GENEVIEVE SAENZ, MA, LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST
TEXAS LICENSE #202925

SPECIALTIES

Grief Counseling

The experience of loss touches us all eventually. If grief is making you feel upsidedown and overwhelmed right now, counseling can help. I have over ten years of experience as a grief counselor and a deep respect for the unique and wild ride that acute grief takes us on. We can’t fill the void, and it is possible to figure out how to walk with it in new ways.

Spiritual Counseling

Often we feel distant from our own lives because we feel distant from our spiritual self. Carl Jung had a sign hanging in his office that said in Latin “Bidden or unbidden, spirit is present”. I believe that any healing psychotherapy provides to the mind and the heart will inevitably touch the soul. My training in the creative arts, non-dualistic philosophy, ritual design, tarot, mindfulness, and work in spiritual communities make me uniquely equipped to understand spiritual crises and religious wounding. We won’t ever know all the answers, and so let’s sit in the mysteries together.

Counseling for Justice

This world keep getting you down? No one is an island and all of us exist within complex systems, cultures, ideals, and expectations. A systemic approach to therapy is inherently trauma-informed and justice-oriented because it acknowledges the pushes and pulls of the collective in which we all live. How can we foster our individuation (a fancy way of saying be ourselves) in a world that constantly asks us to conform, contort, and hide our truth? My approach here is one of balance and humility; we can look at the ways that we are shaped by the systems we are a part of, and by improving our relationship with ourselves and our loved ones we can also shape the world around us. “nobody is free, until everybody is free” - Fannie Lou Hamer

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is your rate and do you take insurance?

My rate is $180 for 50 min of counseling. There are no sliding scale rates available at this time. I am not on any insurance panels nor do I foresee joining insurance panels in the future. I do take HSA/FSA cards as a form of payment. I can also provide a superbill with a diagnosis on it (when appropriate) that you may submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement.

What is your location?

I have a hybrid model of seeing clients both online and in person. My physical office is in Northwest Austin, Tx. I offer secure online sessions for clients who currently reside in the state of Texas, USA. I am licensed in Texas and can not practice therapy across state lines.

How long will I be in therapy?

I prefer to work in a short term model; focused on helping people facilitate long term change. Everyone is different and this treatment model is not appropriate for all clients. I tell new folks to consider dedicating to a therapeutic process with me for a “season” of life. I say this because human beings generally grow and change in accordance with seasonal shifts that are echoed in nature, our communities, and our biologies. After a season of therapy you will likely feel ready for some kind of shift; be it into less counseling or a different mode of therapeutic experience.

What happens in counseling?

Weird magic, but not that kind of magic.
Honestly, if I had a magic wand to just take away your pain, I would absolutely do that and that would be awesome… but I don’t.
What happens in therapy is we sit in a lot of pain together while we find ways to eliminate the shit we can and transform what we can’t into a catalyst for growth. But it isn’t all muck, often we laugh and play and have fun because there are an endless number of ways to show up for yourself.

Do I have to make art?

Art making is optional, creativity is not. I have lots of art supplies and poetry books in my office which I use to send out lots of invitations to think outside the box. Often my sessions are entirely traditional talk therapy. That said, I do tend to have a creative or symbolic lens through which I view healing and, while we may never make “art” we will undoubtedly veer into the realm of imagination and storytelling at some point.

What is your license and training?

My MA is in Counseling Psychology and Expressive Arts Therapy, obtained from CIIS in SanFrancisco in 2012. I have been a licensed therapist in the state of Texas since 2016, I obtained my full LMFT status in 2020. I also have additional training in EFT, drama therapy, sexual health, Jungian psychotherapy, ethical non-monogamy, life coaching, mindfulness, and spiritual counseling.

I do understand how hard it is to find a good fit in therapy. If you need more immediate help there are several options such as group counseling practices, non-profit counseling agencies, and even online services that match you with a therapist.
I wish you well on your journey and hope that you find the support you need.