survivor RAINN

Trauma

Therapy

for survivors of sexual trauma, abuse, and relationship violence

Navigate

trauma recovery

with safety and ease

You’ve been getting through life, maybe you’ve always just been “getting through” maybe you once felt you were living life then lost this. But you’ve been carrying a heavy burden of what’s happened to you and still trying to make life work. It’s so exhausting, you wonder and wish for something more than this from life.

With trauma therapy, I’ll help you process and heal from the pain of the past and connect to yourself to feel more peace and create the life you’re wanting to live.

And now, born from the ashes, she’s a warrior in bloodied black.
— Amie Kaufman

Hi!!!

I’m Kelsey

(She/hers)

I’m a clinical psychologist and I specialize in working with survivors of sexual trauma and violence. Through trauma focused recovery, I’ll help you build safety, process the past, and connect to the life you want to live.

My Approach

With each client, we co-create an individualized plan that draws from EMDR, DBT for trauma, CPT, Trauma Focused CBT, and ACT.  These are all evidence-based forms of therapy that offer variety of supports and skills for trauma survivors.

Specially, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy developed specifically to treat symptoms of trauma directly through processing emotions, body sensations, beliefs, and memories anchored in our past. The process is supportive and guided to make trauma therapy manageable without overwhelming you.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for trauma engages a skill building approach to reduce distress and get back to center while moving forward with engaging in life’s activities that have been limited by traumatic experiences. DBT offers many different coping skills to manage stress, soothe painful emotions, communicate effectively, feel grounded, and connect to personal values.

Cognitive Processing Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CPT and CBT) assist with understanding core beliefs that are established within us through big or significant experiences (like trauma). As well, CPT and CBT can help challenge and change core beliefs to more align with your personal values and what’s true. For example, many survivors experience a lot of pain and shame because they blame themselves for their trauma, and CPT and CBT provides skills to help us examine these beliefs and change them to reflect reality (for example, I cannot control others’ behaviors and therefore could not cause someone to harm me). This can be a vital part of healing from trauma.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) provides a set of skills to free ourselves from the ways we might get stuck with certain ways of thinking and being, and connect us to our personal values to build a life we want to be living.

With all approaches, I bring in important information about the larger systems that operate in our world and how they shape our understanding of ourselves and others, our experiences of trauma and recovery, and how we can navigate these in alignment with our values. This includes discussing how patriarchy, white supremacy, and capitalism intersect and reinforce environments of isolation and trauma, and how we can connect back to our communities and work to dismantle the power these systems have in all our lives.

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How It Works

How do I get started?

Click “Book Now” and schedule an initial appointment. I will call to discuss your interests and goals for therapy, and my approach to see if we’re a good fit before getting started. This call is brief, about 20 minutes and helps us get the lay of the land.

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What happens next?

If we’re a good fit to work together, I’ll confirm the initial appointment and we’ll get started.  In this session we’ll discuss some background and set up therapy goals together. We’ll discuss the next steps and you’ll leave session with a clear plan for our work together.

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What happens next?

We’ll meet weekly for 50-minute sessions and work through the steps of your treatment plan. If at any time your goals change or something isn’t quite working, we can adjust so that therapy is effective for you and meets your needs.

Begin Now

What are your rates?

  • Individual therapy: $265 per session

  • Family or couples therapy: $285 per session

  • Group therapy: $90 per session

FAQ’s

Do you take insurance?

I am OUT OF NETWORK for all insurance plans. For out-of-network PPO plans, I can provide you a superbill to submit to your insurance for reimbursement, or you can utilize Mentaya to submit claims electronically and get reimbursed quicker.

I have partnered with Mentaya to help my clients save money on therapy. Check your benefits to see if you're eligible for reimbursement:

Mentaya Benefits Checker

 Please contact your insurance provider directly to verify benefits and coverage and ask any questions you might have about benefits.

Where do you provide therapy?

I offer virtual therapy (encrypted videoconferencing or phone) for people in AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CNMI, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NC, ND, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY

What is Trauma?

Trauma fundamentally shapes how we perceive the world, how we function within it, and how we take our next steps. While the word “trauma” is frequently used, and has a very specific meaning.  Trauma refers to a significant and serious life altering event, often involving life-threatening danger, physical threat, sexual violence, attachment trauma or substantial harm to our psychological integrity.  Trauma is considered a psychological injury, and it is highly treatable and reparable with effective therapy.

Sometimes trauma can be a single, isolated event, other times it can be ongoing traumatic relationships or environments.  In all cases, trauma engages our instinctual survival brain to save our lives, and following trauma we may need time and help to recover, repair, and rebuild.

 “The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.”

― Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitizaton and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is an evidence based multimodal intervention to treat trauma as well as significant upsetting experiences that shaped how we feel about ourselves, our world, our relationships. EMDR is widely researched and continues to grow and be shown as highly effective at helping folx reduce symptoms of trauma, emotional distress, and increase connection to the present moment and ability to act in alignment with one’s goals and values

EMDR is safe and uses ongoing assessment and support to ensure clients can proceed with trauma processing in a safe way, preventing retraumatization. EMDR uses multiple stages that include assessing background and targets to focus processing on, set up helpful supports to create safety throughout trauma processing, process emotion-based memories and experiences, and set up future expectations grounded in acceptance and resilience.

I am an EMDR therapist that offers attachment-focused EMDR, this specialized approach engages more safety building, supportive resources, and techniques to connect to early memories and experiences that shape us growing up. Attachment focused EMDR is highly effective for early childhood trauma and significant experiences from childhood that effect folx today, as well as safely processing trauma memories and significant experiences from adulthood as well.

 For more information:

EMDRIA

Parnell Institute: Attachment Focused EMDR

What is DBT?

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was developed by Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., ABPP, in response to the great need for effective treatment for people suffering from chronic suicidality, self harm, emotion dysregulation, and instability of the self.  

Through an evidence-based approach, Dr. Linehan methodically developed an adaptive and comprehensive treatment for Borderline Personality disorder.  Dr. Linehan and her associates continue ongoing research to modify DBT to maintain superior effectiveness and expand DBT to treat complex diagnoses and psychological needs including substance use, trauma, eating disorders, mood disorders, and family conflict.

Is DBT right for me?

I find this modality is quite helpful for many folx wanting to learn how to manage painful and uncomfortable emotions, communicate better with others, set boundaries, and work to align more closely with their personal values. My clients use DBT to build effective skills to use to support trauma recovery, cope with difficult emotions, enhance healthy relationships, and connect with their values.

Learn more about DBT here

therapy dog, esa, emotional support animal

Begin your healing journey today.

**Neville, therapy floof