Therapy Modalities
Therapeutic Specialties:
At Healing Waves Therapy & Counseling PLLC, we believe therapy is not one-size-fits-all. Our team takes the time to understand each client’s unique lived experiences, identities, and cultural context, and we tailor therapy to support your individual needs and goals. We are committed to culturally aware, anti-racist, and affirming care that honors the whole person and the systems that impact well-being.
Our therapists come from diverse backgrounds and are trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches. We support teens and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions, with a strong focus on healing generational trauma, improving communication, and navigating difficult relationships. We recognize how culture, family dynamics, and societal pressures can shape emotional experiences, and we intentionally hold space for these realities in our work.
In addition to talk therapy, our clinicians may incorporate mindfulness, somatic, or movement-based practices to support holistic healing. These approaches are offered with cultural humility and care, creating a therapy experience that feels respectful, empowering, and aligned with who you are.
Somatic Embodiment:
Our team integrates somatic and embodiment-based practices to help clients reconnect with the wisdom of their bodies. These approaches support gentle awareness of physical sensations, breath, and movement, recognizing that healing does not happen through words alone, but also through the body.
In therapy, we help clients notice how emotions show up physically and learn tools for self-soothing, nervous system regulation, and releasing stored stress or tension. This work supports a greater sense of safety, grounding, and connection within yourself, allowing healing to unfold in a way that feels supportive, empowering, and aligned with your needs.
EIP’s or Emotionally Immature People:
Emotionally immature people often struggle with managing their emotions, understanding their own behavior, and showing up in healthy ways within relationships. They may become defensive, act impulsively, avoid accountability, or consistently prioritize their own needs over others. Being in relationship with someone like this can feel confusing, draining, and emotionally exhausting, especially when your needs are not being acknowledged or respected.
Our team works with clients who are navigating relationships with emotionally immature people, whether that is a parent, partner, family member, or someone else important in their life. In therapy, we focus on helping you understand these dynamics, make sense of your emotional responses, and develop tools to protect your well-being. Together, we work on setting boundaries, improving communication where possible, and strengthening your sense of self so you can move through these relationships with more clarity, confidence, and emotional resilience.
Mother Hunger:
Mother Hunger is a term coined by Kelly McDaniel, referring to the deep, unmet need for nurturing, guidance, and unconditional love from a mother figure. It often develops when a mother is emotionally unavailable, inconsistent, or unable to provide the warmth and secure attachment a child needs. This can lead to struggles with self-worth, emotional regulation, relationships, and feelings of emptiness or longing in adulthood.
Healing from mother hunger requires compassionate exploration, self-awareness, and intentional healing practices. In therapy, this may involve:
Exploring Childhood Attachment Patterns – Understanding how early experiences shaped emotional needs and relational patterns.
Processing Grief & Unmet Needs – Validating the pain of what was missing and allowing space for healing.
Reparenting & Self-Compassion – Learning to nurture oneself, meet unmet emotional needs, and develop self-love.
Boundary Work & Relationship Patterns – Recognizing patterns of over-giving, seeking validation, or struggling with trust, and learning to cultivate healthy connections.
Mindfulness & Somatic Healing – Incorporating practices like breathwork, movement, or inner child work to build emotional regulation and self-soothing.
Developing Secure Relationships – Strengthening the ability to seek and receive healthy love and support.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and actions are connected. Our team works with you to notice these patterns and how they show up in your day-to-day life. We also bring in body-based practices, recognizing that what you feel in your body is closely connected to your emotional well-being. Together, we’ll help you make sense of your experiences, challenge unhelpful thought patterns, and build healthier ways of thinking and responding that feel more supportive and aligned with your goals.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT):
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, often called DBT, was originally created to support people experiencing intense emotions and relationship challenges. While it is commonly associated with Borderline Personality Disorder, the skills taught in DBT can be helpful for many people navigating stress, emotional overwhelm, and relationship difficulties.
Our team offers DBT-informed therapy, which means we integrate helpful DBT skills into individual therapy sessions rather than providing the full DBT treatment model. In sessions, you may learn practical tools for managing emotions, setting boundaries, improving communication, staying present, and getting through difficult moments with more balance and self-compassion. While we do not offer formal DBT programs that include weekly skills groups and structured treatment, DBT-informed therapy allows us to thoughtfully tailor these skills to your unique needs and goals in a supportive, one-on-one setting.
