Friendship can be one of the most meaningful parts of life, and also one of the hardest to talk about in therapy, because it doesn't always come with the same language we use for romantic relationships or family. Friendships are often assumed to be simpler, but they carry their own complicated dynamics: questions of belonging, loyalty, comparison, and vulnerability that can stir up old wounds around being accepted, chosen, or left out. Loneliness, feeling on the outside of a group, growing apart from old friends, or struggling to let people in can be genuinely painful, even when it seems like it "shouldn't" be a big deal. Underneath a lot of this is a longing for real community, the kind of village people want around them but don't always know how to build or let themselves need.

We'll take those friendships seriously, exploring how earlier relational experiences shape your expectations and behavior today, and what might be getting in the way of the closer, more sustaining connections, and the sense of community, you actually want.