Nitasha Strait, Ph.D., M.Ed., LMFT, CST

I am a compassionate therapist committed to helping adults and couples work through depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and life transitions using personalized, evidence-based care. Together, we’ll uncover the root causes of your distress so you can experience lasting relief and emotional clarity.

Therapy is not just about feeling better; it’s about understanding yourself more deeply, navigating life’s challenges with greater clarity, and reconnecting with who you truly are beneath the noise, stress, and patterns that have built up over time. At The Better You Institute, I offer a space for that kind of transformation. I work with individuals who want more than surface-level solutions. You may be succeeding outwardly but still feel stuck inwardly. You might be asking yourself, “Why do I keep ending up here, even though I know better?” I’m here to help you find the answers to these unnerving questions.

I specialize in working with high-achieving adults and relationships where success has come at the cost of emotional connection, inner peace, or relational clarity. My clients are often the ones others turn to, the strong ones, the reliable ones. And yet, inside, they may feel anxious, emotionally overwhelmed, disconnected in their relationships, or unsure how to reconcile past wounds with present realities. Therapy at The Better You Institute is designed to hold that complexity and help you move through it.

Our Approach: More Than a Quick Fix

We believe that meaningful therapy requires more than coping tools; it requires insight. That’s why our work is rooted in a process-oriented, attachment-based, and trauma-informed approach. Our therapists are trained to help you explore the deeper “why” behind your struggles, not just treat symptoms. We integrate evidence-based modalities with relational attunement to ensure your therapy is personalized, practical, and powerful.

Our framework moves through three intentional phases:

Phase One: Awareness
You can’t change what you can’t see. In our initial phase, we spend time exploring what has brought you here. We’ll unpack holding patterns, relational dynamics, emotional triggers, and identity themes. We help you gain a clear understanding of how past experiences have shaped your present behaviors, thoughts, and emotional responses. This phase is often eye-opening and validating. Many clients say they’ve never felt so seen before. That clarity becomes the foundation for lasting change.

We’ll help you identify:
- Where and why you feel stuck
- The origins of your current emotional and relational patterns
- The internalized beliefs driving your actions
- How you learned to adapt, protect, or disconnect
- We will shed light on when these patterns help you, and when they may hinder you

Phase Two: Transformation
Once you begin to understand your patterns, you’re ready for the process of shifting them. In this phase, we help you challenge old beliefs, experiment with new behaviors, and begin to access different emotional responses. This isn’t always easy, but it’s where the real work—and healing—happens. Our therapists walk with you every step of the way, offering both compassion and structure. You'll be supported in taking emotional risks that lead to change.

Transformation might include:
- Learning to set boundaries without guilt
- Navigating conflict without shutting down
- Reclaiming parts of yourself you’ve hidden or minimized
- Healing the wounds that keep showing up in your relationships
- Developing a more secure, regulated sense of self

Phase Three: Integration
Healing is not just about breakthroughs; it’s about consistency. In the integration phase, we help you solidify your growth so that the changes you’ve made become part of your everyday life. This is where therapy becomes more about refinement, reflection, and continued alignment. Clients often report feeling more emotionally present, relationally fulfilled, and self-assured.

By this point, you’ll likely notice:
- Greater emotional resilience and self-regulation
- Clearer communication and a more profound connection with others
- A shift from surviving to thriving
- Confidence in navigating life transitions or stressors
- A stronger sense of identity and purpose

Who We Work With

We serve a wide range of clients, including:
- High-Achieving Individuals
You’re used to pushing through, staying in control, and excelling. But internally, you might feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or like a fraud. We help you reconnect with yourself, navigate burnout, explore your identity beyond success, and find emotional grounding in a world that rarely slows down.
- Couples
Whether you’re dating, engaged, married, or in a long-term partnership, we help you move from miscommunication and emotional distance to clarity, intimacy, and shared purpose. We work with relational dynamics such as high-conflict couples, desire discrepancies, parenting transitions, and emotional repair after betrayal or disconnection.
- Families
We support families seeking to improve communication, resolve long-standing conflict, and create a healthier, more connected dynamic. Whether it's parenting challenges, adult-child estrangement, or generational trauma, our therapists guide your family with structure and empathy.
- LGBTQIA+ Clients
As members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community, we provide affirming, identity-informed care. We understand the unique stressors that marginalized identities face and create a space where you can explore, process, and grow without having to educate your therapist on who you are.
- BIPOC and Multicultural Clients
Our clinicians are trained to work from a culturally responsive lens. We explore the impact of systemic oppression, generational trauma, cultural expectations, and identity development in a safe, validating way. Your lived experience is honored here.

Our Values
- Relational Depth: Therapy is most powerful when you feel truly seen. We prioritize the connection between client and therapist as the foundation of all growth.
- Insight + Action: We blend deep exploration with practical strategies so you don’t just feel better, you live differently.
- Inclusivity + Safety: We offer a space where all identities are welcomed, respected, and supported.
- Empowerment: You are the expert on your life. We help you reconnect with your inner wisdom and capacity to make aligned choices.
- Integrity + Attunement: We don’t give you generic advice. We meet you where you are and walk beside you as a guide, not a fixer.

Why Clients Choose The Better You Institute

Clients often come to us after trying other therapists who focused too much on surface-level tools or weren’t equipped to hold the complexity of their emotional experience. What makes us different is our depth of training, our emphasis on insight-driven change, and our dedication to cultivating an emotionally rich and non-judgmental space for healing.

They stay with us because they experience:
- A deep sense of being understood, not pathologized
- A therapy process that adapts to their evolving needs
- Tangible change that impacts every area of life, from career to relationships to self-esteem
- Support that balances compassion with gentle challenge
- A connection to themselves that they never thought was possible

Our Services (in-person and virtual)
- Individual Therapy (agesa 10+)
- Couples Counseling
- Marriage & Premarital Therapy
- Family Therapy
- Grief & Loss Counseling
- Anxiety, Stress, and Burnout Treatment
- Identity and Life Transition Support
- Executive and High-Performer Support
- Clinical Supervision and Professional Enrichment for Therapists

Meet Our Team
Our diverse team of therapists brings a range of specialties, personalities, and backgrounds, but all share a commitment to depth, integrity, and transformation. Each therapist at The Better You Institute is extensively trained, clinically attuned, and focused on providing care that is tailored, relational, and trauma-informed.

You can choose a therapist who aligns with your preferences, identity, and needs.

Getting Started
We know reaching out for therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you’re used to handling things on your own. But you don’t have to keep carrying it all. Your healing, clarity, and emotional freedom are possible. We’re here to help you get there.

Getting started is simple:
- Fill out our contact form here or on our website, thebetteryouinstitute.com, or call our office at 267-495-4951.
- Our intake coordinator will guide you through our matching process.
- You’ll be connected with the therapist who best fits your needs and schedule.
- Begin your journey to becoming the better version of you, with support every step of the way.

Final Thoughts
Therapy is not about fixing what's broken. It’s about uncovering what's always been there: your strength, your clarity, your ability to connect, and your capacity to thrive. If you’re ready to stop feeling stuck and start feeling whole, we invite you to take the first step with us.

You deserve more than just surviving; you deserve to become a better you.