For those living in the bittersweet.
Gut Check
Thirty free minutes with a psychologist, for when you're holding two big things at once and feeling stuck.
✦ Thirty free minutes on video. You tell me what's going on, I tell you what I see.
✦ No diagnosis. No homework. If it's a fit for working together, I'll say so. If not, I'll let you know.
✦ An outside read from someone who's been in the field for 10+ years and built a whole practice around life in the bittersweet. It's what I know best.
What actually happens
Thirty minutes, three parts. Here's what to expect.
You talk
You bring what's going on. No script, no agenda, no right way to start.
I tell you what I see
An outside read from someone who does this all day. Honest, kind feedback on the patterns you're too close to see.
You decide what's next
If we're a good fit, I'll tell you what working together would look like. If someone else is the better call, I'll point you there.
Made for life in the bittersweet.
Joy and grief that arrive in the same week. Sometimes the same moment. Most people pick one and shut the other down just to get through it.
✦ You got the long awaited promotion. The congratulations are still pouring in, and you can't tell anyone you're drowning in pressure.
✦ You're growing your family while someone in it is getting sicker. You feel guilty every time you're happy or excited.
✦ You moved to Chicago for the new job you love. You're embarrassed that your closest connection is the person you DM during Zoom calls.
✦ You've outgrown people who love you. Part of you is relieved.
Hi, I'm Dr. Carolyn. I work in the bittersweet.
The thing I hear most, usually ten minutes in and always with an apology attached: "I know I should be grateful."
I'm a licensed clinical psychologist and the owner of Alter Psychology, working virtually with people across Chicago and Illinois. Most of the people I see come in holding two things and tell me about one. They've already decided which feeling they're allowed to have, and put the other one somewhere they don't have to look at it.
You don't need help coping. You're already excellent at coping. That's most of the problem.
I'm not going to take that away from you. I'd just like to be the one person you don't have to be "fine" in front of.
Want to learn more about me? Visit my website here.
