Meet Addie
Hi! I am Addie.
Therapist for GenZ & Millennials struggling with complex trauma, online across all of Texas.
The truth about being a trauma therapist
Whenever someone hears I am a therapist the most common response is “how can you listen to people’s problems all day? That must be hard.” And the truth is somedays it is awfully hard to hold precious space for my client’s pain. The hard days suck but on the flip side when I get to see my clients set that hard boundary with their parents or allow themselves to be in a healthy relationship, its pretty freaking amazing.
Why being a therapist is my Ikigai.
Have you heard of ikigai? It is the Japanese term that involves finding your passion, vocation, mission, and profession.
passion being what you love
vocation being what you are good at
mission being what the world needs
profession being what you can be paid for
For me being a therapist just made sense. When I found it, it was like a missing piece of the puzzle and I knew in my soul it is what I was made to do.
A funny backstory
I come from a Hispanic family. There are a lot of us, we are loud, competitive, and super fun. When I was younger, talking 5 years old, I was always up in everyone’s business. I preferred to sit at the adult table and listen to all the chisme than play with my cousins. And I would often ask lots of questions. This of course was very annoying for my family so they nicknamed me “orejona”, which means “big ears” in spanish. It is only fitting now I get paid to listen and use those big ears. It was written in the stars from way back when.
Proof of my nickname. My parents came to one of my birthday parties all wearing big ears.
Why I’m the therapist who gets you
Struggling to Find Happiness
I see you. Surviving day by day, trying to live the life you want but feeling like maybe it's not in the cards for you to be happy. It is hard to be happy when you:
Struggle to trust others
Constantly feel judged
Overthink everything
Living in Survival Mode
We are not meant to live in survival mode day in and day out. At some point in your life, you learned how to survive. You might have:
Disconnected from your situation and everyone around you
Shut down and gone numb
Worked in overdrive, excelling at everything you did
Stayed in bed, hoping your problems would disappear
Your body kept you alive, but now it won’t let you rest, be content, or be calm.
Addressing Childhood Trauma
My expertise, training, and interest align best with people who have experienced childhood trauma in some capacity. This trauma might now show up in:
Your relationships
How you feel about yourself
Your ability to set healthy boundaries
Sitting with uncomfortable emotions, much less talking about them
Facing Your Past
Maybe there is something in your past you can’t quite shake. You might think:
"It wasn’t that bad."
"I’m over it."
The Effects of Trauma
You aren't sure, but all you know is that you:
Feel anxious all the time
Can’t sleep
Feel cranky
Are exhausted from hustling all the time in that hamster wheel for your worthiness
It is time to learn how to truly live and not just exist.
How can you know if we are a good fit?
First, You can always schedule a FREE consultation with me to figure this out. This is the most direct way although I understand for some people this might be a little intimidating. Let me explain exactly what it is and what you can expect.
This consult is a 15 minute conversation where I get the opportunity to learn a bit more about you and your current struggles, I can tell you a little bit more about me and how I work as a therapist, and answer any questions you may have. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone to get a vibe check am I right?
Here are the values I hold most dear and what I bring to my work as a therapist for healing childhood trauma.
Connection.
I am such a big connection gal. This is the one thing we all need, every single person on this planet, needs, wants, craves connection. It is important for all relationships, including ours. I want to feel connected to you and for you to feel connected to me. Not in a creepy way but in a safe and stable way. This can be tricky when it comes to attachment wounds but another strength of mine is patience. I know it might take you a while to trust me and I am good with putting in the work until it happens.
Humor & Joy.
In grad school, a dear professor gave everyone in the class one word she felt represented them and mine was JOY. I wouldn’t say I am an always annoyingly happy person with too much pep in my step, but I do tend to look at the bright side and try to keep my mindset right. I find a lot of joy in the mundane, like that first sip of coffee in the morning, or birds. I love me some birds. I bring joy into the session by always being happy to see you, and holding onto joy when you can’t. And I love to laugh and get a lot of joy out of my clients and their sense of humor.
Hope.
Oof this is such a big one for me. Hope is something I hold on to with all my might. Something that keeps me going. It is a big pillar in my life not only professionally but personally. Hope floats remember (such a good movie!). I know it is easy to let go of hope and sometimes it is all you can do because to hold onto would be too much. Holding on to hope is too hard when things don’t work out, so why even have hope to begin with? That’s ok. I can hold it for you. I always hold it for you. My wish for all my clients is I can give it back to them when our time together is over.
Growth.
