Clinician Spotlight: Natalie Hunter

For Natalie Hunter, a career in psychotherapy was a natural choice. 

“I wanted a career that felt meaningful and interesting, and this is both,” she says. “I've always been emotionally intuitive, quiet, and observant, and fascinated with human behavior.”

Originally, Hunter studied archaeology for her undergraduate degree. “But I was not well suited to the competitive world of academia. I disliked the idea of asserting a single interpretation of artifacts or events,” she says. “I'd rather talk about how it feels to hold an object that someone made a thousand years ago, than talk about trade routes and migration patterns.”

Hunter's area of specialization is in treating trauma. Originally, she worked with children and families. “As I began working with adults in 2018, I became interested in the integral role attachment relationships play in ones' concept of self and the world,” she says. “In recent years, I have found that Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an invaluable tool for myself and clients to conceptualize their inner worlds and to work on healing those wounds.”

Hunter builds a deep connection with clients by creating safety in the relationship through authenticity, unconditional positive regard, and humor. “When I meet a new client, I am genuinely curious to understand how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors align with their life experiences and values, which helps the client feel understood, and helps them to gain clarity around their goals."

She appreciates the support Happier Living gives to its clinicians and how no two days are ever exactly the same. “Happier Living's mission is focused on the integrity of the therapeutic relationship and treating the client holistically, and that resonates with me,” she says. “I value authenticity in myself and others, and I believe that the therapeutic relationship is the most important factor in therapeutic progress.”

When Hunter isn’t working, she is happiest in the little moments of connection with her husband and teenagers: “like unexpected silliness and laughing together in the kitchen or unplanned moments where we all congregate and discuss something interesting." In recent years she has devoted more time to developing her creative writing skills. She has had some small successes in publishing a few pieces and is currently developing a collection of poetry. 

Hunter and her family live in Scotland (her husband is Scottish). “I feel like I live in two different worlds, working with American clients and colleagues, and then going out of the house to hear broad Scottish accents,” she says.

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