Licensed Professional Counselor, EMDR Therapist
Ethan Tuxill
Specialties:
Trauma, PTSD and Complex PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Shame and Vulnerability, Family of Origin Concerns, Stress Management, Life Transitions
About
Being a human always includes the experience of uncertainty, confusion and pain. Beyond that, so many of us have been made to believe we are worthless, unlovable, broken, and hopeless. We end up living in a state of survival, rather than a state of connection and thriving. My strong belief is that this is what brings us to the therapy room: we intuitively know our lives can be better and that we don’t deserve to suffer alone but we feel stuck and don’t know how to achieve this. You are not alone in feeling like this!
Mental distress and illness are not deficiencies, nor anything to be ashamed of. Just as having a physical illness is legitimate and valid, so is a more invisible mental illness. The encouraging thing is that we know and can measure how a human being can change their mind, change how they think and how they see and interact with the world. This will sometimes be an uncomfortable process, but true growth and healing often are. “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” (Gloria Steinem)
Therapy straddles the line of art and science. As an art form, healing and growth are often not linear and can be messy. Things like silence, radical acceptance, vulnerability, being present, honesty, creativity, community, safety, connection and trust are all key toward developing a healthy mind and a vibrant life. Just as importantly, therapy requires evidenced-based practices that are ethical and give people concrete ways to effectively cope with mental illness. This is why I’ve dedicated time and energy towards becoming an EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) therapist – an evidenced based method of helping clients confront, resolve and heal from trauma and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).
My goal is to help my clients identify their values, goals and struggles and honor who you are as a person; no matter your race, age, gender, religious or spiritual preference, sexuality, or ethnicity. From there, we can collaboratively develop a personalized plan that will guide you as you walk towards the life you want to create. Sometimes, this may look more structured. Other times, it may be more like walking through an unlit forest or digging in your own personal archeology site. Regardless, my hope is to offer you a safe space of kindness, empathy, expertise and hope.
A team that’s been doing this work — and doing it well — for decades.
"I became a therapist because I know what it feels like to be lost and not know where to turn. I started WPA because everyone deserves a therapist who actually fits — not just whoever has an opening.
Our team of licensed clinicians has spent decades helping people across southwestern Pennsylvania find their footing again — through anxiety, trauma, grief, life transitions, and everything in between.
We've walked alongside thousands of people who came to us feeling stuck and left with something they didn't have before: a way forward.
That's what we're here for. And we're ready when you are."
~ Wendy McSparren, LCSW, Founder