Wendy Hagen, LICSW

I’m an experienced clinical social worker dedicated to helping individuals navigate anxiety, trauma, life transitions, and the challenges that can make it difficult to move forward. I provide compassionate, strengths-based care that helps clients build practical skills, increase resilience, and create meaningful, lasting change.

With more than 25 years of experience as a clinical social worker, I have had the privilege of walking alongside people through some of the most difficult, painful, and uncertain moments of their lives. Over the years, I have worked with individuals carrying anxiety that feels constant and exhausting, trauma that continues to affect daily life, grief that has changed everything, and life transitions that have left them feeling unsteady or unsure of who they are now. I also work with people who may not be able to name exactly what is wrong, but know that something feels off, heavy, or stuck. If that sounds familiar, I want you to know that you do not have to figure it out alone. I offer a compassionate, supportive space where you can slow down, speak honestly, and feel heard without judgment. My goal is to help you feel safe enough to explore what is happening beneath the surface while also helping you move toward meaningful change in a way that feels manageable and real.

My approach is strengths-based, solution-focused, and trauma-informed because I believe therapy should honor both your pain and your resilience. Even when life has been overwhelming, even when you feel depleted or disconnected from yourself, I believe there are strengths, values, and capacities within you that can be supported and strengthened. At times those strengths are easy to see, and at other times they have been buried under stress, fear, self-doubt, or survival mode. Together, we can begin to uncover what has helped you get through difficult experiences, identify what is getting in the way now, and build on what is already working. I do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. Each person brings a unique history, personality, set of experiences, and set of goals into the room, and I tailor my work to reflect that. Whether we are focusing on coping skills, emotional regulation, boundaries, communication, self-understanding, or healing from past experiences, I work collaboratively with you to create a path forward that feels grounded, practical, and aligned with your needs.

Clients often tell me they appreciate the compassion, grace, humor, and authenticity I bring to our work together. I value creating a therapeutic relationship that feels genuine, respectful, and human. Therapy can be a vulnerable process, and I believe it is important that you feel comfortable enough to show up as yourself, without having to perform, impress, or have everything figured out. I bring curiosity and creativity to the process, and I am always willing to think outside the box when something needs a different approach. In some moments that means slowing down and making space for deeper reflection. In others, it means focusing on concrete tools and strategies that can help you get through the week. At other times, it means gently challenging patterns that are no longer serving you. I try to meet each client where they are, with honesty and care, while also helping them stretch toward growth. My hope is that therapy feels like a place where you can be both supported and encouraged, where you can explore difficult emotions while also discovering new ways of responding to life’s challenges.

I also incorporate mindfulness and evidence-based strategies to help clients better understand themselves and respond to stress with greater awareness and confidence. For many people, anxiety, trauma, and chronic stress can create a sense of being constantly on alert, disconnected from the present moment, or overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions that seem to take over. Mindfulness can be a powerful tool for learning how to notice what is happening inside and around you without becoming consumed by it. At the same time, I draw from practical, research-informed interventions that can help you build skills you can use in everyday life. That may include learning how to calm your nervous system, identify triggers, challenge unhelpful thought patterns, strengthen emotional regulation, or develop healthier ways of coping with stress. I believe therapy should offer more than insight alone. It should also provide tools that help you function better, feel more grounded, and create lasting change in your daily life. My role is to help you connect insight with action so that growth is not just something you understand intellectually, but something you can begin to experience in real and meaningful ways.

I believe therapy works best as a collaborative partnership. You are the expert on your own life. I bring training, perspective, and support to help you make sense of what you are experiencing and move toward the changes you want to make. In our work together, I will listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and help you clarify your goals so that therapy feels purposeful rather than vague or overwhelming. I will also encourage you to notice patterns, strengths, and possibilities that may be hard to see when you are in the middle of struggle. At times, I may challenge you gently when I believe it will support your growth, but always with respect and care. My intention is never to push you faster than you are ready to go, but to help you move at a pace that is both safe and effective. I want therapy to be a place where you can build trust in yourself, strengthen your sense of agency, and begin to feel more capable of handling what life brings.

Whether you are seeking relief from emotional distress, hoping to heal from past experiences, wanting to strengthen relationships, or trying to rediscover your sense of purpose, I am here to help you build on your strengths and move forward with greater confidence and resilience. Many people come to therapy feeling exhausted by trying to hold everything together on their own. They may be successful in many areas of life, yet still feel anxious, disconnected, or unsure of how to move through what they are carrying. Others may be navigating a major transition, such as a loss, a change in identity, a shift in family dynamics, or a season of life that no longer feels familiar. Whatever brings you here, I want you to know that your experience matters. You do not need to have the perfect words, the perfect plan, or the perfect level of readiness to begin. Therapy can be a place to sort through what feels confusing, reconnect with what matters most, and take meaningful steps toward a life that feels more balanced, authentic, and hopeful. My commitment is to meet you with compassion, honesty, and skill as we work together toward healing and growth.