Victoria Bousheri, MSW, ACSW

What should your client know about you?

Clients should know that I am a safe space and an open-minded person. The experiences I have gone through have introduced me to various spaces, people, and situations. I have been heartened many times to hear that I am a place where people can come to talk things through.
My personal values revolve around creating a life that balances modern realities with natural requirements. I like to respect my body’s natural pace and find ways to align that with the daily demands I choose to take on. This includes spending time in nature, enjoying time with my dog, making time for friends, and ensuring there is time to do nothing. I am passionate about sustainability, and respecting the land, its creatures, and fellow humans.

What is your approach to therapy?

The therapeutic approach that I lead with is primarily collaborative. There are several approaches that can be utilized, and the best course of action is determined by what works best for you. I see my role in our sessions as best summarized by the Two Mountains metaphor:

“It’s like this. You and I are both kind of climbing our own mountains of life. Imagine that these mountains are across each other in a valley. Perhaps, as I climb my mountain I can look across the valley, and from my perspective, see you climbing your mountain. What I can offer to you as a therapist is that I can comment from my perspective, to give you my viewpoint from outside of your experience. It is not that you are broken; it is not that I am always skillful with my own barriers. We are both human beings climbing our mountains. There is no person who is “up,” while the other is “down.” The fact that I am on a different mountain means I have some perspective on the road you are traveling. My job is to provide that perspective in a way that helps you get where you really want to go.”

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

Sessions are a time to gain awareness – whether it is about oneself, how to navigate through challenges, understanding others, etc. Think of me as a human “rubber duck debugging” mechanism, here to help you externalize your thoughts and work through what you already know!

What was your path on becoming a therapist?

The journey to becoming a therapist has been lifelong. In my upbringing, I witnessed every woman in my family working in roles where they helped others through foster care and senior care. This laid the foundation for my life’s purpose. Before college, I served in AmeriCorps working with adolescents facing various challenges such as neglect, substance dependency, and depression. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Culture with a concentration in Community Service, which focused heavily on Social Justice and minority cultures. This strengthened my passion for understanding others’ intersectionality and empowering them towards what they deserve. I then pursued an MSW with practicum experience in foster care and memory care. I became a Director of Social Work at a memory care community, broadening my experience to include grief, end-of-life issues, life transitions, crisis situations, and more.