Alyson is a beacon for me. A lighthouse in the dark. My true north over the past few years. Through talk therapy & tapping, she helped me find myself. The one that was hiding under old stories, trauma & feelings of unworthiness & fear. She helped me discover awareness around my feelings, that I matter, what I have to say matters & that my anxiety does not have to rule my day. Alyson is honest & direct, but with grace, compassion & empathy. Her approach allows you to open up, to feel safe & to feel seen. 

I started seeing Alyson a little over a year ago and since then, my life has changed in ways I didn't know were possible. I had never truly connected with any other therapist I had seen and felt as if therapy would never be something that could actually help me. But Alyson has an approach that really works for me. My work with Alyson has made me feel so empowered and hopeful about my future. I feel like I can trust myself to make decisions that I would have needed guidance on before and I feel comfortable doing things that once made me feel so anxious. I am so glad I found her and that I pushed myself out of my comfort level to let her help me heal.

Nearly two years ago, my brother lost his battle with depression and took his own life. Following the funeral, I found myself questioning the “how,” the “why,” and the “what more I could have done”— from the moment I had learned about his depression through the course of events that would follow. Earlier in my life, I had pursued counseling when faced with difficult challenges, albeit with mixed results. But this was no ordinary challenge. I knew I need a guidepost to help me through a dark tunnel. So, I turned to my company’s Employee Assist Program (EAP) and discovered Alyson Halas’s practice. 

From the outset, the discovery proved fruitful. Alyson was warm, inviting and reassuring. But more than that, she was a subtle hand guiding me through a path of understanding and coping. It was a hard path to walk. But Alyson asked questions that resonated, and offered both literature I could read AND actions I could practice. As important, she offered conversation with ease and comfort. There is an additional reason why I recommend Alyson Halas—and it’s a measure that you can’t easily quantify—her level of commitment and care.

About a month after my brother’s passing, I served as a master of ceremonies for a not-for-profit event addressing depression and suicide. (The request to participate came a full month before my brother’s passing.) I shared with Alyson the anxiety I felt about this event and publicly speaking about suicide so soon after my family’s loss. Alyson asked if I would be comfortable if she attended. I was and she did. Her presence that night, and her words of encouragement at the event, lifted me from the anxiety I had felt and quietly reassured me.

That kind of care, that kind of commitment is rare. Alyson invested herself in the loss I had experienced through our sessions together, and even more pointedly through her actions that evening. Given the totality of my experience with Alyson Halas, I know that when I face another difficult challenge in life, she will be my first phone call.

"After seeing many different therapists throughout my life and struggling to find the right fit, I was pessimistic about giving therapy another chance. However, since I started seeing Alyson, she has helped me change my perspective on both myself and therapy as a whole. Alyson is endlessly caring and empathetic, always taking the time to check in with me and see what I need without putting pressure on me. Thanks to her compassion, knowledge, and expertise in her field, I've come to learn how to change my negative thought patterns, better understand myself, and begin to heal from layers of old trauma that I didn't fully comprehend prior to our meeting. We still have work to do, but I continue to look forward to doing that work together."