Rachel Fusco
My professional background
Hi! I’m a therapist new to Ridgefield, CT. I have spent the last 20 years working with kids of all ages from college to kindergarten in Los Angeles, California. Working in college access and higher education admissions inspired me to become a therapist because no matter how smart we are, if we struggle to manage our feelings, we will struggle to reach our full potential.
I have had the honor of working as a school counselor and therapist in elementary, middle, and high schools. I love supporting the complexity of the teenage years as much as I love sitting with little ones on the floor playing with play doh. And, I have enjoyed training future therapists as a professor in the graduate Psychology and Counseling programs at Antioch University and San Francisco State University.
The longer I work as a therapist, the more I want to focus on promoting mental health skills as early as possible. Because not every kid “needs” therapy, I offer short-term, psych-educational, skill-building groups because all kids need the coping skills and strategies to manage big feelings.
I love supporting folks who are ready to grow. You can be scared. You can be doubtful. You don’t even need to have hope, but if you want to have hope that things can change for the better, please email or call.
To learn more about my approach to stress-free college prep, please visit my career and college exploration course for parents: Geek Guild.
(she/her/hers)
My educational background
BA in Sociology, University of Michigan
MA in Clinical Psychology, Antioch University Los Angeles
Pupil Personnel Services Credential in School Counseling, Brandman University
A bit about my journey…
When I was In my twenties, I wanted a tattoo. I was a rule follower, a perfectionist, and I always prided myself on taking care of others. I wanted to shake things up and do something for me. I thought a tattoo would help me channel an edgy and bold energy. While the tattoo artist inked my body, I noticed the design looked different than we discussed.
I hesitated.
I rationalized why I shouldn’t say something: “He is an artist, this is a process, we did a mock up. Maybe the design looks differently on paper than on my body.” Then, when it was clear the design was different, I thought to myself: “Should I say something? What do I say? What if I hurt his feelings? What if he gets mad and stops and I have an unfinished tattoo?!?”
My thoughts raced on for the next thirty minutes. I mustered up the courage to ask for a minor fix but ultimately stayed quiet.
I went home and cried for about a week. And then, I realized that
my people-pleasing ways never included me
my inner critic wasn’t serving me at all
not speaking up for myself will always be worse than stumbling while trying
I know the loud inner critic and anxious thoughts. I know the struggle to feel good enough. And, this tattoo launched me into a new relationship with myself that revolves around kindness, self-care, and compassion. This tattoo challenged my perfectionism to the core and I began to recover from these impossible standards I set for myself. Now, I love what my tattoo has taught me. And, for the record, I still don’t love the design - the shading looks like dirt! But, this tattoo serves as a daily reminder that being my best self is messy, hard, and imperfect but worth doing every single day!
I love helping clients find their “tattoo” moments where they learn to feel proud, brave, and trust that they are worthy of love and kindness.
The tattoo that started it all …