Erika Settles

I was first exposed to therapy as a teen. For the first time, I experienced a safe space where I felt heard and understood. That experience taught me that our stories matter. They shape us, and sometimes they need to be validated, reframed, or retold in ways that bring healing.

My work is relational, collaborative, and values-driven. I especially love walking alongside adults in midlife and the seasons beyond, when old scripts stop fitting and questions of identity, meaning, and “what now?” begin to surface. I also welcome adults at every stage of life. Together, we pay attention to the personal, generational, and systemic layers of your story, exploring patterns, rewriting narratives, and creating space for growth, healing, and freedom.

My approach integrates narrative therapy, attachment-based therapy, and liberation-focused frameworks. We might explore how early relationships continue to shape you, name the places where you have felt silenced or misunderstood, and honor the strengths you have carried with you. I hold space without pressure, stay curious, and offer gentle challenge when it helps, always in service of lessening shame and nurturing self-compassion. You can expect a warm, unhurried space where your story stays at the center and your voice leads. I hold space without pressure, stay curious, and work to lessen shame while nurturing self-compassion, so you can move toward a more self-authored, liberated life.

I am especially passionate about supporting people who have felt overlooked, misunderstood, or silenced, including LGBTQIA2S+, BIPOC, and neurodivergent clients. Much of our work may involve noticing the stories you have inherited or internalized, releasing the ones that no longer serve you, and moving toward a life that feels more self-authored, aligned, and free.

I also believe in the healing the natural world can offer. I often encourage the people I work with to spend time outdoors, whether through movement, stillness, or simply being under an open sky. What keeps me going in this work is the opportunity to walk alongside people as they move toward their fullest selves.

I’m originally from California and have lived in North Carolina, Hawaii, and New York, though I have spent most of my life in Texas. Outside of therapy, you’ll find me writing, traveling, exploring national parks, getting lost in a good book, or creating mixed-media art and vision boards. My home is full of art, stories, and the beautiful chaos of family life.