Valerie R. Burns

Many people ask me, “Why would I want to feel my feelings?” Whether you are constantly staring at a screen, filling every space on your calendar to avoid being alone with your thoughts, putting on a new mask for every person you encounter, or using alcohol as “social lubricant” to quiet the noise, many of us have mastered the art of avoidance. Some of us neatly tuck our feelings away, trading our emotions for a nicely organized life with lots of explanations and justifications, while others stuff the jumbled up mess under the bed. The emotions we most likely try to avoid serve a very important purpose. Each one of our emotions offers us a distinctive gift; especially fear, pain, and shame. As your counselor, it is my job to help you resolve or safely move into important emotions, and help break cycles of unhelpful coping so you can experience healing and peace. If you are struggling to cope with your emotions or find yourself unhappy in life or relationships, reach out today and learn how your gifts of emotion can be your ultimate catalysts for change.