Hey! I’m Dr. Allyn Richards (she/her), but you can call me Allie. I am grateful that you’re here and taking steps to invest in yourself and your wellness. While valuable, I understand that the decision to start therapy can be hard and vulnerable, and trust is essential to this process. Hopefully I can provide some insight into myself to help you decide if I might be a good fit for you.
I have always been a deeply empathetic person who is curious about the complexities of the way people and the world work. I am naturally a systems-based thinker, and I’m passionate about being able to “see” the whole picture, as I think this is a foundation for transformational change for both individuals and society. This, paired with values of compassion, social justice, and integrity, led me to pursue a degree in clinical psychology with a focus on anxiety and addressing mental health disparities.
Ironically, through my training I became abundantly aware of my own anxiety and perfectionism that left me feeling exhausted and disconnected throughout my life, and the ways in which I sought conditional worthiness through achieving, people pleasing, changing my body, and outside markers of “success.” As an early psychologist, this led me to relentlessly pursue trying to perfect the “right” treatment approaches for specific disorders/symptoms. However, I realized that this was reductionistic, created greater feelings of disconnection to self and clients, and didn’t promote long-term healing.
Unfortunately for my intellectualizing mind, I discovered that we can’t just think our way to healing, but rather need to rediscover trust and compassion with all parts of ourselves, including our feelings and bodies. This work allowed me to re-connect with my authentic strengths and led to utilizing an approach that is integrative and client-centered with a focus on whole-self healing. I have learned that we all possess an internal space and wisdom to heal, and I now focus on “bottom-up” approaches that addressing underlying beliefs, emotions, and wounds to heal from the “ground up.” I continue to do my own work so that I can be a present and grounded guide for you in this process. I also work to recognize my privilege as a white, cis-gendered, able-bodied woman and to dismantle inequities within and outside of the therapy room. I know that this is not a perfect journey, but I promise to maintain humility and take responsibility for my own learning in this process.
As for the nuts and bolts, I obtained my masters and doctorate of clinical psychology from the University of Louisville. I’m a fully licensed psychologist in the state of Michigan, and I’ve had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings, including outpatient and medical spaces. I’ve had advanced training in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders, and have published research on anxiety within historically excluded communities. Most recently, I worked in a medical setting with a focus on binge and emotional eating, and became certified as an Intuitive Eating Counselor. While I have trained in a variety of treatment modalities, my approach is most heavily informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and mind-body approaches. However, I ultimately integrate approaches that best fit you and your needs throughout the therapy process.
Outside of the therapy room, I enjoy spending time with my family, cuddling my two cats, exploring nature, trying to develop a green thumb, practicing my amateur chef skills, and exploring new music.
