PLANTING COMPASSION, GROWING SELF

PLANTING COMPASSION, GROWING SELF

all are welcome here!

       You deserve to know your own story. You deserve to feel understood, heard, and acknowledged. Join me in exploring your life story, and find healing along the way.  My name is Jilleen Gorham, MS LMHC. I am a central New York native, and provide online mental health to all of New York State, through a HIPAA compliant platform online. My goal is to provide accessible mental health that is comfortable, safe, and transformational.   I feel so grateful and privileged to have this job and would love to guide you through your mental  health journey. 

The Approach

The method for gaining access to your system involves compassion, curiosity, and kindness. Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a model designed to help individuals understand themselves from a systemic perspective, allowing for an exploration of the interactions among the different parts of one’s identity. For instance, you may experience a conflict between the desire to work out and an opposing inclination to relax on the couch watching your favorite show. This illustrates how various inner aspects communicate with one another.

By becoming familiar with your parts, understanding their protective roles, and recognizing their motivations, you can uncover the underlying truths of your behaviors and decisions. Addressing these root causes is essential for fostering healing.

Beneath these protective parts, we discover the Self. When the Self is present, individuals often experience feelings of connection, calmness, clarity, courage, and compassion. Healing through IFS occurs when the Self establishes a positive relationship with these protective parts. A primary objective of IFS is to cultivate Self-leadership and improve communication with these parts, empowering you to invite them to take a step back, thereby enabling you to make more conscious decisions.

    

what type of person does this work well for?

This approach is beneficial for individuals experiencing internal conflicts. Issues such as food addiction, alcohol dependency, or perfectionism can often feel overwhelming and beyond our control. If you are interested in understanding the underlying reasons for these behaviors, this model may assist you in gaining deeper self-awareness and addressing areas that require healing. The objective is to foster a healthy relationship with yourself, reducing internal conflict and promoting overall congruence. For more information about the suitability of this therapy for specific individuals, please refer to the Specialty Areas page.

The impact of this therapeutic approach can be profoundly transformative.

    
    If you are ready to make a shift in your life, to feel truly connected, then please Contact me now! 

  • * TESTIMONIALS *

    I have been a client since 2019. I had seen other therapists in the past for my anxiety, but I struggled to open up until I met with Jilleen. She is warm, understanding, and speaks without judgement. I look forward to our sessions, and I recommend her to my friends and family. She is a big part of my inspiration to pursue a career in psychology myself. I have a lot to thank her for in my mental health journey!

  • * TESTIMONIALS *

    I initially came to Jilleen looking for support in breaking the generational cycles that I have struggled with for most of my life. I have not only learned and applied tools to do so, but have also been empowered to continue to better myself into a person that I am happy to be. Jilleen has helped me identify patterns of behavior in myself and others around me that I had never noticed before. In therapy, I have found so many more outlets to living a more positive lifestyle, and I am always confident that I will leave every session with Jilleen as a better person than I was before.

  • * TESTIMONIALS *

    Jilleen has been counseling me for the past year and I’ve had what I perceive to be some major advancements in my mental health journey. I have been dealing with retirement, the illness of my sister with ALS and the recent untimely death of my brother. Jilleen has been a constant supporter and also guided me to accept those things I was not so willing to accept. I love her compassion and understanding and also her ability to give me the tools I need to reset my thought process. I understand I have things to work through and also understand that all families have some level of dysfunction. It’s okay to be strong and not support those who are not healthy. Thank you Jilleen for helping to see that I’m not responsible for everyone!

  • * TESTIMONIALS *

    After my first session with Jilleen I knew I wouldn't have to keep searching for a therapist. From the moment we met she made sure I felt comfortable and safe talking about everything I wanted to without any judgement. She would encourage but not push me to talk about certain things if I didn't feel like talking about it that day. Since starting therapy I've definitely noticed how much more confident I am in many aspects of my life, especially in knowing what I want out of a relationship. I have a very busy and chaotic schedule that is constantly changing and Jilleen is always so considerate and flexible and has a few night sessions which are very helpful for scheduling as well. Jilleen has always been my biggest supporter and genuinely cares for and wants the best for her clients and I'm so grateful to have found her!”

  • * TESTIMONIALS *

    I have spent YEARS searching for a therapist that made me feel welcome, listened to, understood and comfortable enough to be able to share my concerns. Working with Jilleen is exactly that way. She is very personable, genuine, has great availability, and has no issue working around my schedule. Working with Jilleen has certainly helped me understand my tendencies and why I behave the way I do. She has a way of putting things into perspective, and we are currently working on healing my inner child. I have felt subtle changes within myself, like not reacting to triggers like I used to. Therapy has meant that I don't have to be stuck in the past and has shown me that I am capable of change. Jilleen is one of a kind and I am beyond happy to be one of her clients.

  • * Testimonials *

    Jilleen gives me a space where I can be as comfortable as possible during uncomfortable discussions. She’s a great person to talk to with a kind demeanor and insightful questions. I can cope better under many situations that I previously struggled with by embracing IFS teachings that I wasn’t aware of before starting my sessions with Jilleen. I’ve seen great improvements in my overall well-being from having the tools she gives me and her support in my life.