Brainspotting (BSP):
Brainspotting is a gentle yet powerful therapy approach that helps access and heal experiences stored deep in the brain and body. It is based on the idea that where you look can be connected to how your brain processes emotions and past experiences. Certain eye positions, known as brainspots, are linked to unresolved stress, trauma, or emotional pain.
During a Brainspotting session, one of our clinicians will support you in finding a brainspot that brings up emotional or physical sensations. You do not have to talk through every detail of what happened. By simply focusing on that spot, your brain can begin to process and release what has been stuck. Many clients find that this approach helps reduce emotional distress, release trauma, and create a sense of relief and clarity in a way that feels deeper and more supportive than traditional talk therapy.
Internal Family Systems (IFS):
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz that focuses on understanding and healing the internal parts of the self. According to IFS, each person has a variety of "parts" or sub-personalities, which represent different aspects of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. These parts can range from protective parts (e.g., inner critics or perfectionists) to vulnerable parts (e.g., the inner child or wounded parts). At the core of IFS is the belief that everyone has a Self, which is a compassionate, wise, and grounded presence.
The goal of IFS therapy is to help individuals heal by understanding, integrating, and harmonizing their parts, allowing the Self to lead in a balanced and healthy way. In therapy, I use Internal Family Systems to help clients understand and integrate the different parts of themselves, so they can lead a more harmonious and fulfilling life.
Motivational Interviewing (MI):
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a client-centered, goal-oriented therapeutic approach designed to enhance motivation to change by helping clients resolve ambivalence and build intrinsic motivation. Developed by Dr. William R. Miller and Dr. Stephen Rollnick, MI is particularly effective for clients who may feel stuck or uncertain about making changes, especially in the context of behavior change (e.g., substance use, lifestyle changes, or emotional regulation).
MI is based on the premise that people are more likely to change when they feel understood, respected, and supported in their own process of decision-making. The therapist helps facilitate a conversation that encourages exploration of values, goals, and the barriers that may be preventing change, fostering self-efficacy and empowerment.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, is a therapy approach that helps you build a different relationship with your thoughts and emotions rather than trying to eliminate them. Instead of focusing on “getting rid” of difficult feelings, ACT supports you in learning how to make space for them while still moving toward a life that feels meaningful and aligned with your values.
Our team uses ACT to help clients develop psychological flexibility, which means learning how to stay present, respond with intention, and take values-driven action even when things feel hard. In sessions, we may explore what truly matters to you, practice mindfulness skills, and build tools to help you unhook from unhelpful thought patterns. ACT can be especially helpful for anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions, supporting you in creating a life guided by purpose, self-compassion, and choice rather than fear or avoidance.
Trauma Treatment:
Trauma Treatment Process is a comprehensive and gradual journey aimed at helping individuals heal from past trauma and regain emotional balance, well-being, and a sense of empowerment. While every individual’s experience with trauma is unique, the trauma treatment process generally follows a sequence of stages that aim to restore safety, process emotions, and create lasting healing.
Establish Safety and Build Trust:
Focus on creating a safe, supportive environment where the client feels heard, respected, and understood. Establish a foundation of trust between the client and therapist.
Stabilization and Emotional Regulation:
Teach emotional regulation and coping strategies to help the client manage distressing emotions and stay grounded before diving into trauma processing.
Trauma Processing and Integration:
Use trauma-focused techniques (e.g., Brainspotting) to help the client process and reframe traumatic memories, reducing their emotional charge.
Address Negative Beliefs and Cognitions:
Help the client identify and challenge negative self-beliefs or distorted perceptions caused by the trauma, replacing them with healthier, more empowering thoughts.
Integration and Rebuilding:
Guide the client in using their strengths to rebuild their life, set new goals, and develop a more positive outlook, focusing on resilience and growth.
Building New Patterns and Preventing Relapse:
Support the client in creating sustainable coping mechanisms and maintenance plans to continue healing and prevent future setbacks.
LET’S GET STARTED
