Meet Charles!

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Charles is the Director of People + Culture and a Therapist at Open Space. Charles’ prior experience as a leader in human resources has provided them with immense experience helping people thrive in the workplace for local government, private sector, healthcare, and international organizations. 

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"I became a therapist because I know how hard it was for me to find a queer-competent & affirming mental healthcare provider when I needed it the most. As a queer, trans, non-binary human I will offer my lived experience and clinical expertise where appropriate to provide a safe & affirming space not only for queer people, but anyone who has ever felt alone or ‘other’."

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Who I Help

 

I specialize working with people who struggle with complicated thoughts and feelings surrounding sexual health & wellness, intimacy, desire, sexuality, gender identity, trauma, and non-monogamous relationships. Maybe you feel lost, anxious, or confused in your relationship with yourself and others, or you wan to understand yourself more holistically as a person. I will provide a safe nonjudgmental space to help you work through these. 

 

Identity Exploration

 

I have spent the better part of my life unlearning an enormous amount of harmful messages I received about what it means to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Hearing we are ‘abnormal, non-traditional, sinful, and broken’ is a heavy burden to carry, especially if we internalize those messages. Add to that the struggles of living in a capitalistic, patriarchal, cisgender, heteronormative society enduring constant minority stress and oppression, and maybe you’re feeling exhausted, just like I was.

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Many of us in the LGBTQIA+ community have had to become the people we are today just so that we can survive.

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Sexual Health & Relationship Concerns

 

Talking about sex can elicit a lot of uncomfortable feelings when we are taught as a society that it is taboo. My role is to help you understand those messages we have been taught & decide if they are positively impacting your life or not. I believe it is a human right to find joy and pleasure in life and I want to empower you to find this for yourself.

 

If you are experiencing any concerns around your sexual health, wellness, satisfaction, intimacy & arousal, out of control sexual behavior & impulses, exploring kink/BDSM, or experiencing desire discrepancy with partner(s) or yourself we should talk about it, normalize it, and find ways to help you live the life you want!

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Trauma-Informed Therapy

 

I practice from a trauma-informed lens and believe that our experiences can have major impacts on how we view ourselves. I want to help you become empowered to understand your wants, needs, and abilities to live the life you deserve!

 

I find most people get 'stuck' in the fear of going to therapy. Therapy sucks (it is hard work!), but it doesn't have to be scary. I will never force you to 'rip of the Band-Aid', as many of the things we will discuss will require us to find safety and trust in our sessions, and in your own life outside of therapy. I use a non-judgmental framework in therapy that can include mindfulness, internal family systems (IFS), inner child work, compassion focused, and feminist based theories.

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What Can you Expect?

 

I practice from a place that uses humor, swearing, laughing, (and yes I may even talk about doom scrolling TikTok and cat memes as a good way to process our big emotions). I think recognizing that we are both humans first and foremost is the most important thing I can do as a therapist. 

 

I am a strong social justice advocate, and inform my practice through feminist theories, queer theory, and social constructivism. My goal will never be to change you, but to help you find ways to make room for yourself as a whole person.

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 When I'm not at Open Space CCW, you may also find me...

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Drinking excessive amounts of coffee while cleaning up after my teenager and house full of fur babies, trying to keep my houseplants alive, or playing DnD & video games. You can find me being a healer in any video game I play while also yelling "Get out of the fire!"