Lajae Stewart, PhD

When facilitating therapy with patients, I work from a psychodynamic lens that focuses on interpersonal processes. The goal of our work to is reduce self-blame, foster new understandings, and cultivate new interpersonal experiences. I use interventions from various theoretical orientations, such as emotion-focused, cognitive-behavioral, dialectical-behavioral, multicultural, and humanistic therapies, to help accomplish this goal. The techniques I use depend on the unique personalities of my patients. As a Black woman who holds both marginalized and privileged identities, I often self-reflect on how my sociocultural experiences have influenced my worldviews and the impact of those views on others. I value cultural humility and seek to understand how society, culture, family, and systems affect an individual’s experience. I believe an important part of my work as a therapist is to advocate for individuals on a personal, community, and institutional level and ensure my worldviews do not negatively affect those with whom I come in contact.