Tracy Morris (she/her)

As I studied Human Development many years ago, I remember being amazed at how it seemed the final frontier for humans has been understanding themselves. So many of our moments of emotional turmoil can stem from the transitions -- some predictable & others unexpected -- that are unavoidable in life. Incredibly, sometimes just having the space and time to "process" out loud, talk through our life's details, can bring healing resolution. Occasionally, we get stuck in a reactive pattern that creates even more challenges for us. Looking through different perspectives can help us find our way.

I intentionally studied to be a parent for decades before finally giving it a try -- and I learned that there's nothing like the real thing to truly prepare you. In addition to my own parenting experience, my undergraduate degree in Human Development & Family Studies enabled me to help other parents find ways to meet both their own needs and those of their children. My work has ranged from teaching Parent Education classes to helping children and parents in the realm of foster care and adoption, providing guidance and support for parents struggling on a financial edge or in the shadows of poverty, illness, and addiction. I've served the emotional wellness needs of people who struggled to become parents, parents grieving lost children, and parents letting go of young adult children. It is a crazy loving business, parenting -- and my respect for those engaged in it is profound.

I believe that love is love. I think our cultural tendency to default to the concepts of monogamy are mostly just that -- a cultural default. I have known personally and professionally the possibilities of relationships that are other-than-monogamous. I am familiar with the inherent challenges and respect every individual's right to choose all of their relationships. I also recognize -- very importantly in a conservative community such as where I practice -- both the impacts of extended family and community relationships and the crucial importance of discretion. As with all of my clients, professional confidentiality is adhered to with vigilance.

I have a deep and broad background -- personally and professionally -- in the specialty arena called "reproductive mental health," which encompasses complex issues arising from intersections connecting a person's reproductive physiology and emotional well-being. I am a vocal advocate of personal autonomy and freedom of choice. I am also keenly aware of the psychological, cultural, and relational minefields inherent in this aspect of being human.

Like most trained therapists, I have a broad knowledge base of several therapeutic modalities. My experience-informed skills show up in how I determine which of the modalities might be most helpful for each client. "Eclectic therapy" is not a "type" of therapy so much as it is a well-stocked toolkit for the therapist and client to rummage through and pull from.

In addition to some well-honed, validated, finely tuned couple-specific modalities, I bring a heavily collaborative perspective to all of my work. Perhaps even more so when there are partners (or others) who feel adversarial -- my goal is to work within each person's strengths and desired outcomes.

Coming from a professional history of writing, and trained in the White/Epston variety of narrative work, I offer most of my clients the opportunity to see their life's trials, tribulations, successes, and celebrations through a storied lens, one that can be edited and re-told by the client.

Coming from a professional history of writing, and trained in the White/Epston variety of narrative work, I offer most of my clients the opportunity to see their life's trials, tribulations, successes, and celebrations through a storied lens, one that can be edited and re-told by the client.