Cydni Turner

Graduate Student Intern

Cydni Turner, pronounced like “Sydney, Australia,” grew into her respect for therapist and counselors, because she initially didn’t want to work in psychology and counseling. During her junior year at New Mexico State University, her interest grew which led to a change in her major to Family and Child Science.  That passion and curiosity is strong and alive today.

Cydni developed a profound desire for supporting families—especially those with young children—in finding their voice, providing safe havens for them, and attending to their emotional needs. Cydni believes everyone can develop and change, but the first step in building a brighter future is preserving, educating, and fostering an environment where kids may freely express their emotional needs. Her love for working with kids is her motivation to acquire new abilities and methods, like play therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and even animal therapy.

In addition to teaching people therapeutic practices, Cydni aims to celebrate both the successes and the “failures” of her clients. Cydni uses them to aid her clients in learning lessons on how to improve for the future. Instead of being an intimidating environment, therapy should be a compassionate, cooperative space for problem solving and emotional release.  Cydni focuses on creating this atmosphere for her clients in order to remove the stigma associated with therapy, particularly in communities of color.

Cydni believes that anyone and everyone deserves therapy! Her approach is from a postmodernism perspective, utilizing cognitive-behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy, and collaborative therapy. In her free time Cydni likes to travel, spend time with friends, mentor young girls, and serve at her church.  She is currently in her final year at National University, where in January she will receive her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy Family Therapist and become a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern with the ultimate goal of completing her PsyD and starting her own practice.