Trauma and Anxiety Therapy for Adults in Pennsylvania
Nourish your connection to yourself, with your loved ones & community, and with life
You’re tired of the inner noise that steals you away from being present with people, and sends you into a place of powerlessness, overwhelm, and isolation.
You replay clips of past conversations in your head without really wanting to, and you find reason after reason why you are wrong, bad, and unlovable.
At times you wonder if you even really belong anywhere.
You’ve tried a lot of things to fit in or bond with people but have burnt yourself out with interactions that left you disconnected and alone despite your best insights and efforts.
You know the problem isn’t wholly your fault. People actually have hurt you, and this world is a deeply flawed one.
And you know deep down that no one can help you feel better but you.
You deserve a steady witness and support.
a radically different approach to healing
Therapeutic approaches that are focused on chemical imbalances, on the pathology of our symptoms, and on changing our behavior patterns while ignoring our body, our history, spirituality, or larger social issues have failed many of us. They’ve left us stuck and without lasting relief. And they may have discouraged even more of us from seeking help.
The system of mental health care fails many. Too often, it doesn’t adequately honor the way experience shapes adaptation, the way the mind and soul are grounded in the body, the way people are formed in relationship and within community — let alone the way we are shaped by and are actively shaping our personal and collective history.
If you have been frustrated by the walls you have hit in your personal journey, it’s time to engage the healing process with someone who can weave through these complexities with you.
Meet Chelsea Adams, MA, Licensed Therapist, EMDR, IFS, and Somatic therapist
I am devoted to empowering people by supporting their personal healing and growth.
I am here to help you find your inherent reserves of strength and energy by working through anxiety, depression, loss, life transitions, social and relational issues, religious or spiritual issues, and your past. I integrate Somatic interventions, EMDR, and IFS with a thoroughly person-centered, humanistic, and relational psychodynamic approach.
I am excited about sparking visceral change at the root of your smallest and biggest personal experiences.
Specialities
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Developmental & Complex Trauma
These terms refer to traumatic events, environments, or relationships that shaped your developmental years (ages 0-25) or long stretches of adult life.
This can include exposure to: high-conflict family dynamics, high-conflict relationships, emotional neglect and abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, toxic workplaces, death, mental illness, substance abuse, racism, poverty, food scarcity, immigration, and genocide.
If your life has been strongly negatively affected by chronic harmful conditions, not just by a single-incident traumatic event, know that healing can be possible for you.
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Religious & Spiritual Issues
Maybe you have been shaped in religious or spiritual environments that left you with profound feelings of shame, anxiety, or terror. Perhaps you have had encounters with people in religious or spiritual communities who violated you in some way.
Whatever your experience is, you may feel these teachings or events disturb you long after leaving these communities and affect your present relationships with others and with yourself.
If you know what this is like, know that you aren’t without hope. What happened to you should not determine your life forever. You can reclaim your mind, body, and beliefs. You can uncover a deeper connection to life and learn to trust in it.
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Health Anxiety & OCD
Health anxiety and OCD refer to the persistent worry of becoming seriously ill. And while a lot of what drives your emotional distress is about what goes on inside your head… no, it’s not all in your head. It’s also in your central and peripheral nervous systems.
Maybe you have a family history of serious illnesses, or you’ve witnessed a loved one battle a serious illness and pass away. Perhaps you’ve gone through a lot of medical gaslighting, or you have been diagnosed with a chronic medical condition.
Whatever the factors that contribute to your health anxiety are grounded in, you can learn to be appropriately attentive to your health without being paralyzed by intrusive thoughts of getting sick.
Ready to get started?
Here’s what comes next.
Discover your fit.
During our 20-minute consultation, I’ll answer any questions you may have about therapy with me so you can be sure I am the right fit for you.
Focus on yourself.
Meet with me knowing that you have time to work through your concerns. Process your core issues in a powerful way, at your speed.
Feel better and do better.
Discover your capacity for self-compassion and confidence. Nurture your connection to yourself, your body, your people, and your community. Experience your own capability to make the changes needed in your life.