Therapy in Austin, TX with Venus Rouhani, LMFT-S, LPC-S

In my experience, therapy can help with a wide range of concerns — depression, anxiety, relationship struggles, unresolved issues from childhood, grief, stress, body image, and feeling creatively stuck, among others. I can offer support, problem-solving strategies, and coping tools tailored to what you’re going through, often along with a fresh perspective on something that’s felt stuck for a while. What you get out of therapy depends a lot on how you engage with the process, but many clients find they come away with:

• A better understanding of yourself, your goals, and your values
• Stronger skills for improving your relationships
• Resolution for the issues that brought you in
• New ways to cope with stress and anxiety
• Better tools for managing anger, grief, depression, and other difficult emotions
• Improved communication and listening skills
• The ability to shift old patterns and build healthier ones
• New ways to work through problems in your family or marriage
• Greater self-esteem and self-confidence

Everyone goes through hard situations, and just because you’ve gotten through difficult things before doesn’t mean you have to handle everything alone. In my experience, coming to therapy isn’t a sign something’s wrong with you — it often reflects real self-awareness, recognizing when some extra support could help. Reaching out is its own kind of taking responsibility: you’re acknowledging where you are and choosing to do something about it. Therapy can offer lasting tools and support to help you recognize unhelpful patterns and move through whatever you’re facing.

People come to therapy for a lot of different reasons. Some are going through a major life change — a job loss, divorce, a new job — and finding it hard to cope. Others are working through things like low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, addiction, relationship difficulties, or feeling creatively stuck. And some simply want to understand themselves better or get more effective at reaching their goals. Whatever brings you in, if you’re ready to face what’s going on and open to making changes, therapy can likely help.

Every client comes to therapy with different concerns, experiences, and goals, so your therapy will be tailored to your individual needs. In our sessions, you can expect to discuss what is happening in your life now, explore aspects of your personal history that may be relevant to what you are experiencing, and reflect on progress or new insights from previous sessions. Depending on your needs and goals, therapy may be short-term, focusing on a specific issue, or longer-term, addressing more difficult patterns or supporting your desire for continued personal growth. Either way, I generally recommend scheduling regular sessions, usually weekly, to help you maintain momentum in the therapeutic process.

You will get the most from therapy when you actively participate in the process. My goal is not simply to help you gain insights during our sessions, but to help you bring what you learn into your everyday life. For that reason, I may suggest things you can do between sessions to support your progress, such as reading a relevant book, journaling about specific topics, paying attention to particular behaviors or patterns, or taking steps toward your personal goals.

Therapy can be especially meaningful when you are ready to make positive changes in your life, open to considering new perspectives, and willing to take an active role in your own growth. I will provide guidance, support, and a safe space for you to explore your concerns, but the changes we work toward ultimately become part of your life outside the therapy room.

Medication can be an important part of addressing mental and emotional health concerns, but for many people, understanding and addressing the underlying causes of distress is also an important part of creating lasting change. In therapy, I help you explore the thoughts, emotions, experiences, and patterns that may be contributing to your difficulties, while developing healthier ways of coping and moving forward.

I believe you can benefit from an integrative approach that considers your emotional, mental, and physical well-being as a whole. Working with your medical doctor, you can determine what approach is best for you. For some people, therapy alone may be appropriate, while for others, a combination of therapy and medication may provide the most effective support.

My goal is to work with you to find an approach that fits your individual needs and helps you develop greater resilience, self-understanding, and a lasting sense of well-being.

I do not accept insurance assignments but will be glad to provide you with the correct paperwork for submission to file.
Please contact your insurance carrier for coverage information. Some helpful questions:

• What are my mental health benefits?
• What is the coverage amount per therapy session?
• How many therapy sessions does my plan cover?
• How much does my insurance pay for an out-of-network provider?
• Is approval required from my primary care physician?

Confidentiality is one of the most important aspects of the therapeutic relationship. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust, particularly because you may discuss sensitive personal matters that you may not feel comfortable sharing anywhere else. I respect the privacy of the information you share with me and follow applicable legal and ethical requirements regarding confidentiality and the privacy of your records.

As part of the informed consent process, you will receive our Privacy of Information Policies, which explains how your information may be used, your rights regarding your records, and the limits of confidentiality. In general, information you share during evaluation, intake, or counseling is considered private and cannot be shared with another party without your written consent, except in certain circumstances permitted or required by law.

There may be times when you want me to communicate with another professional involved in your care, such as your physician or another healthcare provider. With your written authorization, I can share appropriate information when doing so supports your treatment. Your privacy remains an important consideration in these communications.

There are also limited circumstances in which information may be disclosed without your written permission. These can include situations involving:

• A serious risk of harm: When there is a significant threat of harm to yourself or another person, applicable laws and professional requirements may require appropriate action.
• Suspected abuse or neglect: Certain information involving suspected abuse or neglect of a child or vulnerable adult may be required to be reported to the appropriate authorities.
• Court or legal proceedings: Records may be released when required by a valid court order or under other applicable legal requirements.
• Other circumstances required or permitted by law: There are additional legal provisions that may permit or require disclosure in specific circumstances, as described in our Privacy of Information Policies.

I want you to understand both the privacy you can expect in therapy and the circumstances in which confidentiality has limits. We will review these policies as part of the informed consent process so that you can make informed decisions about your care.

Most clients start with weekly sessions, especially early on, since consistency tends to build the most momentum. As you make progress, we can talk about spacing sessions out to every other week or monthly, based on what feels right for you. Session length also varies by the type of therapy — couples sessions, for example, generally run longer than individual sessions. If you’d like specifics for your situation, that’s exactly the kind of thing the free 20-minute phone consultation is for.

Yes, for most people and most common concerns. Over a decade of research, including large studies cataloged by the National Library of Medicine, shows online therapy is comparable to in-person care for reducing anxiety, depression, and stress — and that a strong, trusting relationship with your therapist develops just as well over video as it does face-to-face. Some research even shows better session attendance online, since it removes barriers like commute time and parking.

That said, in-person care is sometimes the better fit — for someone in an acute crisis, or for certain intensive trauma work where having a therapist physically present helps. If that ever applies to you, I’ll be honest about it, and we’ll figure out together what makes the most sense.

For most people, though, it comes down to comfort and consistency. I offer both in-person sessions in Austin and secure online therapy across Texas, so you can choose whichever fits your life — or switch between the two as your needs change.

You may notice both versions used across my site and elsewhere online. LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) and LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) are my two core licenses in Texas. The “-S” stands for Supervisor — an additional qualification that allows me to train and mentor other therapists working toward their own full licensure. It doesn’t change the day-to-day therapy I provide you; it simply reflects experience and training beyond the base license.