Welcome!

See beyond your fears & reclaim your life!  

Trauma lives in all of us.  

We all carry our histories.  

Trauma is in our lived experiences. Trauma is not about the event, rather about how it impacts us.  Our perception of self, the aftermath on our nervous system and how it disconnects us from ourselves and others.

Our path to healing begins with an understanding that all of our behaviors, thoughts, patterns, and the core beliefs we have about ourselves are based on our conditioning. They are not who we are, they are a reflection of our past.

  Our brains have natural healing mechanisms. 

We can neurologically rewire and relearn; creating new, less destructive circuitry within the brain.    

There are many forms of trauma, all of which can be destructive and impact our ability to function. Life threatening traumas (war/combat, accidents, rape, natural disasters, violence, surgeries).  Adverse experiences (think big life stressors; grief, loss, betrayal).  Or even relational trauma (neglect, sexual abuse, invalidation, rejection, abandonment) leaving a deep sense of hopelessness, feeling unlovable or even damaged.

Our traumas (in any form) hold us down. They encourage us to hide, avoid, and retreat. They prevent us from stepping into our own power and strength.

"Owning our story can be hard, but not nearly as difficult as spending our entire lives running from it."  Brene' Brown

My approach to treatment balances accepting you where you are and challenging you to take steps toward your goals.  I practice with a sense of compassion, a non-judgmental curiosity, and I enjoy an energetic and passionate spirit within my work with others.  I work to foster a sense of adventure and enthusiasm, in which you can learn to lean into the fear that unfolds as your own resiliency enhances and you begin to see personal transformation! 

My role is to motivate you to take action,  and guide you through necessary life altering changes, all while embracing growth and the sense of new found empowerment in mastering skillsets and discovering your true capabilities.  

I want you to look forward to your treatment. To be excited. To be engaged. To feel courageous!  And ultimately to feel energized and eager to enhance your life and take control of those things that have held you back for far too long! 

I believe healing is possible for anyone.  I have been honored to bear witness to personal transformations and recovery amongst the most skeptical, wounded, fearful and wary individuals.             

Don't let your struggle become your identity.

 Become empowered to overcome life's toughest challenges!  

Build the life you want to live! 

Meet Your Therapist

Hello, I am Lottie! 

Welcome! During our time together, I aim to create a space of genuine understanding, warmth and trust.  Exploring your unique strengths and creating an environment that fosters courage and recovery.  I believe authenticity is an integral part of the therapy process and practice as my true self.  I welcome imperfection, humor, and all of the personality quirks which make us uniquely human. 

 Within treatment you can learn skills to quiet the mind, ease our internal alarm, and gain a sense of control over the memories. Move beyond maladaptive patterns, impulsivity, reactivity and hijacked emotions into effective coping mechanisms which support you in finding freedom from your inner critic, toxic thoughts, and self sabotaging behaviors. Together we examine how your experience of the world has shaped your reality and your relationship with yourself, in order to help you develop a life of joy, stability, and fulfillment!  

Qualifications and Background:

Onto the “nitty-gritty”...….. for those interested in a closer look;

-Over 25 years of professional experience.

-Attended University of Michigan, MSW Graduate School and graduated with High honors/Magna cum laude.   Northern Michigan University, BSW Undergraduate degree. 

Diverse experience;

* Toledo Children’s Hospital- Trauma Unit. (Intensive trauma cases: Murder, Violent rape, Gang Violence, Child abductions.)  

*Professional Outreach Counseling Services in Detroit, MI., (Children suffering severe abuse and neglect). 

*Partial Hospitalization Psychiatric Program in Flint, MI. (Adults-PTSD, Complex Trauma)

*Community Mental Health in Marquette, MI. (Adults-PTSD, Complex Trauma). Emergency Room-Psychiatric Consults.

*US Department of Veterans Affairs-Vet Center program.  (Combat Veterans- War trauma/PTSD/Moral Injury) 

Served on numerous community partnerships, collaboratives and committees in an effort to further address trauma needs and provide education to the public.  

Guest Lecturer at Northern Michigan University in Graduate and Undergraduate programs offering clinical expertise.

