Find safety in your body again.
Return home to yourself.
Why Inner Refuge?
Do you find yourself asking: is this my intuition or my anxiety? Should I speak up or keep it to myself? Can I trust others? Can I trust myself?
Do you use distractions to keep from truly being alone with yourself?
Inner Refuge Therapy was born from the belief that we can re-learn to trust the landscape of our own minds. We can find refuge in our bodies again. We can even find joy. This is our birthright.
One of the worst parts of trauma is that it causes us to loose trust in ourselves. This makes us feel unsafe in our bodies, our community, and the world. We loose our curiosity, playfulness, and wonder.
At Inner Refuge Therapy, we focus on utilizing numerous modalities with an emphasis on psychodynamic and body/brain based interventions. These therapies help connect us to our bodies, allow us to reduce the fear inside us, and help us to think more clearly.
“Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside. They learn to hide from their selves.”
-Bessel Van Der Kolk- The Body Keeps the Score
Hi, I’m Rachel. I’m so glad you’re here.
Inner Refuge is not just a name, it’s also a journey and a destination. I know what it’s like to want to escape reality, to look for refuge in any place that wasn’t me. But in avoiding my pain, I was also avoiding my joy. Through my own healing, I have learned that the goal is not to find everlasting comfort and happiness, but to practice being fully present, to find freedom in being. That is the true road to joy, to healing, to freedom.
“We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”
― Pema Chödrön
I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2015 and have worked with adults, children, and families. For over four years of my career I worked as a home based individual and family therapist to families in Pueblo, CO and New York City. During this time, I trained and studied heavily in Attachment Theory, and have gone on to create trainings on attachment in my community. I have also worked as a Program Manager and psychotherapist for a harm reduction agency in NY. I understand how addiction is often born from traumatic experiences. In this way, I work within a Harm Reduction Psychotherapy framework.
When you come to me for therapy, my first task is getting to know and understand you. I want you to leave our first session together with the feeling that you are a unique, complex individual worthy of knowing. I am committed to doing everything in my power to understand you, so that you can feel confident in the work we do together.
I believe therapy is both a journey and a practice of being vulnerable with another human being. So often trauma makes us feel like we have to hide parts of ourselves. In sessions with me, I will work to help you feel safe enough to truly feel seen and take this inner safety out with you into the world.
Education and Credentials
Bachelors of Social Work, Colorado State University-Pueblo, 2010
Bachelors of Political Science- Colorado State University-Pueblo, 2010
Masters of Social Work- Hunter College, 2015
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
Attachment Focused Family Therapy- Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Certification- in process
Trauma Therapy- Brain Synchronization Therapy Certification
Trauma Focused- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Certification
Finding the right therapist can be a tough process.
They have to not only have the right experience and education, but they also have to just fit.
I have had the most success helping those who are willing to explore and dive deep. While I do provide coping skills that can help you manage your day to day, my goal is to provide you with true, long lasting healing.
I will focus on reconnecting you to your body and help you not only identify your emotions, but understand what they are trying to tell you. We will explore how your past intersects with your present.
If you are looking for a therapist who will not only seek to deeply understand you, but also help you to deeply understand yourself, please reach out.
I look forward to speaking with you.
