Tending To the Roots of Mental Health
The Olla is an ancient gardening tool that delivers just the right amount of water directly to the roots of plants through buried terra cotta vessels filled with water that seeps through the walls and spreads steadily into the surrounding soil. No matter how dry and harsh the environment is above, if the olla is full, the plants will stay strong and healthy. It is a time-tested and evidence-based approach that gets results without needing to use anything overly complicated or over-engineered. Like an olla vessel in your garden, effective therapy should provide steady and consistent nourishment, promote long-term growth over forced change, and emphasize practical sustainability over quick fixes. If this sounds like something you are looking for, I think we could be a great fit and would love to connect as a fellow human who can be your "gardening partner."
But what does that mean in more practical ways? If you find yourself struggling against unwanted experiences that feel outside your control (painful emotions, moods, thoughts, etc), feel stuck and no longer enjoying life, or falling further away from being the kind of person you want to be, I am here to help. I will collaborate with you and give you the evidence-based tools and practices you need to create a purposeful, satisfying, and meaningful life. These tools can help you drop the struggle against what you can't control while learning to flexibly and whole-heartedly pursue what matters most to you. I specialize in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and other modalities that utilize mindfulness, compassion, flexible thinking skills, emotional acceptance, and cultivation of curiosity, to help people live their fullest and most values-consistent lives, even when starting from a place of feeling too stuck to move at all. These processes can help you be mentally and emotionally healthy in almost any environment, like an Olla can help plants grow strong even in the desert.
Though trained as a generalist who can see most people, I especially love working with adults and teens who struggle with any of the following: perfectionism, rigidity, loneliness, difficulty connecting with others and expressing emotion, anxiety, ADHD, mood dysregulation/depression, chronic conditions, grief, or any other unwanted experiences making you feel lost or stuck. Please reach out and see if I can help you build the life you want to live!
Carl Sallee
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
