Sometimes therapy alone isn't enough, and that's okay. For many people, medication can be a meaningful part of finding balance and relief. At Ataraxia Counseling, our psychiatric services are provided by Ava Suleiman, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) who specializes in evidence-based, client-centered psychiatric care.

What sets our approach apart is integration. Ava works closely alongside our therapy team to ensure your psychiatric care and your therapeutic work are aligned and mutually supportive.

How It Works

Your first appointment is a 50-minute psychiatric intake — a thorough conversation about your mental health history, current symptoms, lifestyle, and goals. From there, Ava will discuss her clinical impressions with you and, if appropriate, recommend a medication plan tailored to your specific needs.

Follow-up appointments are typically 20 minutes and focus on monitoring how you're responding to medication, making adjustments as needed, and ensuring your overall care plan remains on track.

Check out Ava’s bio for more information.

Individual therapy at Ataraxia Counseling offers you a private, confidential space to slow down, explore what's really going on, and begin building a life that feels more like your own. Our therapists work collaboratively with you to understand the patterns that are keeping you stuck and support you in making meaningful, lasting change.
Sessions are 50 minutes and are typically held weekly, though we'll adjust the pace to what works best for you.

Therapy here is active and collaborative. It's not just talking — it's building skills, shifting perspectives, and doing the meaningful work of real change. Some of that work happens in session; some of it happens in your daily life in between.

Our therapists bring diverse specializations and are committed to providing care that is trauma-informed, affirming, and individualized. If you're unsure whether individual therapy is the right fit, we're happy to talk it through with you in a free 15-minute consultation.

Ready to take the first step?

Schedule a free 15-minute consultation or request an appointment through our secure client portal.

Contact us: info@ataraxia-counseling.com

Every relationship hits hard seasons. Whether you're navigating conflict, rebuilding trust, learning how to communicate, or simply wanting to invest in your partnership before small cracks become larger ones — couples therapy can help.

At Ataraxia Counseling, our couples therapy is grounded in the Gottman Method, a research-driven approach developed from decades of studying what makes relationships thrive. However, our couples therapy is not a one-size-fits-all model, we integrate other modalities alongside the Gottman Method depending on the unique needs of the couple.
Some of the other modalities include:

• Relational Life Therapy (RLT) developed by Terry Real, which focuses on relational patterns, accountability, and building genuine intimacy

• Psychoanalytic Couples Therapy approach helps partners uncover how their childhood attachment styles, early wounds, and defense mechanisms shape their current interactions, enabling them to resolve deep-seated patterns together.

The goal isn't a perfect relationship — it's a resilient one, built on mutual respect, trust, and genuine intimacy.

Couples Therapy is for every couple! Couples therapy is just as valuable for relationships that are healthy as for ones in crisis, and it's even meaningful for couples who have chosen to separate and want to do so with honesty, mutual respect (and to build a foundation for co-parenting). Individual therapy has shed most of its stigma. Couples therapy deserves the same. Reaching out isn't a sign your relationship is failing — it's a sign you value it.

Session Format: Sessions are 90- minutes on a weekly basis to start, then subject to change depending on your needs and goals. Both partners are expected to attend. For pricing information, visit our Billing page or reach out directly — we're happy to walk you through your options.

Queer-Affirming Couples Therapy: We offer queer-affirming therapy in a supportive and inclusive environment tailored to the unique needs of LGBTQ+ couples. This includes navigating challenges related to identity, communication, societal pressures, and discrimination while fostering mutual understanding, acceptance, and resilience within your relationship.

Ready to invest in your relationship?

Schedule a free 15-minute consultation or request an appointment through our secure client portal.

Contact us: info@ataraxia-counseling.com

Our adolescent counseling services provide a safe and nurturing environment for teens to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is tailored to the unique needs and developmental challenges of teenagers, providing support, guidance, and strategies to address various issues such as academic stress, peer relationships, identity development, and mental health concerns. Through a collaborative approach, we empower teens to develop coping skills, build resilience, and cultivate a strong sense of self-confidence and well-being.

Bringing your teen to therapy is one of the most meaningful investments you can make in their future. We know it can feel uncertain — especially if your teen is resistant. Our team is experienced in building rapport with adolescents who are hesitant, and we meet them where they are without pressure.

