Sophie Starks, LCSW

From an early age, we are surrounded by systems that shape our lives. These systems include our upbringing, our family and culture, and even our everyday language. Psychoanalytic therapy is unique because it asks us how we navigate and use these systems to create meaning in our lives. Through engaging these meanings, and openly acknowledging the role that suffering plays in our lives, psychoanalytic therapy is particularly suited to address one’s psychological symptoms as well as one’s innermost fears and desires. This occurs in a manner that does not stigmatize the different, sometimes contradictory, aspects of our lives, but sees them as meaningful and as a way forward.

In my work, I focus my listening on your conscious experiences, as well as on the underlying dynamics present in all of us. By working in an environment built through empathy and without judgment, the individuals I work with create a space where they can explore their fears, wishes, and histories, in order to begin to speak the unspeakable.

Instead of focusing on a specific diagnosis, our work will define and explore the questions and solutions that are specific to you and your circumstances. Some benefits of your treatment may happen quickly, but more meaningful change often takes time. To this end, I often work with individuals more than once a week.

I work with individuals across the lifespan, but I have a special interest in working with adolescents and young adults, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those interested in exploring the effects of their family history. I’m happy to answer any questions that you might have about starting treatment.