Mackenzie TrotterMA, LMHC, ADHD-CCSP
"If you want to choose the pleasure of growth, prepare yourself for some pain." - Irvin D. Yalom
Hello! Thanks for taking the time to check out my bio. I understand that finding the right therapist is a challenging and overwhelming process-balancing that need for someone who you connect with but also has the skills to help you move forward. My goal here is to give you a clear picture of my approach, so you'll have a solid sense of what working with me would be like.
My approach to therapy is rooted in an eclectic, humanistic style. While that might not mean much to you right now, it will. I'm passionate about sharing everything I've learned in the hope that it adds meaning and insight to your life.
If you choose to take this journey with me, we'll start by peeling back the layers in search of truth-no matter how painful. I believe that truth and personal responsibility are the foundations of a meaningful and purposeful life. Contrary to what some might expect, my role isn't to make you feel better right away. Instead, I'm here to listen, challenge, and support you as you confront the difficult things you don't want to look at.
After our first meeting, I hope you leave with greater self-awareness, motivation for change, and perhaps a little fear about the work ahead. One of my favorite sayings is, "Living safely is dangerous." So, if you're ready to truly look at yourself in the mirror and confront the good, the bad, and the ugly of your existence, I'm here-ready to explore the chaos and messiness of life with you!
Below are brief summaries of the approaches I use in therapy, in case you're curious about what some of our work might look like during sessions.
Existential Therapy
Existential therapy really digs into those big life questions-like what life means, how we make choices, and how we handle the idea of death. Basically, we work towards tackling these questions directly. This approach is all about helping you understand yourself better, especially your values. The main goal is to help you figure out who you are, what you believe in, and how to match your behavior to your values. The only way to love yourself is to behave in ways that you admire. Existential therapy is designed to move beneath the mask so that you can live authentically and admire who you are. The other large piece to existential therapy is embracing the suck through facing and slaying your dragons one dragon at a time. Prioritizing comfort, certainty, and pleasure is a recipe for disaster - as these are the enemies of growth. So we'll work on being excruciatingly honest and taking responsibility for looking at the parts of ourselves we don't want to look at.
Choice Theory / Reality Therapy (CT/RT)
CT/RT basically says we have more control over our lives than we think. It suggests that almost all of our behavior is chosen, and we can manage and change these behaviors to better meet our needs.
So in session, when using CT/RT, we'll work together at figuring out what you want from life-what your goals are-and then determining which of your behaviors are getting in the way and what behaviors could help. CT/RT is very action-oriented; it's not just talking about change but actually planning and doing things differently. Again, the main themes are personal responsibility and empowerment.
Personality Theory
To dive deep into self-awareness, I use Carl Jung's personality theory and the MBTI (inspired by Jung's research). I use this to help figure out why you do what you do and how you relate to other people. Knowing your personality type can boost your self-awareness, improve your relationships, and overall just help you deal with daily life more effectively. It will also help you with self-acceptance, acknowledging your strengths, but also help you see the parts of you that could use some TLC. Identifying which parts of you need some TLC is done through shadow work. Shadow work is staring directly at the parts of ourselves we want to hide out of shame or disgust.
I have an ENTP personality type, nicknamed, the "Debater." One day I asked ChatGPT what the experience of working with an ENTP therapist is like, here's what it said:
An ENTP therapist is a creative and open-minded counselor who enjoys exploring new ways to support their clients. They excel at understanding what's happening with you, even if you don't say everything directly. They're great at problem-solving and often bring unique perspectives to your sessions, sparking interesting conversations that challenge your thinking. However, they might not always stick to a strict plan, which could be good or bad, depending on what you like. Some people might enjoy their dynamic and flexible approach, while others might prefer a more organized therapy session. In general, an ENTP therapist can make therapy an exciting process, helping you discover more about yourself through their innovative and creative methods.
Attachment Theory
An attachment style is basically a pattern of how we connect with other people in relationships. About 50 percent of the population are securely attached. They feel comfortable getting close to others and are comfortable with themselves. As for the other 50 percent, some of us worry a lot about relationships and about being accepted. If you're in this category, more than likely you're probably scared of being alone, so you'll change things about yourself to fit in. And then some of us prefer to keep our distance - if you fall into this category, more than likely you have difficulty giving up your independence but also want to connect with others - however, when in A relationship, you probably find yourself finding every flaw with your partner and pushing them away when they are close just to miss them when they are gone. These patterns start to form when we are infants, and influence how we behave in relationships as adults.
Understanding your attachment style can be really eye-opening. It helps explain why you might behave a certain way in relationships or struggle with particular issues like trust or intimacy. The goal is to work towards developing a more secure attachment style. This involves building self-awareness, improving communication skills, and fostering healthy, supportive relationships. It's about helping you feel more secure, not just in your relationships with others, but also in your relationship with yourself.
Professional Background & Focus Areas
Mackenzie is a licensed Mental Health Therapist with a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. With experience in the mental health and substance use field since 2013, she is also a certified ADHD professional, having completed extensive training in managing ADHD across the lifespan. Mackenzie's expertise extends to a range of mental health issues, including anxiety, perfectionism, relationship challenges (including sex therapy), personality disorders, and sex addiction. Additionally, she leads a bi-weekly support group for individuals seeking freedom from addictive and compulsive sexual behaviors, held on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Beyond Addiction: From Shadows to Strength
This group provides a supportive environment to help group members break free from addictive sexual behaviors and work towards personal growth. Together, we'll explore the underlying issues and learn to create more meaningful and balanced relationships. Group members focus on setting and reinforcing boundaries, expressing their feelings, needs, and desires clearly and confidently, and improving their self-esteem. The goal is to gain control over behaviors and develop a healthier sense of intimacy.
Using a humanistic approach, we explore healthy relationship dynamics, such as open communication, mutual intimacy, and enjoyable companionship. We incorporate insights from relevant literature to understand healthy sexual relationships and address how past experiences might affect current issues. Guided by the theme "In order to love myself, I must behave in ways that I admire," discussions focus on healing trust and relationship wounds. This group isn't a no-judgment zone; instead, group members hold each other accountable to the values they've chosen to live by. In this group, judgment is encouraged on whether actions align with personal values. Judgment and criticism are not the same thing. The atmosphere is non-critical and accepting, yet committed to supporting everyone in living an existentially responsible lifestyle. Group members are encouraged to actively increase verbal and physical affection with their partners, addressing any hesitations along the way. Whether you're seeking guidance, connection, or just a space to be heard, this group is here to support your journey toward recovery, better relationships, and personal growth.