Mx. Love C. Dialogos, LMFT

Hi — I'm Mx. Love C. Dialogos, founder of Love Psychotherapy, LLC. Thank you for stopping by. I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist, and a Buddhist chaplain. I made this video because I get lots of requests for consultations, but I don't do those. My hope is this video will tell you just enough about me to help you make an informed choice about your care. How I approach clinical psychotherapy is different. I integrate anthropological, sociological, neurological, psychological, and historical frameworks into my approaches. I provide different therapy because of my neurotype, but also because traditional Western psychotherapy was never enough for me. I hold many intersectionalities, and I found it difficult to truly be seen from that space. As I say, I'm a double-down neurodivergent. Additionally, gender-expansive, assumed female, queer, and intersex — meaning my body didn't develop along the pathway my chromosomes set out. Each deviance from the predominant power structure of cisgender, white, female or male, and heterosexual begets a loss — in autonomy, options, and ultimately choice. Every layer we add to this in anyone results in a tighter squeeze, societally speaking. It's like a vice grip. Each level increases the tension. If you don't know what I'm speaking on — well, that's precisely my point, and I may not be the best fit for you. I'm a bit different as a practitioner. In that, I'm a twenty-four-year practicing Zen Buddhist in the Vietnamese tradition — that's Plum Village. And I have autism, and some people say ADHD — attention inattention. So, that's a different neurotype. No clinical psychotherapy has really been validated on the neurodivergent mind. And that's often who ends up at my door — folks that suspect they're neurodivergent, or are neurodivergent. I do help all neurotypes. However that is a predominant focus. People typically find me when they're kind of sick of having these endless, long psychotherapy or therapeutic relationships that aren't necessarily leading to the places that they want in their life. And that's not to dismiss the Western approach entirely — but it is to speak to why a lot of people find me. There are over six hundred clinical psychotherapy modalities. I use about fifteen or twenty of them — predominantly Buddhist psychology, the non-dogmatic elements: mindfulness and somatics. Now, those are really useful — but the missing piece is more the Eastern approach, which is considered kind of "bottom-up." Bottom-up would be more your body, what you're feeling, and mapping. There are some ways that we can do that. But predominantly — or anthropologically speaking — you're designed for experiences, to really feel things. We're not designed for concepts only, or skills. So if we use just skills, it's not enough, because it's not really matching our anthropology. We have to have new ideas or skills to try out — and they must be paired with experiences. Those experiences help us sync up those skills. Are they even useful for you? Rarely, for any type of person, any one skill is not going to be totally right for you. So, in that, I encourage my clients to cannibalize whatever I give you. And if you hate it? That's useful too. It says a lot about who you are and what you need. And therapy with me will feel a lot like a bullet train. And the reason for that is autism. I don't talk around things. I don't use nuances. I'm very direct. So, you're paying me for what I see — and that's going to be right away. I want you to expect to be uncomfortable right away, in exchange for the idea of wellness coming faster than maybe you're used to. I'm a large believer in that humans can only take you as far as they've gone themselves. That's not to say our experiences must be identical. However, that is to say, my experiences have caused profound suffering, and I've transformed that into a life I enjoy living. That's meaningful. And that's what I do with people. I help people meaning make. The old question, "What do I want to be?" or "Who am I?" is actually stated eloquently in the very question itself. Stated simply — you are here to make meaning of your life. Your experiences help you do that. All therapy is identity work. Humans discover who they are in context, not concept. Concepts alone won't be enough. So, that's in general how I work. If that works for you — I'm your vibe, as the kiddos say. Reach out, and I am happy to meet with you. Thank you. Well wishes.