Meet the Clinician: Erin Bonham, MS (she/her)

My Approach to Therapy In My Own Words

Whether you’re trying to make sense of yourself, feeling burned out from constantly trying to keep up with expectations that weren’t made for you, navigating a new chapter of life, or simply feeling stuck, I want therapy to be a place where you can take a breath, feel understood, and figure out what you need.

My approach is collaborative, holistic, strengths-based, and above all, person-centered. I don’t believe you should have to squeeze yourself into a therapy approach that doesn’t fit. Instead, we can figure out together what works for you. Sometimes that might mean I come to the session with a plan, activity, or topic to work on. Other times, we might spend the session figuring out, “Okay…what is happening this week?” And sometimes it’s a little bit of both. I adapt my style based on what you need because I don’t think therapy should look exactly the same for everyone.

My approach is informed by feminist and neurodiversity-affirming therapy principles, which means I pay attention to the larger systems and identities that shape our experiences. I believe that often the problem isn’t that there’s something “wrong” with you; rather, it’s that you’ve been expected to function in an environment that doesn’t respect who you are or accommodate your needs. Therapy can be a place to untangle that, let go of some of the self-blame, and figure out what you actually want.

I draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help with things like navigating difficult emotions, building coping skills, challenging self-critical thoughts, setting boundaries, practicing self-compassion, and taking steps toward living in alignment with your values.

I also incorporate psychodynamic approaches to explore how past experiences, relationships, and attachment patterns may be showing up in your life today. Sometimes understanding why we do what we do can be an important first step toward deciding what we want to be different.

I often bring mindfulness and somatic exercises into therapy sessions to help participants slow down, tune into their bodies and emotions, and develop greater awareness, regulation, and self-compassion in the present moment. I enjoy using art, as well as play, to provide opportunities for alternative means of self-expression.

Ultimately, I want therapy to be a space where you feel comfortable being your whole self. My hope is that, together, we can make sense of your experiences, recognize your strengths, build self-trust, and find ways to create a life that feels meaningful and sustainable to you.

Ready to Begin?

Erin is available for child, teen and adult neuro-affirming evaluations and therapy, and is facilitating this fall’s Neurodivergent Grief and Neurodivergent Teens therapy support groups. Want to get started with Erin? 💌 Contact us today!