Angela Presto

LMHC

As a therapist, I am very honest, direct, and genuine, and I become excited about any number of topics when working with clients. I find therapy exciting and a space for exploration, curiosity, and development, but also a space where you can develop through challenging yourself and having fun. I also accept out-of-network insurance benefits that will support the cost of services. We can verify these benefits prior to the start of services, as many clients have out-of-network benefits and are not aware of it. Thrizer is my payment platform that verifies your insurance benefits and automatically processes claims for you so you can get the most of the session cost reimbursed quickly and for free.

I always say therapy found me, which sounds cheesy, but it is true. I went through a career change where I found myself leaving a career that also served as my life and relationship. One day I suddenly realized the answer to my career change was to become a therapist. It felt right, and I knew I needed to go with it. I remember being told as a child I would become a great therapist because of how curious and observant I was, and at the time I did not think that was the career for me. Clearly, childhood Angela was wrong about that. It was around this time I met my now husband, and we quickly became engaged. We established the connection and quality of life we wanted for our life story and were confident in our decision. As with any relationship, we had our “trials and tribulations”, but in summary we listened, learned, and navigated. At times gracefully, and other times not so much. But I learned what it means to create a connection, and how to keep that connection alive. I eventually went to school and obtained my bachelor’s and master’s degrees to be clinically trained to work as a therapist. It was during this time I began to realize how little support is available for fellow therapists and therapists in training, and providing this support became a goal of mine. Throughout these experiences I sought my own therapy. But I discovered not only through therapy, but life, relationships, and my clinical training what it means to connect and maintain that connection with individuals for fulfilling relationships and life, how to navigate the absurdities and difficulties of life alone, with friends and with a partner, how to manage the needs of yourself, your partner and the relationship, how to manage the various choices we face on a day to day basis, and the importance of support within the profession of therapy.

I find that many relationships arrive in therapy because the relationship is transitioning into a new stage of life, it is part of the polyamorous or LGBTQ+ community and navigating various tensions, feels disconnected/fragmented, experiences a loss of sexual and emotional intimacy, struggles with communication or infidelity, experiences a loss of desire or excitement, the future is in question, among others. For relationships, I help partners develop relational intelligence for improved relationships and quality of life, and address topics including, but not limited to, care/closeness, power/control, respect/recognition, vulnerabilities, desire, sensuality, love, trust and communication. With therapists, I find that themes of not feeling "good enough", countertransference, burnout, graduate school concerns, and diverse experiences that occur through work tend to come up. In sessions, we rediscover and rework the approach to being a person and a therapist, as well as realigning with identity and values.