(she/her)
New to Grow
Welcome! My name is Olivia White, I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and am dedicated to supporting people heal from trauma and regain the ability to feel the full spectrum of their emotions and aliveness. It takes a lot of courage to reach out and ask for help and I am honored to meet you in this moment and walk alongside you on your healing journey. You don't have to do this alone. I have a Masters Degree in Integral Counselling Psychology from the Institute of Integral Studies which specialized in cultivating healing at the level of mind, body and spirit. In my free time you can find me dancing, playing harp or hand pan, hiking, practicing yoga, making art or being with my loved ones. I recharge by meditating and spending time in nature. I am queer and experienced with working with the queer community and with people living alternative lifestyles such as non-monogamy.
Our first session is a chance for us to get to know each other, and for me to learn more about you. I’ll be asking you a lot of questions to better understand what brings you to therapy and what your goals are, while creating a low-pressure, supportive space. I'm looking forward to getting to know you! You can share at your own pace—there’s no expectation to open up about anything you’re not ready for. As a trauma informed therapist, I invite you to feel into whatever pacing feels safe for you to share what you've been through. Sometimes we can feel the urge to share everything all at once, which can be healing and can also sometimes leave us feeling vulnerable or dissociated after. I will be tracking your nervous system and we might do a grounding activity during or at the end of the session to help you leave our sessions feeling resourced and not depleted. The success of therapy largely depends on the therapeutic relationship so this first session is largely focused on supporting you in feeling safe and comfortable to open up. It's normal to feel nervous and a little bit awkward, everything is welcome in our sessions and you can show up exactly as you are.
My approach is warm, compassionately direct, collaborative, and authentic. I am compassionately honest and can serve as both a mirror and a gentle witness, reflecting patterns I notice from a place of deep curiosity. I believe we all have the innate capacity to heal and grow, and I’m here to guide and support that process. I create a space of radical acceptance and non-judgment, where all emotions and experiences are welcome. I am trained in Brainspotting, Somatic Experiencing, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), all evidence-based approaches for working with trauma and PTSD. I have years of experience working in inpatient settings with clients facing high-acuity mental health challenges, including addiction and eating disorders. I view many of these struggles through a trauma-informed lens, supporting clients in safely processing and integrating unresolved experiences. I believe true healing is grounded in the body and extends beyond the cognitive. I bring an embodied presence to our work, informed by years of yoga, meditation, and my experience as a dancer. I help you gently turn toward the parts of yourself that may have been avoided or pushed away, fostering insight, healing, and integration.
I love working with women and queer folks who are trying to heal from childhood trauma. You may appear high functioning but feel like you're drowning inside; struggling with anxiety, insomnia, dissociation or finding it difficult to connect with others. You may be highly sensitive and feel everything on a deep level, but struggle with feeling like you either feel nothing or feel too much at once. Maybe you've tried CBT therapy and have a lot of intellectual insight about what happened to you - but you're still struggling. You've been through a lot and are carrying a great deal of shame and may find it very hard to love yourself or offer yourself compassion. You want to feel safer and more alive in your body and to feel more deeply connected to yourself and others. It can be hard for women and queer folk to feel safe in the society we live in, I can be an ally for you in your healing journey.
Brainspotting
I am trained in Brainspotting and have seen it help clients experience less distress around traumatic memories and rewire negative core beliefs.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
I am experiencing in using IFS to help clients learn to love all parts of themselves and understand themselves on a deeper level.
Somatic
I am trained in Somatic therapy and use it to help people feel safer and more regulated in their bodies and process traumas that may be held in the body.
Attachment-based
I am experiencing with working with clients with insecure attachment and have seen this type of therapy transform people's relationships with themselves and others.