Theodore Champagne

LMHC

As a neurodivergent nonbinary counselor, my personal experiences strongly inspire my choices as a counselor! I view my clients as my peers and believe in the power of sharing our lived experiences. I've found that my personal experiences have eliminated the stigma that many people have around neurodivergence and the LGBTQIA+ community so that I'm able to approach my clients with honesty and appreciation. I always try to remember my experiences in counseling growing up and strive to find new and innovative ways to approach the counseling space that solve many issues I remember facing.

As someone with a background in theatre, I am often asked what inspired me to become a counselor! I've always been passionate about having tough conversations and celebrating the diversity found within human experiences. While theatre does this in a universal way, counseling does this on a very personal level. When I realized the gaps in care provided to nonbinary and autistic individuals, I was inspired to turn my social justice efforts from the stage into the counseling world!

One of the most insightful things I've learned as a mental health professional is how important the power of connection is! When you conduct research into counseling techniques and therapeutic modalities, all of the research shows that the therapeutic relationship is truly what determines whether the counseling process is effective. This is why I always stress to potential clients the importance of connecting with your therapist and I've found that this not only influences outcomes but makes the process more fun!