-Specialized in the treatment of trauma; including combat trauma, chronic trauma, complex trauma and interpersonal trauma.  I have worked with children, women, men, couples, family systems, groups, didactic formats and with combat Veterans.

Specialized Evidenced Based Practice Trauma Training:                

EMDR Certified--Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.  

EMDR 2.0 Trained.

CPT Certified--Cognitive Processing Therapy.

PE Trained--Prolonged Exposure.

TREM Trained--Trauma Recovery and Empowerment.

BIOFEEDBACK-- Enhances recovery and capacity to learn nervous system & physiological regulation. 

Enhanced Training;

*Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP)

ERP-  Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD/Panic Disorder.

Somatic therapies- which are “body centered therapy that explores connection of the mind and body for holistic healing”  Somatic therapy focuses on the disruption trauma can inflict on the Autonomic Nervous System.

*Registered Yoga Teacher* 

-Warriors at Ease (Trauma certification)

-iRest Yoga Nidra (Meditation/Mindfulness)

 CBT-   Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

 CBT-I- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.

 IRT-  Image Rehearsal Therapy for Sleep/Nightmares.

 MI-    Motivational Interviewing.

 DBT- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

 ACT.- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Couples Therapy:

Gottman Method- Level 1 & 2 Trained 

Professional Certifications:

Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW)

Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC)   

Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP)      

Treatment Options: 

I offer Individual, Couples, and Group therapy formats. 

I also offer Group- Trauma Sensitive Yoga. 

I specialize in trauma treatment, however, I have expertise in a vast array of treatments modalities and this is not an extensive list, please inquire further if you have questions regarding alternative options.

Trauma Treatment Modalities:

*EMDR- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. The treatment involves standardized procedures that include focusing simultaneously on spontaneous associations of traumatic images, thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations and auditory, visual or tactile bilateral stimulation. This therapy is based on the idea that negative thoughts, feelings and behaviors are the result of unprocessed memories.

*BIOFEEDBACK is a tool which utilizes painless monitoring sensors/devices that help provide information about your body and nervous system signals and responses.  The feedback helps you learn ways to effectively regulate and modify physiological reactivity and arousal in the body.

*CPT-  Cognitive Processing Therapy is a specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy that helps patients learn how to modify and challenge unhelpful beliefs related to the trauma.  This creates a new understanding and conceptualization of the traumatic event so that it reduces its ongoing negative effects on current life 

*PE- Prolonged Exposure Therapy is a form of behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy designed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. It is characterized by two main treatment procedures – imaginal and in vivo exposures. Imaginal exposure is repeated 'on-purpose' retelling of the trauma memory. In vivo exposure is gradually confronting situations, places, and things that are reminders of the trauma or feel dangerous. 

Group Opportunities (dependent on participation):

*TREM- Trauma Recovery and Empowerment is an evidence-based, facilitated group approach to healing from the effects of trauma. It combines elements of social skills training, psychoeducational and psychodynamic techniques, and emphasizes peer support. 

*Somatic Therapies- Learn how to release trauma and stress stored in the body.  Somatic therapies are “body centered therapies which explore connection of the mind and body for holistic healing.”  They focus on the disruption trauma can inflict on the Autonomic Nervous System and help to counter the "fight or flight" stress response of the sympathetic nervous system and engage the "relaxation response" of the parasympathetic system.  Engaging the relaxation response allows the nervous system to "reset" offering release and recovery while counteracting the toxic affects of chronic stress and trauma. 

--Registered Yoga Teacher--

*Warriors at Ease (Trauma sensitive yoga certification)

*iRest Yoga Nidra trained (Meditation/Mindfulness)

Specialization in Anxiety Treatment/Exposure Therapy

Providing evidenced-based treatment interventions and exposure therapy for anxiety disorders including:

Panic Disorder / Anxiety Attacks

Phobias 

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Social Anxiety 

General Anxiety Disorder

*Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP)*

 ERP- Exposure and Response Prevention.  

 CBT- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

 CBT-I- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.

 IRT-  Image Rehearsal Therapy for Sleep/Nightmares.

 MI-    Motivational Interviewing.

 DBT- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

 ACT.- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

 IFS-  Internal Family Systems

Couples Therapy

Gottman Method- Level 1 & Level 2 Trained