Avery the Therapist

Avery the Therapist therapist who loves to talk about messy relationships, messy emotions, feeling and healing

How’d I get so lucky? 🍀
03/08/2026

How’d I get so lucky? 🍀

02/20/2026

Suffering can be a powerful motivator when it makes staying the same the less comfortable option. ♥️

Everyone deserves therapeutic space; the client who comes to therapy because “things have become unbearable” is no more entitled to the opportunity than someone who says “things are okay, but I just want to understand things better or change things a little bit.” All our internal work is valuable, and sometimes our “smallest” struggles are the ones that follow us the longest and have the greatest cumulative impact.

But there’s something to be said for the power of crisis and deep hardship to push us into meaningful action. As someone who loves to work with cases where we have our hands full, what I’ve learned is that the cases that start with overwhelm, complexity and a heavy sense of challenge are often not as daunting as they appear to be. These clients often bring with them a drive and a readiness to experience something different, and the reward of even just a little relief- a few small gains- can be so powerful that it fires up an astounding level of persistence and commitment to growth.

🩶 Live in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Idaho, Vermont, South Carolina or Montana and need a THERAPIST? I got you! Check out to find out how we can work together!

IOWA - SWIPE RIGHT ON THERAPY ➡️ ...’cause I just got my license to practice in IA!If you’ve been swiping left on thera...
02/13/2026

IOWA - SWIPE RIGHT ON THERAPY ➡️ ...’cause I just got my license to practice in IA!

If you’ve been swiping left on therapists that just don’t seem like they’d click with you... pause on my profile for a sec!

I take Dialectical Behavior Therapy and swirl in some other evidence-based therapy theories with a style that’s real, playful, caring, and customized to what YOU want to achieve. I’ve got that experience with eating-issues-I-hate-talking-about, with “why do I need a drink at the end of the day,” with “why can’t my partner and I figure it out,” with “how do I deal with my mom,” with “what is this behavior I feel like I have to do over and over again?!”... with a lot of things!

I believe that my work is good primarily because I love my clients and I love the work itself. If you think therapy has to be stiff, dry, condescending, or impersonal... let me prove you wrong! I now see clients virtually anywhere in Iowa (YAY! We’re neighbors!) AND I see clients in Montana, Idaho, Vermont, Illinois, South Carolina, and Wisconsin! Pop over to wiseminddbt dot org and hit our Contact form to easily set up a free 15-minute consult call with our practice to see if it’s a match 😍 and check out on IG. I can’t wait to meet you!



*and if your therapist IS out there on the apps... please do not actually swipe right on them 😂

01/30/2026

Attn: The Gem State 💎 I’m now officially credentialed as an ID Telehealth Mental Health Counselor!

>>What does this mean? Well, basically - I CAN NOW TAKE VIRTUAL CLIENTS IN IDAHO!*

*Idaho is one of those awesome states that offers a quicker path to practice privilege for out-of-state therapists who want to do telehealth-only in their state. (Other states, HINT HINT, advocating for license portability here?!!!) This means I do not technically hold a full Licensed Professional Counselor license issued by Idaho- I have that full license in three other states, and ID used that to provide me the privilege to practice via telehealth for ID clients.

^That’s just a necessary disclaimer for transparency. 🤷‍♀️ However, if you live in Idaho and need a virtual DBT therapist, I’m now fully available for that 🤍

Want to get started, or know someone who could benefit from therapy? We offer a fully income-based sliding scale system and flexible scheduling, and I have spots open now! Check out on IG and visit wiseminddbt dot com and click “Free Consultation” at the top to set up a quick and easy call with our practice to see if it’s a good fit!

01/22/2026

Here’s some FUN NEWS: I’m now a Registered Telehealth Provider in the state of Vermont! ⛰️

>>What does this mean? Well, basically - I CAN NOW TAKE VIRTUAL CLIENTS IN VERMONT!*

* Vermont is one of those awesome states that offers a quicker path to practice privilege for out-of-state therapists who want to do telehealth-only in their state. (Other states, HINT HINT, advocating for license portability here?!!!) This means I do not technically hold a full Licensed Professional Counselor license issued by Vermont - I have that full license in three other states, and VT used that to provide me the privilege to practice via telehealth for VT clients.

