Interview with Patty Sugrue, LCPC
Get to know our psychotherapist, Patty, who joined Five Point in January 2023. Using an embodied, relational approach to therapy, Patty creates a space for her clients to discover what makes them unique and heal what gets in the way of becoming that. She has experience working with depression and anxiety, relationship issues, LGBTQIA concerns, spirituality and trauma. Patty offers her years as a bodyworker, yoga and meditation teacher as tools for self-understanding and empowerment.
What techniques work for you to manage stress?
I love spending time in nature, and I finally understand the truth of "forest bathing". Every cell of my body is soothed being in green spaces under a big blue sky. When I'm really stressed, doing some bird watching in these green spaces focuses my attention, engaging all of my senses. It invites joyful delight and fills my attention so that anxious thoughts don't stand a chance.
What theory in psychology do you geek out on?
Attachment theory. Being truly seen and heard, felt and known is such a powerful tool for healing. When meaningful others respond to our expressions with negativity we learn that in some way it's not OK to be ourselves. We hide or isolate parts of ourselves. When we are seen and known for our full selves, we feel safe and strong to bring ourselves into the world, take risks and become who we are here to be. We have the strength to overcome obstacles and live our authentic, rich and meaningful life. This is why I do the work I do.
What is the most important thing to you in your work with clients?
Authenticity. When I can connect with what's really true within me, we can have deeper, more meaningful and more healing conversations.
If you could do any other kind of work, what would it be?
I'd be a naturalist and educator. I would do work to protect wild spaces and invite people into relationship with wild spaces so that they would love and protect them too.
What is something you have learned from a client?
What I love learning from clients is how to speak to them in ways that they feel uniquely heard and felt. It's different for everyone. I appreciate it when things clients say help me understand how they receive connection.
What resonates with you about working at Five Point?
Five Point embodies the belief that we all together, as community, can create something stronger, more healing and more empowering than any of us can alone. We are a group of healers who are gifted, talented and always learning and who ground our work in our collective humanity.
Connect with Patty via email at patty@fivepointholistic.com. She sees individual psychotherapy clients Monday - Friday and has an upcoming group Pandemic Processing through Mindfulness beginning April 18.