Our Approach
Many of our clients come to us after seeing other therapists and struggling to receive the help they actually need. At Heartwise Counseling, we see you as a whole person and show up with our own humanity. We integrate attachment science, neuroscience, and experiential therapies to effectively address the emotional, relational, and physiological impacts of trauma, stress, and neurodivergence. Rather than focusing only on changing thoughts or behaviors, we help clients of all ages understand their nervous system, reshape relational patterns, and create meaningful change within themselves and the systems and environments they live in.
The Heartwise Difference
When Therapy Hasn’t Helped
Have you tried therapy before, only to find that it didn’t help, or worse, caused more harm? You may have experienced:
​
-
One-size-fits-all solutions that don’t work for you or your family
-
Therapists who mainly listen without offering guidance or deeper exploration
-
Behavioral strategies that felt inaccessible or unrealistic to apply
-
Explanations that left you feeling dismissed or misunderstood
-
Suggestions to just think about things differently
-
Blame or shame for your or your child’s problems
-
Defensiveness when you tried to raise concerns about the therapy
-
Punitive, fear-based, or pressure-based approaches that left you feeling stuck
-
Forced conversations about trauma that re-traumatize
-
Repetitive and circular conversations about trauma that don’t address somatic impacts
-
Therapists who seemed disconnected or disengaged
If you have ever left therapy feeling misunderstood, stuck, or unsure whether it was actually helping, you are not alone. A different experience is possible.
What We Offer
-
A safe, connected relationship that helps you update your relational templates and show up with more security in all areas of life
-
A bottom-up approach that addresses the physiological impacts of trauma and neurodivergence with sensory and somatic supports
-
Real-time exploration and regulation of nervous system states that allows for an embodied experience of healing in session that grows over time
-
Opportunities for memory reconsolidation to change your relationship to trauma, shift cycles of trauma responses, and develop new reactions and narratives
-
A feeling of being truly seen, understood, and accepted by a therapist who shows up with honesty, authenticity, and genuine care
-
Advocacy and support in creating change not only within yourself or your child but also in your relationships, workplace, and school environments
-
Curiosity and validation of your lived experience paired with collaborative action to address your goals and improve functioning
Healing Happens in Relationship
At the heart of our work is the understanding that relationships are central to emotional well-being. When relationships are lacking or disconnected, we suffer. When relationships feel safe and supportive, they become powerful spaces for growth and healing.
​
At Heartwise Counseling, the relationship between you and your therapist becomes the space in which you can reshape how you see yourself, others, and the world around you. Through authentic relational work, individuals develop greater self-compassion, couples deepen connection, and families build more secure patterns of interaction.
​
Our work is grounded in attachment science, which recognizes that early relationships with caregivers shape how we experience safety, trust, and emotional connection throughout life. Many relational patterns—such as difficulty trusting others, managing emotions, or feeling secure in relationships—can be understood through this lens in ways that reduce shame and open the door for change.
​
We don't simply identify your “attachment style,” we work to understand and address the underlying attachment needs that keep individuals and families stuck so they can develop new ways of relating that foster greater security and connection.
Working with the Brain & the Nervous System
Experiences of stress, trauma, connection, and neurodivergence shape the brain and nervous system. When the nervous system has learned to stay in survival states—fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or shutdown—it can become difficult to feel calm, safe, focused, present, or connected.
​
At Heartwise Counseling, we integrate insights from neuroscience to help clients better understand their nervous system responses. Therapy often includes developing awareness of bodily sensations, emotional signals, and sensory experiences while learning practical ways to support nervous system regulation.
​
We work from the bottom up, addressing brainstem-related dysregulation and early developmental trauma before attending to higher-order brain functions like cognition and reasoning. Applying the right intervention at the right time allows therapy to be more effective.
Integrative and Experiential
Our clinicians draw from a range of evidence-based and experiential approaches to support each client’s unique needs. By integrating cognitive, emotional, relational, and somatic approaches, therapy helps clients move beyond simply understanding their experiences toward meaningful and lasting change.
​
Because the science of therapy continues to evolve, we are committed to continually updating and deepening our training in approaches that best support our clients.
​
Some of the modalities we integrate include:
​
-
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help process and shift the physical, emotional, and cognitive impacts of traumatic memories and negative core beliefs
-
Internal Family Systems (IFS) to facilitate internal work with emotions, beliefs, and protective responses while supporting an individual’s core self in leading parts toward healing
-
Emotionally Focused Therapy to identify and disrupt negative interactional patterns in relationships and deepen connection
-
IFS-Informed EMDR to combine bilateral stimulation with parts work and deepen self-compassion
​
-
Creative and Expressive Arts to explore emotions, process experiences, and express oneself in new ways
​
-
Movement and Somatics to support regulation, process trauma, and integrate mind-body healing
​
-
Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT and ERP), when the time is right, to support the development of new, values-aligned patterns of thinking and behavior
Play Therapy for Children
For children, play provides a window into their experiences and needs. Through play therapy, children can explore feelings, process experiences, seek relational and sensory input, and make sense of their world in developmentally appropriate ways.
Play therapy at Heartwise Counseling may include imaginative play, art, music, storytelling, movement, and sensory-based activities that allow children to express themselves, build regulation skills, and strengthen relationships.
​
We see caregivers as collaborators and therapeutic agents for children. We involve you in therapy sessions with your child and consult with you frequently to work together to create the changes needed at home and school for your child to thrive.
​
Our approach to play therapy is relational, child-led, and integrative, utilizing a neurobiologically appropriate sequence of interventions to maximize effectiveness by targeting the right brain regions at the right time.
​
Modalities we may integrate include:​​
-
Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)
-
Sand Tray Therapy
-
Theraplay®
-
AutPlay™ Therapy
-
TraumaPlay™
-
Gestalt Play Therapy
-
Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT)
-
Playful EMDR
-
​Synergetic Play Therapy
-
Filial Therapy
-
Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy (CBPT)
Affirming, Systems-Informed Care
We are committed to providing affirming and inclusive care, including LGBTQIA+ affirming and neurodivergence-affirming practices.
​
Many challenges are shaped by the systems people live within, including family structures, schools, workplaces, cultural expectations, and broader social forces.
Experiences of racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of systemic oppression can have real impacts on mental health and well-being.
​
Because of this, we take a systems-informed perspective. Rather than viewing distress solely as something within the individual, we consider the broader context of a person’s environment. Therapy can support clients in navigating these systems, strengthening resilience, and advocating for relationships and environments that are more supportive, equitable, and aligned with their values.
Who We Work With
Heartwise Counseling works with children, teens, adults, couples, and families who:
​
-
Have tried therapy before but did not feel it addressed the deeper roots of their struggles
-
Are navigating the impacts of trauma, relational wounds, or chronic stress
-
Want therapy that works with the nervous system rather than focusing only on thoughts or behaviors
-
Are seeking an affirming space for LGBTQIA+ identities and neurodivergence
-
Want to develop more secure relationships with themselves and others
-
Are looking for therapy that is collaborative, experiential, and grounded in current neuroscience and attachment research
Taking the Next Step
Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, especially if past experiences with therapy have been disappointing. Our goal is to create a space where you feel respected, understood, and supported as you explore what healing and growth might look like for you, your child, your partner, or your family.
​
If you are interested in learning more about working with a Heartwise therapist, we invite you to reach out to schedule a consultation or explore our clinicians’ profiles to find a therapist who feels like the right fit.