Xylem Nilsen (they/them)

My Approach to Helping

It is my goal to create a space where all of your emotions, feelings, sensations, and thoughts feel welcomed and witnessed. Some of the therapy approaches that I most often use are Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Somatic psychotherapy, where I help you build upon your ability to listen with compassionate curiosity to the messages from your body and mind and spirit to discover how your whole system can work together to support your healing journey. From my many years of providing mental health crisis support in my personal and professional life, I have strengthened my ability to be a calming and validating presence for others that are feeling immense pain and suffering. From this experience along with my values of non-coercive care, I am able to hold space for my clients feelings and thoughts about suicide, homicide, and death and center my clients autonomy and consent throughout the therapeutic process and in identifying what seeking safety looks like for them.

My Values as a Therapist

I strongly believe in and value Disability Justice and Mad Liberation and cross-movement solidarity. While mainstream society and the colonized mental health field in the US heavily focus on treating individuals as being "disordered/broken" within a Medical Model framework, I believe that it is our society that is disordered and broken. Our wellness is heavily influenced by the environments we live in and how well they are set up to meet our unique needs. I value your inherent wisdom and life experiences. I value your autonomy and do not believe in coercion within healing spaces. I value collective liberation through the "leadership of those most impacted" (Sin's Invalid 10 Principles of Disability). I believe that our individual healing is most supported in the presence of authentic and caring relationships and I value being able to build these therapeutic relationships with my clients over time.