About

Hello and welcome to my profile. Are you dealing with a situation that looks and feels overwhelming right now? When we are close to things, they look bigger, that is true for objects and for situations. It is my job to help you see your issue from another perspective. Most often that simple shift in how we look at things can make you feel better.
I am Dr. Chanda Pilgrim and I have been a psychologist for over 25 years working in schools, private agencies, and a community mental health agency. I have worked with individuals and families who are dealing with everything from relationship issues to schizophrenia. I am a holistic counselor which means that when someone tells me they are depressed, not only am I trying to find out the triggers, but I also want to know about diet, exercise, and sleep. I do not see a separation between mind/body/spirit, so we will explore how they affect one another. Most of my clients say I feel like an old friend or family. That connection is important to me because who wants to talk about those private things with someone who doesn’t “get them?”
My theoretical orientation is Cognitively based which means that I believe that our thoughts create our feelings. An event that occurs is just an event until we put meaning on it. It is those meanings that create worry, sadness, and even bring about trauma. In our work together, you can expect that we will do some talking about your history. I will assign homework to help you to look deeper into things while we are apart. We will talk about things you can do to support your growth (diet, exercise, etc.) We may even do guided meditations that are aimed at reprograming those automatic unwanted reactions to events in your life. It is my intention that from working with me your life will feel better.

Thank you for trusting me!