About Therapy
Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.
– Brené Brown
Seeking therapy takes courage.
Courage isn’t about having no fear but feeling it and walking straight toward it. And let’s be honest, some days courage is just answering the phone, replying to that text, or – YIKES – opening the front door.
Maybe you’ve mastered looking “fine” on the outside, while on the inside, you’re desperately hoping no one gets close enough to see the real you. I get it. We all want life to be easy, but counseling? Yeah, it’s not always easy. It’s work and requires showing up and sticking with it when it feels uncomfortable.
If you’re still reading this, I’m guessing something in your life feels heavy, and you wish it could magically change.
I can’t promise magic, but I can promise to walk beside you every step of the way, helping you find your footing and your balance again.
Think of yourself as an explorer.
You cannot find anything new if you are unwilling to leave the shore.
– Robert Greene
It’s time for some exploration.
Perhaps you dreamed with open eyes, but the years have left you weary.
Maybe you’ve never felt the tide could turn in your favor.
I have no wand, no illusions – only the quiet magic of walking beside you as you heal, helping you find the strength you didn’t know was there, and maybe sharing a few smiles along the way.
We will push off together when the moment comes, leaving the shore for new waters.
I’ve never felt more supported than when working with Mary Ellen.
– Cecilia
Some clients are like an onion.
This former client once came to me and said bluntly, “You can’t help me; others have tried and failed. But I’m desperate.”
“They”– their chosen pronoun – was an actual case of an ‘onion.’ The rapport didn’t come quickly. But over time, as they learned I could be trusted, that confidentiality was absolute, and that patience was real, the layers began to soften.
Week by week, month by month, we were like skilled surgeons – carefully working to cut away the “malignancy” that had been eating them up inside. As the healing took root, we uncovered their courageous explorer, the part of them ready to face the unknown with hope.
They knew life would still bring challenges, as it does for all of us. But now, they also knew they could meet those challenges with strength and steadiness, no matter what came their way.
About Mary Ellen Santerre, MS, MEd, LPC
Who am I?
Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE the Ted Lasso series – it’s a classic, ‘feel good’ type of series. Once I got past all the ‘F’ bombs, I was hooked.
For example, in the first year, Ted challenges the evil Rupert to a game of darts. Whenever it looks as though Ted was defeated, he cleverly utters a brilliant quote from Walt Whitman, “Be curious, not judgmental.”
My husband looked at me and said, “That’s what you always say!” It’s true! I have spent my life being curious about everything.
My education and training background:
My education and career have taken a long and winding road. I see God’s providence throughout my life.
I hold a master’s degree in Human Resources Management and a master’s degree in School Counseling.
After completing my training to become a Licensed Professional Counselor, I became certified in Cognitive Processing Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
I have extensive Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) training and am completing my certification.
Here’s a little peek into me.
My husband and I have two amazing grown daughters and two equally amazing sons-in-law. I have lived in Texas 90% of my life.
God put cats and dogs on this earth to keep us humble. I have had three Old English Sheepdogs in my lifetime. My current ‘little 80-pound boy’ is Buddy. He is a mess and will be somewhere around me during all our sessions.
Growing up, I was a competitive tennis player, and I am trying hard to like pickleball; we will see.
Lastly, my Christian faith is essential to me. By the grace of God, I have 37 years of sobriety, and I could not have done it without Christ. I would not be where I am or who I am without Him. He guides me whenever I let Him.