May Tree Counseling was named with intention. From the beginning, the goal was not to create a practice rooted in inspiration or abstraction, but one grounded in protection, clarity, and steadiness for people who have been harmed rather than supported by the systems or relationships around them.

The name May Tree comes from the Hawthorn tree, sometimes referred to as the May Tree. Historically, the Hawthorn has been associated with protection and boundaries as much as healing. It is known for its strength, its resilience, and its thorns—features that reflect the reality that healing often requires discernment, containment, and the ability to protect oneself, not just openness or growth.

Many of the clients who seek counseling here have experienced trauma, betrayal, or prolonged exposure to controlling or invalidating environments. Some arrive feeling disoriented or uncertain of their own perceptions. Others are working to regain a sense of safety, self-trust, or personal agency after their boundaries were repeatedly crossed. Rather than asking clients to “move on” or transform quickly, this work begins by taking their experiences seriously and restoring orientation—naming what happened and understanding its impact.

The Hawthorn has also been understood as a tree that marks thresholds. In that sense, it reflects the work of counseling as a process of stabilization and integration—supporting clients as they move from confusion toward clarity, from self-doubt toward internal steadiness, and from survival toward a more grounded way of engaging with life. This is not about forcing change, but about creating the conditions where change can occur safely and at a sustainable pace.

May Tree Counseling represents a commitment to care that is thoughtful, trauma-informed, and rooted in respect for context. The focus is not on fixing what is “wrong,” but on supporting recovery from what has disrupted safety, trust, or identity—so clients can reclaim their voice and move forward with greater clarity and self-trust.