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What do you do when you genuinely want two things that pull you in opposite directions?

You may want closeness and independence, security and freedom, achievement and rest. You may love your partner and still wonder whether you should leave. You may know what everyone else needs from you while being much less certain about what you need.

My Approach

My Approach to Therapy

I use Internal Family Systems (IFS) as the primary approach in my work. IFS gives us a way to explore the different parts of your experience, as well as your internal and external responses. We can become curious about what is happening and what each part may need.
 

I also draw from relational, attachment, trauma-informed, CBT, and somatic approaches. Metaphor and imagery are often part of our work. Meditation and mindfulness are available as optional tools when they are useful to you.


Therapy is collaborative. I won't tell you who you should be or what you should choose. Instead, we'll explore what matters to you and what is happening within you and in your relationships.
 

Sometimes that means learning to work differently.  It may mean making a difficult choice, changing a priority, working through grief, learning a new way of responding, or discovering something you hadn't known was possible.




What You Can Expect

Warm
I want therapy to feel like a place where you can bring your whole experience without having to perform, explain everything perfectly, or already know what you need.
 

Participatory
Therapy is something we do together. Your experience, values, questions, and perspective matter. I won't tell you who you should be or what you should choose.


Creative
I often use metaphor, imagery, and other ways of exploring an experience beyond simply talking about it. We can find what works for you.


You don't have to know exactly what needs to change before you begin. I can't do the work for you, but you don't have to figure it out alone

Who I work with :

Who I work with

Adults

Couples 

I work with adults navigating anxiety, perfectionism, trauma, relationships, grief, life transitions, and questions about who they are and what they want. Many are thoughtful and capable people who have spent a lot of time caring for others and may have lost touch with their own needs.

I work with couples who want to understand their patterns, communicate differently, and explore what they value in their relationship. Sometimes the question is how to strengthen the relationship; sometimes it is whether and how to stay together.

Creative People & Professionals

People Navigating Complexity

Many of my clients are artists, creative people, healthcare professionals, academics, and other professionals. Some are highly driven; others are simply trying to find a way of living that doesn't require them to constantly push themselves. I often work well with people who are imaginative and comfortable exploring through metaphor.

I also work with people exploring questions of identity, culture, faith, meaning, spirituality, and reality. Therapy can be a place to explore these questions while making room for the complexity of being human.

You don't have to have everything figured out. We'll work together from where you are.

What You Can Expect
What You Can Expect

Contact Me

Have Questions? Ready to Connect?

Arielle Vale
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
California License: LMFT #98885
Maryland License: LCM #893

Offering Telehealth therapy services in:

California

Maryland

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Contact Me
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