Parenting Coaching — Available Add-On

Available as an addition to your teen's individual therapy at Ataraxia, Parenting Coaching offers parents a dedicated 45-minute space to vent frustrations, learn practical strategies, and build skills to navigate their teen's mental health journey with more confidence and less conflict. Learn more on our Parenting Coaching page or reach out to christiana@ataraxia-counseling.com

EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing — is a structured, evidence-based therapy designed to help people heal from trauma and distressing life experiences. It's one of the most well-researched and effective treatments available for PTSD, and its benefits extend to a wide range of mental health concerns.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn't require you to narrate your trauma in detail. Instead, it works by using bilateral stimulation — typically guided eye movements, tapping, or sounds — to help your brain reprocess stuck or unresolved memories. The result is that traumatic memories lose their emotional charge, allowing you to move forward without being pulled back.

Ongoing research supports positive clinical outcomes showing EMDR therapy as a helpful treatment for disorders such as anxiety, depression, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, and other distressing life experiences.
You don't have to come in ready — your therapist will work with you to make sure you feel safe and grounded before any reprocessing begins.

EMDR Intensives: For clients who want to move through the reprocessing work more quickly, we offer EMDR Intensives — extended sessions that allow for deeper, more concentrated work in a shorter period of time. Intensives can be particularly helpful for those with busy schedules, those preparing for a major life transition, or those who have been in traditional therapy and feel ready to go deeper. Reach out to learn more and determine if an intensive is a good fit for you.

Is EMDR Right for Me?: EMDR is highly effective for many people, but it's not the only approach we use — and it's not the right fit for everyone at every stage of their journey. If you're curious, the best first step is a consultation. We'll talk through where you are, what you're working on, and whether EMDR makes sense for you right now.

Trauma-Informed Yoga can be beneficial as a standalone wellness practice or as a complement to individual therapy. It is particularly supportive for those working through trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and emotional dysregulation. No yoga experience is required — our approach is accessible, gentle, and entirely client-centered. Each session is tailored to meet your individual needs, integrating mindfulness, breathwork, and energetic healing techniques.

Private Session Offerings:

• Private Yin Yoga Session – A guided Yin Yoga practice focused on mindfulness, flexibility, and somatic healing to calm the nervous system and promote inner peace.

• Private Reiki Session – A stand-alone Reiki healing session to clear energetic blockages, encourage emotional release, and support deep relaxation.

• Yin Yoga & Reiki – A balanced blend of gentle, long-held Yin postures and Reiki energy healing to release tension, restore balance, and promote emotional well-being.

• Yin Yoga & Live Sound Bath – Experience the deep relaxation of Yin Yoga enhanced by the vibrational healing of a live sound bath, helping to regulate the nervous system and ease stress. *Sessions after 5:00pm only.

Group Offering:

• Ataraxia Restorative Circle (Wednesdays 6 PM - 8 PM) – An open group combining Yin Yoga, sound bath meditation, and group processing.

Ready to reconnect with your body? Reach out to steffanie@ataraxia-counseling.com

Click here for more information: https://www.ataraxia-counseling.com/yogareiki-stephanie

Understanding is the first step toward change. Our mental health evaluation services provide comprehensive, clinically rigorous assessments to help clarify diagnoses, guide treatment planning, and give you — and your care team — a clearer picture of where you are and what you need.

Evaluations are conducted by a qualified PAR Level C assessor — the most advanced credentialing tier in psychological assessment — ensuring that every instrument used is administered, scored, and interpreted with the highest level of clinical expertise and ethical oversight.

Evaluation Services Offered

•  Full Clinical Mental Health Evaluations — Comprehensive diagnostic assessments addressing mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, personality functioning, and other clinical presentations.

•  Diagnostic Clarification Evaluations — Targeted assessments for clients seeking clarity around an existing or uncertain diagnosis.

•  Treatment Planning Assessments — Evaluations designed to inform and guide individualized therapeutic treatment plans.

•  Symptom Severity & Functional Impairment Assessments — Standardized measurement of symptom burden and its impact on daily functioning.

For more information:

Parenting Coaching is offered as a complement to your teen's individual therapy at Ataraxia Counseling — it is not a standalone service. This structure ensures that your coaching is informed by and aligned with the therapeutic work your teen is already doing, creating a more cohesive and effective support system for your whole family.

Sessions are 45 minutes, one-on-one with one of our trained coaches who brings a mental health background to every conversation. You'll have a space to vent your frustrations without judgment, ask the hard questions, and walk away with strategies you can actually use.

We'll work on things like:

•  Reducing conflict and reactive patterns

•  Building healthier dialogue with your teen

•  Understanding what's driving your teen's behavior

•  Creating more harmony at home without losing your boundaries

•  Supporting your teen's mental health without burning yourself out

This service is available as an add-on to individual counseling with one of our licensed providers at Ataraxia Counseling. For current fee information, please visit our Billing page or contact our office.

Want to learn more or get started?

Reach out to our office — we'll help you figure out if Parenting Coaching is the right next step for your family.

Contact us: info@ataraxia-counseling.com