I am a big nerd. I love to learn. I love to read. I love to learn about the brain, attachment, relationships, boundaries, trauma, and so much more. On my nightstand, you will find a fun book (probably historical fiction) and a therapy book. It is my fav combo. I believe there is always something more to learn from books, podcast, PEOPLE, I can turn pretty much anything into a learning opportunity. In the therapy room, I am also a teacher and I love teaching and sharing with you all the things I have learned or I am learning. No gatekeeping here! I want you to know all the tips, tricks, and insider secrets. I often will send my client’s book recommendations if they want them.
Loyalty.
At first I had protector but I am not sure if that is a value so I went with loyalty. I am fiercely protective of my clients and I need to check in with this constantly. When I hear about someone mistreating you or disrespecting your boundaries, my cackles definitely go up and my mama bear, older sister instincts kick in. What I want to do and have to do are two different things because I can’t fight your battles (although I secretly wish I could send letters to some of your parents!). Nor would this be good for you so I help empower you to know your worth and step into it. I am team you. Always. That doesn’t mean I won’t push you or call you out as gently as possible when I need to but it means I have your back.
I truly love what I do and ultimately feel being a therapist is more of a calling than a job. I am amazed everyday at the resiliency, the strength, the resourcefulness, the absolute bravery that I see in the faces of those I work with.
I love value work and find it so important. If you are curious about figuring out what your values are, this is my favorite quiz to help you get started.
What is it like to work with me?
I have made it my life’s mission to learn all I can about how past experiences affect people and how to help you feel at peace in your body and mind. In a nutshell it’s complicated. Past experiences show up in our lives in so many different variations and colors, it is impossible to say one treatment works for everyone. Check out my trauma page for more information on this topic.
What I do know is I can listen, create a space where you do not feel judged and can be yourself, and share my knowledge & expertise with you. I tailor therapy to meet your individual needs and wants. My only goal is to help get you to where you want to be. I know your past doesn’t define you but is a part of you and I want to get you to a place where you believe this too.
What I want you to gain from working through your childhood trauma with me.
When you think about your past, it is something in the past that doesn’t severely impact your life now. You are not happy about it. You may be sad or even mad about it but you aren’t transported back to that moment when it crosses your mind or you do not actively avoid it because its too painful to think about.
You are able to look in the mirror, say these words, and believe them. I am worthy of love and belonging no matter what.
You can feel calm. Not just on the outside but on the inside too. Your body can feel relaxed throughout the day and you can go to the grocery store without looking over your shoulder.
You know not everyone is out to get you, you know how to spot red flags from the get go & what to do about them, you trust your instincts, and most importantly, you know no matter what happens with others in your life, you will be okay and can handle it.
You allow yourself to say no to others if it means saying yes to yourself. You no longer bend over backwards to make others happy but choose to put yourself first.
When you feel strong emotions, your first response is to embrace them and ride that wave until it passes.
Ready to get started?
Trainings and Credentials
You might be wondering what the letters mean after my name. LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker. This means I have my masters in social work and then was supervised for two years in order to receive my clinical license. This allows me to work in the field of counseling and therapy.
Pretty early on in my career, I realized my curiosity, interest, and passion lied with trauma. This led me to learn all I could about it and how I could help those who have experienced it. Since then I have sought out trainings, books, mentors, that could specifically help me do just that.
Education
2010, Masters of Social Work, Texas State University
2008, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Texas State University
Trainings
Attachment-Focused EMDR with Dr. Laurel Parnell https://parnellemdr.com/about-af-emdr-training/
Polyvagal Theory https://www.rhythmofregulation.com/
Self-compassion with Dr. Kristin Neff https://self-compassion.org/
The Daring Way, based on the research of Brene Brown. https://thedaringway.com/
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR): https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
Nuerosequential Model of Therapuetics (NMT): https://www.neurosequential.com/nmt
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): https://cptforptsd.com/
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CTTP): https://www.traumapro.net/evgcert/cctp
Prior Experience
Parent Support and Training Coordinator, Easter Seals
Family Advocate, Center for Child Protection
Supervising Clinical Therapist, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Licensure
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, board-approved supervisor status, Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners. Licensed to practice in Texas only.
Link to my license can be found here: https://vo.ras.dshs.state.tx.us/datamart/login.do;jsessionid=WMmhKMj2ltqi7M0JqavkrGpMpI2Rpq71H-HKXLgB.i-056811161c3095d2f
The Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners (TSBSWE) regulates the profession of Social Work in Texas. If you would like to file a formal complaint or find out more information please visit:
Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners
Texas Department of State Health Services
Mail Code 1982
P.O. Box 149347
Austin, Texas 78714-9347
Email: lsw@hhsc.state.tx.us
Telephone: (512) 719-3521 or (800)232-3162
1-800-942-5540 (Complaint Hotline)
Fax: (512) 834-6677
Website: http://www.dshs.texas.gov/socialwork/
More Questions?