducted research on romantic relationships, specializing in the effects and aftermath of infidelity. Dr. Stanford is also a clinical fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and a Member at Large on the Board of Directors for the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (TAMFT).

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As a therapist, my goal is to support you in achieving greater self awareness, building stronger relationships, and healing from past wounds. I approach my clients with compassion and empathy and I am dedicated to providing a safe space for individuals, couples, and families seeking deeper and more nourishing connections. I recognize that stressful and traumatic events can occur throughout life, often impacting our physical and emotional well being. I also believe, given the right tools and insights, we can explore these events and find ways to work through challenges and live a more authentic and meaningful life.

I practice from a person-centered, trauma informed framework. I enjoy working collaboratively with my clients, meeting them where they are, and creating goals that support their current needs and hopes for the future.

When working with couples, I take time to understand their perspectives, and I aim to identify areas of strength as well areas where the couple could integrate new habits and tools. I utilize research-based approaches such as Gottman Method Couples Therapy and Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) during the sessions, in hopes of creating opportunities to increase connection and manage challenging or toxic interactions. While working with families and individuals, I integrate traditional psychotherapy methods with experiential tools found in art therapy and mindfulness-based therapy. I believe in the mind body connection and have seen how powerful art can be in externalizing and processing difficult trauma narratives. I am also trained and experienced in utilizing a therapy technique called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) with survivors of trauma; EMDR is a method of psychotherapy that is proven to be highly effective in significantly decreasing emotional distress after a traumatic event and can be effective in the treatment of complex trauma, phobias, anxiety, and PTSD.

Mrs. Elizabeth Amaro received a BFA from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and art therapy from Antioch University Seattle. Mrs. Amaro is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist as well as professional artist. Mrs. Amaro forms her work on identifying and implementing culturally relevant, systems-focused interactions using her extensive training in art and trauma therapy. She incorporates her formal art training and experience as well as evidence-based therapeutic practices to meet the needs of diverse populations. Mrs. Amaro has also worked extensively with couples, families, and survivors of childhood abuse and sexual assault at the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center as well as the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center. Throughout these collective experiences, she has witnessed the power of art and mindfulness as effective tools for safe healing from trauma, victimization and other life issues. She is also bilingual and speaks both English and Spanish fluently. Her areas of expertise include trauma/post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, life transitions, stress reduction, marital conflict, postpartum anxiety and depression, and managing life’s challenges. She has extensive training and experience in virtual therapy and currently only has virtual sessions available.

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