^That’s just a necessary disclaimer for transparency. 🤷‍♀️ However, if you live in Vermont and need a virtual DBT therapist, I’m now fully available for that 🤍Growing up on the East Coast, my favorite thing in the world was spending time in New England. If you haven’t been to Vermont, you should go (if you know me, you’ve probably heard me recommend it before).... exquisite cheese (obviously a popular feature for someone living in WI) and fruit. MAPLE SYRUP. Unbeatable camping in the Green Mountains. GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE and BURLINGTON. It’s road trip paradise and I think it’s one of the most special parts of the country. I’m so honored to offer my services to its residents!!!

Want to get started, or know someone who could benefit from therapy? We offer a fully income-based sliding scale system and flexible scheduling, and I have spots open now! Check out on IG and visit wiseminddbt dot com and click “Free Consultation” at the top to set up a quick and easy call with our practice to see if it’s a good fit!

01/19/2026

Small talk is a social safeguard that allows us to enjoy new connection, brief connection, and potential long/term connection without overexposure. Yes, it can require stepping out of our comfort zone, especially if we have highly specialized interests, have social anxiety or lean towards social introversion. (Many valuable things require stepping out of our comfort zone!) In a world rife with seriousness and tragedy, I personally find small talk to be a way to offer yourself and others the gift of lightness by showing interest in the day-to-day and the “mundane” (which may be less mundane than we think if we practice curiosity and non-judgment) - how someone talks about the less serious stuff is often the most natural gateway to deeper conversations. But I get it- I’m biased (extrovert who loves talking and listening, period). As a firm believer in the power of light conversation to bring joy into our lives, I also stress to skeptics the power of letting people into our vulnerable inner circle in slow steps. Small talk is an incredible tool (and can be very creative and not boring!)

12/03/2025

On this - a reminder that some of the most important gifts we give are: time. connection. support. “I’m thinking of you.” “Let me help with that errand.” “Wanted to see if you needed anything.”

I’m all about contribution because generosity is a salve in an angry, divided, individualistic world. I’m also all about it because when I’m working on depression with clients, I want to do what the evidence shows is effective. Sometimes we think- “I can barely give to myself right now. How can I give to someone else?” But it turns out that contribution can be super healing in depression. Here’s why.

• Interrupts rumination → Focusing outward breaks the repetitive negative-thought loop linked to depression (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2000).
• Boosts agency + control → Small acts of contribution increase perceived effectiveness, a buffer against hopelessness (Seligman, 1975).
• Creates positive emotion → Kindness activates the same systems targeted in behavioral activation (Mazzucchelli et al., 2010).
• Strengthens connection → Feeling useful increases belonging and reduces isolation (Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2010).
• Builds cognitive flexibility → Positive social actions broaden thinking and shift perspective (Fredrickson, 2001).
• Triggers reward pathways → Prosocial behavior activates the brain’s reward circuits (Moll et al., 2006).
• Reinforces self-worth → Helping others provides real-world evidence against the “I’m a burden” narrative (Klein, 2017)

If you love to handwrite cards as much as I do and think this project is cool, too - check out (who did not ask me to talk about them btw! I’m just passionate about what they do!)

11/11/2025

Ever gotten stuck fantasizing about dating the barista you see each morning? Befriending your therapist? Hanging with your favorite influencer?

ME TOO. It’s a version of what we call parasocial relationship that’s not just normal, but a healthy part of earlier development and identity formation (and yes, totally normal in adulthood to imagine sharing records with Taylor Swift).

When Jack Chilcote reached out and asked to chat about parasocial relationships, he let me in on a wild and scary story familiar to many of us active on social media- a situation that verged into stalking and obsession. He wanted a therapist’s take on one-sided connection, limerence, and how healthy fantasy and admiration can turn into relentless involvement and obsession- because he was the subject of it.

Go watch his story- not only does he discuss his situation, he chose to sit down with the other person involved to talk through both sides of that experience. Love that he included my take on these topics and how our Live-on-social world can blur the lines between fantasy and real connection. The full YouTube interview is part of the I Confronted My Stalker doc, up at !

And if you haven’t checked out his other content… dude! Jacksadventures on YouTube will keep you glued to your phone for some amazing adventure content!

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Milwaukee, WI

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