Rachel Fusco (she/her)

Accepting new clients in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Providing virtual therapy for clients located anywhere in California or Connecticut.

Welcome.

Sometimes we need specific skills, strategies, and support without needing long-term therapy. I provide brief, short-term therapy for kids and adults who struggle with feeling like they are too much or not enough:

  • kids and parents of kids with BIG FEELINGS

  • people who struggle with feeling “good enough”

  • transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive youth

  • people with learning differences and attention challenges

I integrate laughter, play, sensory arts and crafts, and my clients’ passions into our work because smiling, laughing, and having fun regulates. Therapy can be fun and uplifting, even when we are doing hard work.

Mom smiling and holding two upset toddlers.

Sometimes taking a breath doesn’t help. What to do when you and your kids have big feelings…

A child's hand covered in paint

Short-term groups that help children build social skills, coping strategies, and self-regulation skills.

A teen standing in a field of flowers

In person therapy for kids, tweens, teens, and adults in Ridgefield, CT.

A person working on a computer

Virtual Therapy available for kids, tweens, teens, and adults located in California and Connecticut.

I specialize in working with high achievers who struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, imposter syndrome, and a loud inner-critic. This looks different from person to person, but it might look like:

  • excessive worry about assignments or projects, thinking you’ll do poorly or fail despite the evidence that it usually turns out ok

  • excessive guilt or shame that you aren’t doing enough or being enough, worry that you will disappoint others or yourself

  • difficulty saying no and taking on more work, staying up late fixing group work, and taking on more than you want to or more than you can handle

  • difficulty asking for help and worrying about being a burden or letting other people down, feeling obligated to do the thing on your own to prove that you can to yourself or to others

  • low self-esteem from not feeling good enough, from social pressures, from messages that you are too big, too small, too much, and not enough

  • sadness and/or losing interests in the things that you used to enjoy, things that now feel like pressure or a disappointment

  • lack of motivation and difficulty concentrating because you’re feeling uninterested, overwhelmed, unsure about where to start, or frustrated because it’s hard to keep up

  • falling behind on work because you’re doing too much and don’t know how to say no or because big feelings like worry or anxiety are interrupting your work flow

  • loneliness or isolation because of social anxiety and worry that you will say the wrong thing, embarrass yourself, or feel awkward

  • self-criticism and internal thoughts that are really, really mean - thoughts that you’d never say to someone that you care about!

  • people-pleasing because it feels mean to be assertive or wrong to have boundaries

  • explosive anger that comes up unexpectedly because you have a limit to accepting whatever comes your way and being passive with friends, teachers, bosses, partners takes a toll on you

  • internalized -isms that you hate but are still in your head about gender, race, sexuality, ability, body size, etc

  • self-harm because these thoughts and feelings are overwhelming and sometimes cutting or doom scrolling on social media or thinking about ending your life is a way to move through the hurt

Nearly 20 years ago, I started working with college students and have worked my way from high school to middle school to elementary school simply because I am passionate about promoting mental health skills as early as possible. I also love working with the adults and professionals that support young people because when we are our best and healthiest selves, we show kids that the same is possible for them.