Grief counselors and therapists in West Hartford, CT

I believe therapy is most effective when you feel heard, understood, and respected. My person-centered approach is tailored to your experiences, strengths, goals, and needs. Informed by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, I offer practical tools to manage distress, challenge unhelpful thoughts, regulate emotions, build coping skills, and improve relationships. I strive to create a warm, supportive, nonjudgmental space where we can work collaboratively. Whether you’re facing anxiety, life transitions, emotional challenges, or feeling stuck, we can build on your strengths and create meaningful change.

I specialize in anxiety, depression, trauma, and LGBTQIA+ affirming care, specializing in mindfulness-based approaches rooted in DBT and CBT. Therapy can help you process difficult experiences, manage emotions, challenge unhelpful thoughts, build coping skills, and create meaningful change in a supportive, nonjudgmental space.

Starting therapy can feel like a big step, but you don’t have to have everything figured out. Whether you’re overwhelmed, anxious, navigating change, or feeling stuck, therapy offers space to feel heard and understood. I’ll meet you without judgment and work at your pace. If my approach feels like a good fit, I invite you to reach out.

I have 20 years of experience working in the mental health and addiction field, I am a certified Gambling Counselor. Thirteen of the 20 years I spent in leadership roles. I have a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology and varied training in trauma, anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

I believe that meaningful therapy begins with feeling safe, heard, and supported. My goal is to create a compassionate, non-judgmental space where individuals and families can explore challenges, build on their strengths, and move toward positive change.

I hold both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Social Work and have over five years of experience working directly with children and families. My professional background includes supporting children and caregivers through emotional, behavioral, and relational concerns, while collaborating with families to strengthen communication, coping skills, and overall well-being.

In addition to my work with children and families, I also have several years of experience supporting older adults, including assisting individuals and families with long-term care planning. This work has given me a deep appreciation for the emotional, practical, and relational challenges that can arise during later life transitions, caregiving roles, and decision-making processes.

I am passionate about supporting clients across the lifespan and helping individuals and families navigate change with greater clarity, resilience, and connection.

I'm Magdalena, and I've been doing this work for 14 years — across schools, community

mental health, and private practice. What that span of experience gave me is range: I've

worked with people in serious crisis and people who are simply stuck, and I've learned

that the gap between those two things is smaller than most people think. I trained at

UNC Wilmington and have spent my career working with adults across the full

complexity of what life throws at people — anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, parenting,

major life transitions, and identity. I offer therapy in both English and Polish, and I'm

LGBTQ+-affirming. I accept insurance and offer a sliding scale. My goal isn't to be your

therapist forever — it's to give you what you need so you can get on with your life.