Do you want to find curiosity and compassion for even the most hard-to-understand parts of you?

Alex Cote (they/she)

Perhaps you’re someone who understands the patterns that are keeping you stuck, but  trying to “think your way out” is just winding you tighter. Or perhaps you’re someone who’s heard that you just need to feel your feelings, but you’re left wondering incredulously, “How??” Experiential therapy addresses these specific cycles; you will practice, in real time, building soft and curious connections with your feelings without feeling overwhelmed by them. Little by little, you’ll learn to stay present in moments that used to send you spiraling.

I’m Alex. I’m a white, queer, non-monogamous, genderqueer therapist. For many years I had the same experience many of my clients have, and now I help clients get out of those familiar, constricting cycles. I use primarily IFS (Internal Family Systems), and incorporate elements of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy) and Somatic Experiencing (SE) to help clients slow down and be present with their reactions. 

This is a great fit for sensitive, anxious, over-thinkers. I have a particular passion for working with queer and neurodivergent adults, teens who are having a hard time even though they’re really smart, and parents who are finding that parenting is bringing up challenging things in themselves.

Before I was a therapist, I worked for 10 years advocating for children’s right to play. Helping young people access absurd, in-the-moment, joyful imagination led me directly to my interest in creative, in-the-moment, relational therapy work.

Email me to schedule a free, 15-minute consultation: alex@catherinemccarthylcsw.com

Education & Experience

B.S. in Design + Environmental Analysis from Cornell University
Master of Social Work from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College
IFS Training with Michelle Lepak, IFS Level 1 Certification in progress
Training in SMART (Sensorimotor Arousal Regulation Therapy) and DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy) for childhood trauma.