AEDP Therapists in Johnson County, IA
I am certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) — a research-validated approach to healing & strengthening couples’ relationships — and have Level III Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy ( AEDP) training — a model of individual therapy that integrates what research tells us about human connection, emotion & the relationship between the two.
I am an Iowa, California & Arizona licensed marriage and family therapist (IA 126195, CA 86294, AZ 15639). I am native Iowan relocated to the West Coast with nearly two decades of experience helping those who are grieving and more than a decade practicing as a therapist. I specialize in working with couples & individuals navigating life-altering medical conditions; women overwhelmed in the face of work, family & personal pressure; and couples struggling to create or restore fulfilling connection.
I am certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) — a research-validated approach to healing & strengthening couples’ relationships — and have Level III Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy ( AEDP) training — a model of individual therapy that integrates what research tells us about human connection, emotion & the relationship between the two.
I am an Iowa, California & Arizona licensed marriage and family therapist (IA 126195, CA 86294, AZ 15639). I am native Iowan relocated to the West Coast with nearly two decades of experience helping those who are grieving and more than a decade practicing as a therapist. I specialize in working with couples & individuals navigating life-altering medical conditions; women overwhelmed in the face of work, family & personal pressure; and couples struggling to create or restore fulfilling connection.
If you're overwhelmed at work and feeling like you’re failing or barely holding things together in life, I can guide you back to a state of calm and balance. You may be feeling highly anxious or constantly stressed but just can’t see any way to make a change…although you’re afraid if you don’t, something is gonna fall apart - as if you’ve only been faking it. Especially for anyone in the helping professions like healthcare, education, or leadership, you can't seem to manage both the needs of others and your own. It does not diminish your independence to get support, and making time for true self care comes back to you exponentially.
If you're overwhelmed at work and feeling like you’re failing or barely holding things together in life, I can guide you back to a state of calm and balance. You may be feeling highly anxious or constantly stressed but just can’t see any way to make a change…although you’re afraid if you don’t, something is gonna fall apart - as if you’ve only been faking it. Especially for anyone in the helping professions like healthcare, education, or leadership, you can't seem to manage both the needs of others and your own. It does not diminish your independence to get support, and making time for true self care comes back to you exponentially.
Callie Smith
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LISW
Verified Verified
Serves Area
Waitlist for new clients
Welcome! I know that reaching out for therapy can feel both freeing and overwhelming. I offer you a space to be yourself and a place to learn more about who you are and who you desire to be. I utilize Transforming Touch, EMDR, somatic therapy, Intuitive Eating and Internal Family System or "parts work" theories to help you connect and move forward in your life. These practices help build nervous system regulation and set the foundation for building compassion so that you are able to exist in new and different ways in both your individual life and in relation with others. I welcome questions or wonderings about these approaches!
Welcome! I know that reaching out for therapy can feel both freeing and overwhelming. I offer you a space to be yourself and a place to learn more about who you are and who you desire to be. I utilize Transforming Touch, EMDR, somatic therapy, Intuitive Eating and Internal Family System or "parts work" theories to help you connect and move forward in your life. These practices help build nervous system regulation and set the foundation for building compassion so that you are able to exist in new and different ways in both your individual life and in relation with others. I welcome questions or wonderings about these approaches!
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AEDP Therapists
Who is AEDP therapy for?
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) is for adults who have experienced emotional pain in the past that, because it has not been adequately addressed and processed, interferes with current functioning. The problems might manifest in a number of different ways, from excessive anger to relationship difficulties to PTSD to eating disorders, poor self-esteem, and depression. They may also be accompanied by physiological symptoms. AEDP helps people accept and digest challenging emotional experiences.
Why do people need AEDP?
People need AEDP as a way to manage distressing emotions—including anger, shame, and guilt—that in some way hamper the ability to function and form satisfying relationships in the present. The therapist-client relationship is believed to provide corrective emotional and relational experiences that facilitate positive changes in brain function, forge pathways for processing traumatic experiences, and allow resolution of emotional pain.
What happens in AEDP therapy?
Once individuals have established a strong bond with the AEDP therapist and the therapist has established a safe and secure environment, clients are encouraged to explore their most painful emotional experiences. They may be asked to pay attention to disquieting body sensations as well as to psychological discomfort. Individuals learn how to process emotions, rather than avoid them. Through the strength of the therapist-client bond, each session is intended to provide a powerful positive experience for individuals, enabling growth.
What problems does AEDP treat?
AEDP is intended to treat the unprocessed emotional pain caused by earlier distressing experiences, which commonly includes behavioral avoidance of current situations and experiences for fear that they will reactivate painful feelings. Emotional pain and avoidant behavior play a role in a wide array of mental health conditions, which is why AEDP is applied to the treatment of a range of disorders including depression, anxiety, PTSD, relationship difficulties, and eating disorders.