Emma Horvath LCSW 

I'm Emma Horvath LCSW. The big questions of “life, the universe, and everything” (a la Hitchhiker’s Guide) are best tackled with a companion. I seek to walk alongside you on your journey towards building a life of meaning for yourself. As a therapist, I have a unique opportunity to meet people in some of the most difficult seasons of their lives, before seeing them through to a more purposeful, joy-filled life.

I understand how overwhelming seeking therapy can be. You may feel like you won’t be understood, or like you have too much going on to even begin. I am here to help you become the best version of yourself. I start from a place of unconditional positive regard and want my office to be a place where you can share anything without judgment. It’s my job to make anything feel ‘mentionable’ during therapy. Together we will work on your anxieties, stressors, lack of motivation, and other struggles you may be dealing with.

One of the most powerful parts of therapy is perspective-shifting and meaning-making, so I hope that you will walk away with a change in your thought patterns. We might start by talking about what's going on in your day-to-day life, before diving deeper into your life whenever you feel comfortable. I take a humanistic approach which means that I focus on you as a person, rather than any mental health condition that may be bringing you into my office.  I will help guide you to a place of better understanding about your thoughts and actions. We will make sense of the world together, so that you can achieve your highest potential and true contentment.

It can be life-changing to sit down and talk with someone who truly “gets” you and helps you understand yourself. However, I know the process of being vulnerable is scary and tackling the “hard stuff” can be overwhelming. The most important thing that breaks through both the scary and overwhelming hurdles will be our therapeutic connection. Once we get to know each other and you feel comfortable, I’m confident we can tackle anything. Through our work together, I hope that you will see yourself with more kindness and see the world with more clarity.

Favorite Books

My personal favorite is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams; it's the perfect combination of humor and philosophy.  Life presents us with big questions, so it's good to have books like this keep us laughing as we search for meaning.
I often recommend The Giver by Lois Lowry to clients. It's a quick read that punches above its weight for the themes it addresses.  It asks the question ‘would we give up suffering if it also meant giving up the color of life?’ and helps us accept the hard-fought wisdom in life.

Hobbies

I love getting outside in any season, especially winter, thanks to my favorite hobby, cross-country skiing.  The only thing better is when I bring my pup along and go ‘skijoring’-- think dog sledding but with skis.  I also love languages- I speak Spanish and I’m learning Portuguese.

Funny Story

When I worked as a camp counselor, there was already another Emma in the community.  I told the staff that I didn't want to go by "Emma H," so we should settle on a nickname. We tried a couple until "Joy" stuck.  All the campers came to know me as Joy, and even the staff forgot my other name.  I had to chuckle when one young camper told me "your parents really picked the right name for you! You are so joyful."  I think it is a fitting nickname to this day, as I genuinely hope to help my clients find their own sense of joy.