therapy for individuals & couples based in west philly
FIND PEACE, CONNECTION, & JOY
Therapy offers a space to slow down, connect, and be deeply heard and understood. Whether that is for you as an individual or in your relationship.
Together, we can uncover patterns and explore meaningful, personalized coping tools to help you unwind and reconnect with yourself and/or your loved one.
Maybe you’ve been turning the same thoughts over and over in your mind, searching for clarity, peace, solutions, or certainty—and not quite finding it. Therapy offers a space to talk through your concerns, ruminations, and vulnerable concerns at length, without judgment or interruption.
My goal is to develop a deep, holistic understanding of how your experiences connect, so we can identify meaningful patterns and opportunities for growth, insight, and behavioral change.
I help internalizers, people pleasers, and anxious individuals & couples—those whose minds are always racing or looping—find a place to let it out, ground themselves, and experience clarity and peace.
I especially enjoy working with women, young adults, and those who dedicate themselves to making the world a better place, such as teachers, nurses, nonprofit professionals, and mothers, and I am open to working with any reflective individual or couple.
WHEN OUR MINDS PLAY TRICKS ON US
We all go through times when we’re not feeling our best.
Maybe you are struggling with:
Anxiety: You are worried, nervous, and feeling edgy. You’ve tried looking up tips on Reddit, but nothing is helping break the pattern. Maybe your worries stem from career fatigue, people pleasing, past interpersonal trauma, or relational difficulties. No matter where they may be coming from, we’ll give them time, space, and think outside of the box to try and break the cycle.
Communication: You are having a hard time asserting yourself, you have a habit of not asking for nor accepting help, or there is a breakdown of communication in your relationship. Maybe you’re no longer feeling seen nor connected in your primary relationship or friendships. Perhaps you’re processing past challenges from family relationships that you suspect might be casting a shadow on your current connections.
Most of us need to feel seen, heard, and validated in these struggles while also gaining new perspectives and tools to start feeling lighter.
From a holistic, nuanced perspective, we will understand where pain points are stemming from and how to heal & soften them.
Anxiety, disconnection, insecurity, and confused feelings can lead us to feel apathetic, inadequate, insignificant, nervous, embarrassed, remorseful, isolated, and even grief.
These feelings are valid and there are healthy, effective, and meaningful ways to transform them. This is what therapy is for.
YOU DESERVE HIGH-QUALITY, THOUGHTFUL, COMPREHENSIVE CARE
You can expect me to integrate the following styles of therapy. If these are therapist jargon to you, don’t worry about it. What’s most important is that you feel connected to your therapist and they’re able to offer customized, effective tools to augment your own natural problem solving process.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
A focus on uncovering unconscious thoughts and emotions to understand and change present feelings, behavior, and relationship patterns.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Action-oriented, mindfulness-based behavioral therapy with a focus on accepting difficult thoughts and emotions rather than struggling against or avoiding them.
Relational Psychotherapy
How past interactions, societal factors, and relationships shape us. Through exploration, the goal is to improve communication, foster self-awareness, and repair relational wounds.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS ALONE
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
MEREDITH WARD, LCSW
I have a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College in Psychological Science
And a master’s degree from Smith College School for Social Work
I’m a psychotherapist based in West Philadelphia
I am licensed fully to provide therapy independently to residents of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, and Texas
I love to garden, watch films, listen to indie pop, and bike around the city
I have published on anxiety and clinical neuroscience
I have worked and studied in the field for over 10 years
Mirror Lake Therapy takes a cultural constructivist perspective on mental health.
We work through a cultural constructivist lens, which means your story lives inside many stories—family, community, language, race, gender, class, immigration, workplace norms. We’ll explore how those contexts shape the meaning of relationships, “success,” and “good enough,” and decide together which expectations you want to keep, rewrite, or leave behind. Your identities and lived experiences are not side notes. They’re central to the therapy process.
You’re welcome here if you are queer, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, polyamorous or engaging in ethical non-monogamy, or want to explore how race, gender, and/or societal expectations and norms have informed past relational or institutional experiences.
THERAPY AND ACCESSIBILITY
I am in-network with Aetna, Horizon Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Quest Behavioral Health insurance and am accepting new in-network clients. Otherwise, I am an out-of-network provider. This means that you pay for services in full, but may be able to have your insurance reimburse you after. You can give your insurance company a call and ask about out-of-network benefits for therapy.
You deserve high-quality, comprehensive, compassionate care and support that is sustainable.
If you plan to pay directly first the fee for a 53 minute individual therapy session is $150.
If you are seeking couples therapy, the fee is $175 and I cannot accept insurance for couples sessions as it is typically not covered as a medically-necessary service. If you and your partner would like to meet more than 53 minutes, I offer 85 minute and 115 minute sessions at a pro-rated fee.
I accept all HSA, FSA, credit and debit cards through my secure HIPAA-compliant patient portal.
You can ask your insurance if you have any out-of-network mental health benefits. If so, you may be able to get a significant portion of your payments reimbursed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What insurance are you in-network with?
I am in-network with Aetna, Quest, and Horizon.
What are your fees?
$150 for individual sessions and $175 for couples sessions. This is without insurance.
What are out-of-network benefits?
Benefits you can use to get reimbursed for seeing a provider who is not in-network with your insurance company.
What’s the difference between in-network and out-of-network benefits?
In-network benefits typically will allow you to see me for a small copay whereas out-of-network benefits will look like you seeing me and paying directly then submitting receipts to get reimbursed later.
How do I figure out my benefits?
You can look on the benefits summary you may have received when you got your insurance which should have a table of common services and your in-network and out-of-network benefits. Or you may call your insurance company.
Do you have evening or weekend availability?
I hold sessions from 10 AM – 5 PM EST Monday through Friday.
Do you have in person availability?
I work virtually at this time from my home office in West Philly.
Do I have to have a consultation?
No, I don’t require consultations. They are optional.
What are your specialties?
Anxiety, panic, relationships, & ADHD.
WHAT YOU’RE FEELING IS NOT PERMANENT. IT’S NOT FOREVER. AND THERAPY CAN HELP.
Feel free to reach out to set up a free consultation, first session, or ask questions below. I will respond to inquiries within 72 hours.
