Psychotherapy at Whole Life Studio

Whole Life Studio provides a therapeutic setting that is both professional and expansive. Located in the cedar forest north of Durham, the Studio is filled with natural light, high ceilings, and an open floor plan that allows the body, mind, and creativity to be engaged in the therapeutic process.

This space supports the integration of talk therapy, EMDR, somatic awareness, art-making, and sound-based practices. Each modality is informed by a trauma-responsive, Polyvagal approach, which emphasizes safety, regulation, and the capacity to move toward connection and wholeness.

A woman with gray hair sitting on a brown leather couch, holding a notebook and a pen, in a cozy living room with a bookshelf, potted plant, pillows, and a lamp.

Why This Space Matters

Whole Life Studio is more than a room — it is an intentional therapeutic environment. Its natural light, high ceilings, and spacious design support embodied work in ways that traditional offices cannot. The acoustics make sound therapy especially powerful, while the openness of the space accommodates art-making, somatic exploration, and EMDR with grounding and body-based resources.

This intersection of professional psychotherapy, Polyvagal-informed practice, EMDR, and creative modalities allows clients to engage in therapy that is safe, integrative, and deeply responsive. The Studio makes room for words, movement, sound, and creativity — offering multiple entry points into healing and transformation.

Whether in my Walkerton office at the Walker House or here at Whole Life Studio, I offer psychotherapy that integrates EMDR, somatic work, art, and sound — always with a focus on safety, presence, and connection.

My Approach

My practice is rooted in the belief that therapy should engage the whole person. Drawing from talk therapy, EMDR, mindfulness-based approaches, somatic practices, art therapy, and sound therapy, I support clients in finding pathways to healing that meet them where they are.

Guided by Polyvagal theory, I help clients recognize and regulate nervous system states — moving from patterns of hyperarousal or collapse toward states of safety, connection, and regulation. This work is both relational and experiential, engaging words, body, creativity, and resonance.

Areas of Support

At Whole Life Studio, I work with adults who are seeking therapy for a wide range of concerns, including:

  • Trauma and post-traumatic stress (single-event and complex trauma)

  • Grief, loss, and bereavement

  • Anxiety, stress, and panic

  • Depression and low mood

  • Relationship difficulties and attachment challenges

  • Life transitions and identity exploration

  • Creativity, spirituality, and meaning-making in life

Modalities and Therapeutic Tools

I bring together a range of therapeutic approaches, integrating them in a way that best supports each client’s goals. These include:

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) — an evidence-based approach for processing trauma and distressing memories.

  • Somatic therapy — attending to body awareness and nervous system regulation as part of the healing process.

  • Art-based processes — using creativity as a pathway for expression and insight when words are not enough.

  • Sound as a therapeutic tool — incorporating instruments such as singing bowls, tuning forks, and gong in a trauma-informed way to support regulation and integration.

  • Mindfulness and contemplative practices — cultivating presence, awareness, and groundedness in daily life.

  • Trauma-responsive integrative approaches — drawing from attachment theory, polyvagal-informed therapy, and parts work to meet clients where they are.

The Studio’s design allows for practices that extend beyond conversation — movement, sound, and art can be included in therapy sessions to create embodied pathways for healing.

Values

Psychotherapy at Whole Life Studio is guided by the following values:

  • Connection — building an authentic therapeutic relationship and strengthening connection to self and others.

  • Presence — cultivating awareness, safety, and regulation in the here-and-now.

  • Wholeness — honoring the integration of body, mind, and spirit in the process of healing and growth.

Whole Life Studio offers psychotherapy in a setting that combines professional care with space for creativity, presence, and embodied integration. It is a place where therapy supports not only relief from distress but also the cultivation of resilience, self-understanding, and wholeness.

Looking up at tall trees with green leaves, bright sunlight shining through the canopy.