Victoria Pignato,
LCMHC
Victoria comes to us from upstate New York where she attained her dual Bachelor’s in Psychology and Art from The College at Brockport. She furthered her education by obtaining her Masters in Mental Health Counseling from St. John Fisher College. As part of her multicultural training, Victoria studied abroad in New Zealand.
Victoria has a wealth of mental health experience and a diverse background of
working with varying ages and mental health concerns. She is passionate about
working with adults dealing with relationship focused issues, crisis situations,
processing past traumas, self-esteem, depression and anxiety. Victoria values an egalitarian style relationship where the client is the expert in their own life. She supports and stands with her clients as they guide and find their own unique solutions.
Victoria practices trauma-informed care and values multicultural awareness. She strives to provide an authentic and judgment-free atmosphere for all to feel welcome and accepted. Victoria’s preferred treatment modalities include Internal Family Systems, Narrative Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy. These therapies help the client explore how their past may be impacting their current experience. Victoria also appreciates a well-rounded approach including “bottom up” modalities like Somatic Experiencing and Polyvagal Theory. In contrast, these therapies help clients become more aware of their feelings and bodily sensations to help them regulate in the current moment.
During counseling sessions with Victoria you can expect holistic care, focusing on the mind and body. She understands the importance of our bodies holding stress from our external world. Victoria will incorporate mindfulness techniques while listening to our bodies and all of its parts. Her hope is that her clients become more internally aware and integrate these parts to find peace.
Hear From Victoria
I believe in an egalitarian relationship, where the client is the expert in themselves and we work together to find the solutions, coping strategies, and a processing timeline that works best for the client. My biggest priority during our time together is to help clients feel safe, connected, and understood, in and out of session. From my understanding, it is when having these components, that we can truly heal, make changes and feel acceptance. During sessions, we will work to achieve this through a somatic & attachment framework that helps clients become aware of and regulate their bodies, feelings, and thought patterns.
Areas of Specialization:
Life Transitions
Parenting Support and Education
Mindfulness and Meditation
Self-Esteem and Personal Growth
Social Anxiety
Therapeutic Approaches:
Person-Centered Therapy
Psychodynamic Therapy
Narrative Therapy
Integrative Therapy
Trauma-Informed Therapy