Dr. Chinwe Madu (she/her)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

If you feel stuck in anxiety, overthinking, burnout, self-criticism, or a difficult life transition, ACT can help us work with your thoughts and emotions in a different way. I regularly use ACT to help clients build psychological flexibility, clarify their values, and take meaningful steps forward. In our work, we will notice unhelpful patterns and build practical, compassionate ways of responding that feel realistic and sustainable.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

If your emotions feel intense, stress feels hard to manage, or you find yourself reacting in ways you later regret, DBT offers practical tools we can use together. I often draw from DBT to help clients strengthen emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and communication. Together, we will build skills you can use in everyday life so you feel more grounded, more steady, and better able to respond with intention.

Somatic Therapy (Body Centered)

If you feel tense, on edge, or disconnected from your body, somatic therapy offers gentle, body-based ways to work with stress. I draw on somatic and polyvagal approaches to help you notice physical cues, nervous system responses, and patterns of activation or shutdown. In our sessions, we’ll practice small, mindful shifts that support a greater sense of safety, calm, and connection in your daily life.

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

If you notice unhelpful thought patterns, strong emotions, or behaviors that keep you feeling stuck, mindfulness-based CBT offers a structured way to create change. This approach blends CBT with present-moment awareness, helping you notice patterns in how you think, feel, and respond, and gently test out new ways of relating to them. In therapy, we’ll build practical tools to challenge unhelpful thoughts, shift habits, and move toward a life that feels more aligned with your values.

Cultural Congruence

Cultural congruence means therapy that honors your identities, lived experience, and the communities you come from. I work to create a space where you don’t have to explain or shrink parts of yourself to be understood. In this space, we’ll explore how culture, family, racism, migration, faith, gender, and other systems shape your stress and resilience, and support you in moving toward what feels authentic and liberating for you.

Anxiety

Anxiety can show up even when you appear to be holding it together on the outside. It may feel like chronic worry, overthinking, tension in your body, trouble relaxing, difficulty sleeping, or always feeling a little on edge. You may be carrying a lot and pushing through while feeling increasingly overwhelmed inside. In therapy, we slow things down and help you understand how anxiety is showing up in your thoughts, body, and nervous system so it feels less overwhelming and more manageable.

Self-Esteem

Low self-esteem often shows up as self-doubt, perfectionism, people-pleasing, harsh self-criticism, or feeling like you are never quite enough. Over time, those patterns can affect confidence, boundaries, relationships, and the ability to trust yourself. In therapy, we explore where those beliefs come from and work to build a more grounded, compassionate, and steady relationship with yourself.

Women's Issues

Women’s issues often include burnout, caregiving stress, relationship strain, body image concerns, and hormonal or midlife changes that affect mood, energy, confidence, and daily life. Many women are used to carrying a great deal while losing touch with their own needs in the process. In therapy, we make space to understand those pressures and work toward greater clarity, steadiness, and self-trust.

Adjustment Disorder

Major life changes, losses, or ongoing stressors can leave you feeling disoriented, emotionally flooded, or unlike yourself. You might notice changes in sleep, mood, concentration, relationships, or the ability to manage daily tasks. Together, we’ll make sense of what you’re going through, support your capacity to cope, and help you develop steadier ways of navigating this transition so life feels more manageable and aligned with your values.

Depression

Depression can look like moving through your day on autopilot while feeling numb, drained, or weighed down. You might notice low motivation, changes in sleep or appetite, irritability, or feeling disconnected from things that once brought you joy. In therapy, we make space to understand what’s beneath the heaviness and explore small, sustainable shifts so life feels more workable, meaningful, and aligned with who you are.