Trauma and PTSD Therapists in Woodbury, VT

As a practitioner of Emotional Transformation Therapy (ETT), I specialize in helping people heal from trauma, depression, and anxiety. I assist clients in a process of deep self-discovery using ETT, psychotherapy, and movement. ETT can help clients to heal more effectively from long-standing and painful patterns than traditional talk therapies alone. I treat a wide variety of conditions that prevent people from living an optimum life. My ideal client is committed to change, may have been in prior therapy that has not yet shifted fundamental maladaptive patterns, and open to new ways of thinking and feeling about themselves.

I have worked in the mental health field for over 15 years in a variety of roles. I have been practicing for 3 years with a focus on bipolar, anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia-type conditions. I have a passion to work with individual with PTSD.

As a Solution Focused Therapist, I help my clients find the patterns in their lives that have hindered their ability to imagine and achieve the life they desire. I offer many different approaches, including Traditional Talk Therapy using Solution Focus and CBT, as well as more interactive creative approaches, including Expressive Arts Therapies. My style is open and interactive as I guide and educate clients to explore new options for responding (not reacting) to life's challenges.

Would you like to learn about strengthening resilience to further trauma and stress in your body and mind? My goal is to teach you somatic tools that you can use independently for a relationship with a more settled, grounded nervous system. I can help you create a calmer nervous system free of the higher highs and lower lows of trauma activation. Greater regulation can help you resolve stress and increase health. Together we can reduce anxiety and startle response, lessen fatigue, address pain and inflammation and learn about regulation. If you are curious about resolving trauma responses in your nervous system, I can help.

I am a rostered, prelicensed clinical social worker, and I want to put my skills and experience to use for anyone who is grappling with transition, grief, trauma, depression, anxiety, no matter how near or far they are from home. I have years of experience with intercultural communication and adaptation through my studies, therapy work, my time as an English as a Second Language Teacher, and my own personal experiences as a stranger in strange lands. I want to continue serving refugees and immigrants as they build a new life in green Vermont.

My counseling approach is both practical and realistic, provided in a relaxed atmosphere. I work with adults, children, and families interested and willing to make necessary changes in their lives. I've also incorporated pets into my practice, as research has proven the use of pets in counseling reduces stress and elevates mood. Areas of treatment include depression, anxiety, PTSD, behavioral issues, identity concerns, relationship difficulties, crisis consultation, etc.

Life is complicated. Our history, experiences and trauma affect not only who we are but also how we interact with the world. Whether you are struggling with childhood memories, recent trauma or simply trying to find solutions to balance out life, we can process them together. Therapy is about going deep, processing the wounds that affect us and integrating them into our current selves in order to live productively and meaningfully in the world.

I believe losing touch with our life purpose can lead to depression, anxiety, mood imbalances, and disconnection to Self. By utilizing talk therapy, goals and embracing the here and now, we have opportunities to reach for and reconnect with healing spirit, opening a portal in which one resolves the obstacles holding us back; This journey facilitates access to a path of self discovery of the deeper meaning and gifts we hold in life. Like an onion, peeling away limiting layers of self-beliefs and the attending reactivity to those beliefs, one can foster deeper awareness of life experience, and a renewal of our sense of purpose.

My practice is based on the premise that the relationship is key to emotional wellbeing. Life experiences and especially trauma can lead us to distort our interpretations of both our internal and external worlds. My counseling experience began in 2007 working with young people with extensive social, emotional, and behavioral needs. This inevitably raised my awareness of the importance of the family and related support systems. I spent much of my life as a professional musician and have been able to use music in my therapeutic work, supporting the development and maintenance of sharing, self-regulation, and effective communication.

In our journeys through life we experience both pleasurable and distressing events. When these events reach a level of trauma and are not processed or effectively integrated, individuals may rely on less adaptive strategies to manage discomfort, stress and change. These strategies can negatively influence the way we perceive and interact with the world and affect our intuitive nature and our intentionality for seeking meaning and experiencing joy. My practice is informed by a deeply attuned and heartfelt approach to my client’s emotional wellbeing. I enjoy working with children, adolescents, individuals, couples and families.

My therapeutic goal is to tailor treatment to each individual's needs, situations and personalities through a collaborative process. I seek the optimal and most beneficial approach to the individual's needs, whether child, adolescent, adult, couples, or families. I have over 30 years experience working in the field with a wide variety of client populations. I have spent many years working with youth and special needs individuals who displayed severe challenging behaviors. This has included developmental disabilities, autism and those with self-harm and severe anger issues. My overall approach is holistic, integrative, and strength and evidence based.

Therapeutic Cathartic Breathwork assists in the healing of the self (body/mind/ heart and awareness), while releasing repetition compulsions from the past in order to live a life based on inner authority and sovereignty. Often clients are attracted to the cathartic breath as other modalities have not resulted in completion. The Therapeutic Cathartic Breath is not a mental tool, though it releases non supportive belief systems. It is an invitation to open to expanded states of consciousness, connecting us to our larger self before there was any trauma or dis-ease. We surrender to our "true source" however we define it.

My counseling approach is based on the belief that everyone can benefit from support and listening. I strive to provide a warm and comfortable environment, making use of humor, silence, and empathy. Research shows that the best indicator of counseling success is the strength of the counseling relationship, and to that end, we will begin our work by building the relationship foundation together.

Are you trying to deal with issues such as anger, anxiety, depression, compulsions, or flashbacks from trauma? These are all symptoms that have important meanings. I can help you understand the meaning of these symptoms and assist you in opening the door to more positive self-esteem and life experience. I practice Jungian psychotherapy and analysis as a certified Vermont psychoanalyst. Earlier in my career I have been a practicing corporate attorney, business executive, and CPA.

I work with Young Children (age 8+), Adolescents, Adults, and Parents. I provide therapeutic interventions addressing issues including: anxiety, depression, ADHD, acting out behaviors, divorce/separation, grief, attachment issues, frustration tolerance issues, Trauma/PTSD, Parenting/Family conflict, relationship problems, school phobia, developmental problems, and adolescent issues. I offer play therapy for children, and psychoanalytically informed talk therapy for teens and adults. I believe that parents are a crucial part of any therapy with a child and ask that parents are actively involved in the process.

It takes courage to reckon with some of the most private, honest, scary, and hopeful places within you. Effective support during these times can be transformational. You may want to discover new ways of being in the world, your skin, and your life that feel authentic, and alive. Or, you may be wanting relief from painful relationship patterns, anger, grief, fear, self-criticism, “stuckness” or addiction. My clients often find my approach feels both comfortable and challenging, and facilitates greater self-love and empowerment. I hold a license in Mental Health Counseling, CAGS in Expressive Arts, and am IFS trained.

I work with adolescents, families and adults, joining with them in their quest for wholeness, emotional recovery and greater happiness. I have experience helping others navigate through trauma, grief and loss, depression, anxiety, anger and issues specific to the LGBTQQ community.

Aaron Billings, LCMHC a licensed clinician in Northern Vermont. Aaron primarily works with adults and children who are struggling with mental health, addiction, co-occurring and/or accompanying medical concerns. Aaron has been working in the fields of human services, wellness, and education since 1993 and as a counselor since 2012. Experience includes young children, teens, disabled persons, TBI and acquired brain injury, autism, Trauma and abuse, college students, elders, young adults, and people with addictions. I use a combination of counseling and learning theories including Solution Focused, Human centered, and Cognitive.