Allison "Ally" Doke, M.A., LPC-Associate
(She/her)
-
Supervised by Kathryn Keller, Ph.D., LPC-Supervisor
- Psychotherapy with adults
- $150/55 minute session, BCBS, Aetna
DTC Specialties
Additional Specialties
- Self-compassion and self-worth
- ADHD/AuDHD
- Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)
- Executive function challenges
- Perfectionism
- Polyamory/CNM
- Relationship anxiety
- Communication issues
- Boundaries and assertiveness
- Family of origin work
- Grief
- Health at Every Size (HAES) aligned
Credentials
- M.S. Counseling, Southern Methodist University
- B.S. Neuroscience & Psychology, University of Texas at Dallas
- LPC-Associate, Texas
- Gottman Level 1 Training
Does this sound like you?
You have learned to cope with every situation life has thrown at you, doing the best you could at every turn. But, maybe some things have changed, and you’ve found yourself in need of new options because your old solutions are no longer working. Growing up, you learned rules about yourself, the world, and others. Each decision you make is informed by an entire lifetime of messages about how you should be and what options are available to you.
You may have learned to take responsibility for the feelings and reactions of others, so when someone is upset, you feel your worth as a person comes into question. Maybe this has caused a roadblock in your relationship, leaving you unsure what to do because small issues keep escalating and no one feels understood. Or, maybe you struggle to share your true feelings and needs out of fear of rocking the boat.
Perhaps you were the child who was told they are “too sensitive.” You are highly aware of the world around you, the world inside you, or other people’s reactions to you. You stay up at night trying to understand why you feel so strongly that your friend, boss, or partner doesn’t like you anymore. Deep down, you worry that you are all at once too much and not enough. Now, you have made the courageous decision to step out of what is familiar and into new possibilities.
Can Therapy Help?
Patterns can feel inescapable from the inside. There is comfort in familiarity, even in the presence of pain. Yet, right now, you are looking through a window of how things could be different. What do you see? What feels hard to imagine? Sometimes, we just need another person to walk alongside us and guide us to the solutions we didn’t know to look for. You already have all the tools you need. The next step is to find those resources and start practicing in a space where every part of you is welcome.
How can I help?
I believe that all people have equal, intrinsic value. Throughout our lives, we learn to hide or change parts of ourselves to survive because we have not yet realized our inherent worth as a person. I also believe that at any moment, each of us is doing the best we can with the tools that we have. We aren’t born knowing everything we need to know to get through life, but we are born with the capacity to learn and apply what we know creatively.
In our work together, you can always expect me to have unconditional belief in your inherent worth. I will carry hope for you when it feels out of your reach. We will work as a team to work towards the goals that you set, taking inventory of your strengths as we go. For example, you may be a very compassionate person when it comes to others but not yourself; we can use that strength as a bridge to developing self-compassion.
My role as your counselor is to be your guide as you gain awareness and acceptance of your experiences, past and present. One way I facilitate this process is providing the option of using visuals or activities related to your goals. In each session, I invite you to be who you are without conditions. When your sense of worth is no longer conditional, you may choose to let go of or update the survival rules that restrict you.
When I'm not at Work
I’ve dabbled in many crafts, but the one I enjoy the most is whittling because I get to create any fidget toy I can imagine. I find comfort in spending time with the people I love, watching my favorite shows, and replaying my favorite games. Ever since I was little, I’ve been driven by a passion for understanding the brain and behavior, so much of my free time is spent as, what I like to call, a “knowledge merchant,” collecting and sharing new ways of understanding the world. I love creating spreadsheets and graphics that make complicated concepts easy to understand.