Olivia Shealy, LCMHCA, CCTP

"Not the parts and poems of the body only, but also of the soul. I sing the body electric." - Walt Whitman ........................................................................ I hold a passionate belief in the body's ability to heal itself. I also believe in the multitude of ways in which our emotional, psychological, and physical selves work together to reestablish internal equilibrium. As Gestalt Therapy pioneer Fritz Perls was eloquently quoted as saying: “We are not a summation of parts, but rather a coordination of the whole”. I am a licensed clinical therapist based in Asheville, NC. I specialize in supporting clients as they navigate their personal experiences involving injury trauma, chronic pain, childbirth trauma, and psycho-somatic pain disorders. I have an MA in clinical mental health counseling (LCMHCA). I also hold a clinical trauma professional certification (CCTP). And I have a therapeutic background working with adult survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault trauma. As well as a decade worth of experience working as a DONA trained childbirth doula. The theoretical orientation of my clinical work is rooted in a somatically-gestalt, emotion-focused, and trauma-informed foundation. The symbolism of a Mountain is powerful. It can represent the strength of climbing and ascending to new heights of awareness within ourselves. However, mountains can also represent the necessary work of descending into the healing depths of our lives as well. Oftentimes, this is the crucial terrain upon which the alchemy of trauma, loss, grief, and transformation reside. Overall, I trust in the potential of the human spirit and that, with the right support, we can rewrite our own stories. I also believe that my role as a therapist is not to rescue or change my clients. But rather to support them as they cultivate a new relationship with their own internal sense of solid ground.