Doran Edwards, ASW

Why do the same struggles keep showing up in your life?

Why do relationships sometimes feel so difficult? Why do you keep ending up in the same patterns, even when you know you want something different? Why is it so hard to set boundaries, speak up for yourself, or believe you’re enough?

Maybe you’ve wondered…

• Why do I keep choosing the same kinds of relationships?
• Why do I feel responsible for everyone else’s happiness?
• Why am I hypervigilant in relationships?
• Why do I struggle to trust others, or even myself?
• Why do I feel like I’m performing instead of simply being myself?
• Why do I become smaller in certain relationships or environments?

These aren’t signs that something is wrong with you. More often, they’re patterns that developed over time; ways of adapting to relationships and life experiences that once helped you navigate your world but may no longer serve you today.

Therapy offers the opportunity to slow down, understand these patterns with curiosity and compassion, and reconnect with the person you’ve always been beneath them.

I’m glad you’re here.

I believe you are the expert on your own life. My role isn’t to tell you who you are; it’s to help you better understand yourself. Together, we’ll explore the experiences, relationships, and patterns that have shaped your life so you can begin making choices that feel more authentic, intentional, and aligned with the life you want to create.

My hope is that therapy becomes more than symptom relief. I hope it becomes a place where you discover greater freedom, deeper relationships, and a stronger connection with yourself.

I approach therapy from a psychodynamic and relational perspective, meaning I believe our present struggles often make more sense when we understand the experiences and relationships that shaped us.

Rather than asking, “What’s wrong with you?” I find it more meaningful to ask:

“What happened to you?“

Our earliest relationships often teach us what to expect from others, how to protect ourselves, and what we believe about our own worth. Even when those lessons no longer fit our lives, they can continue influencing how we think, feel, and relate to others.

Often, we repeat ways of thinking, feeling, and relating without realizing where those patterns began. Therapy gives us the opportunity to understand these patterns with curiosity and compassion so they no longer have to define how we live today. As we gain insight into the experiences that shaped us, we create space for healthier relationships, greater self-awareness, and the freedom to live more authentically.

While we may explore the deeper experiences that have shaped your life, I also incorporate practical, evidence-based approaches that support meaningful change in the present.

My work integrates:

• Relational Psychodynamic Therapy
• Attachment Theory
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Mindfulness
• Trauma-Informed Care
• Nervous System Regulation

I believe lasting change happens when insight is paired with new experiences—experiences of being understood, accepted, and able to relate to yourself and others in healthier ways.

I work with adults and couples who want more than symptom relief; they want to understand themselves better, improve their relationships, and create lasting change.

I commonly work with clients experiencing:

• Relationship and intimacy challenges
• Anxiety and chronic stress
• Attachment wounds
• Family-of-origin and generational trauma
• Identity exploration and self-worth
• Emotional regulation difficulties
• Life transitions
• Men’s mental health
• Repeating relationship patterns
• Difficulty setting boundaries
• People-pleasing and perfectionism
• Fear of vulnerability or emotional closeness

Many of my clients appear successful on the outside but quietly struggle with self-doubt, loneliness, or the feeling that they’ve spent much of their lives becoming who they thought they needed to be instead of discovering who they truly are.

Whether you’re navigating conflict in your relationship, questioning your sense of identity, or simply feeling stuck, therapy offers a place to understand better the patterns that have shaped your life so you can move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and authenticity.

I welcome clients from all backgrounds and strive to provide a culturally responsive and affirming space where each person’s lived experience is respected. I have a particular passion for supporting Black and Hispanic individuals and couples, recognizing that culture, family, and community profoundly shape how we understand ourselves, our relationships, and the stories we carry. My goal is to create a therapeutic space where every client feels seen, heard, and valued for who they are.

I earned my Master of Social Work (MSW) with a clinical concentration from Alliant University and am a registered Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW) in California.

My clinical experience includes providing psychotherapy in community mental health settings, where I have worked with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship concerns, emotional dysregulation, and major life transitions. My work has also included crisis intervention, case management, and collaborative treatment planning, giving me experience supporting clients with a wide range of emotional and relational challenges.

This fall, I will begin pursuing my Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where I will continue deepening my training in psychodynamic theory, personality development, attachment, trauma, and relational psychotherapy.

I am committed to lifelong learning and continually refining my clinical practice to provide thoughtful, compassionate, and evidence-informed care.

I have always been fascinated by what lies beneath the surface of human behavior. While we often judge ourselves by our thoughts or actions, many of our struggles are rooted in earlier experiences that shaped how we learned to see ourselves, connect with others, and navigate the world.

I believe healing begins with understanding, not judgment.

Many of us learned to hide parts of ourselves in order to feel accepted, loved, or safe. Over time, those adaptations can leave us feeling disconnected—from ourselves, our relationships, and the life we want to live.

My goal is to help you better understand these patterns with compassion, so you can begin living from a place that feels more authentic, connected, and fully your own.

As Carl Jung wrote:

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

I believe therapy isn’t about becoming someone different. It’s about uncovering the person you’ve always been beneath the expectations, fears, and protective patterns that life has placed upon you.

Outside of therapy, I enjoy exploring new beaches, discovering great restaurants, and learning about wine through tastings and travel. I appreciate experiences that encourage curiosity, connection, and slowing down to enjoy the present moment.

I also enjoy staying active, reading, and continuing to learn about psychology, philosophy, neuroscience, and human development. I believe growth is a lifelong journey, and I strive to bring that same sense of curiosity and openness into both my personal life and my work with clients.