New to Grow
I’m Pamela Andrews, LCSW and I help clients who are dealing with trauma, anxiety, and/or OCD so they can feel grounded, confident, and in control of their lives again. My clients are often people who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or emotionally exhausted, even when things look “fine” on the outside. Using evidence-based approaches like EMDR and ERP, along with a compassionate, faith-informed lens when desired, I help clients break free from old patterns, calm their nervous systems, and build lives rooted in clarity, peace, and purpose.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Here’s a clear, client-friendly version you can use on your website or profiles: --- In your first session, you can expect a calm, supportive space where you don’t have to have everything figured out. We’ll talk about what brought you to therapy, what you’ve been struggling with, and what you hope will change. You won’t be rushed or pressured to share anything you’re not ready to discuss. My focus is on helping you feel safe, understood, and grounded. We’ll also begin identifying goals and a plan for how therapy can support your healing so you leave feeling clearer, supported, and hopeful about what’s next.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
What sets my work apart is the way I combine deep trauma expertise with a warm, highly structured path toward real change. I don’t just help clients talk about what happened to them — I help them retrain their nervous systems, quiet their minds, and finally feel safe in their bodies again. Using EMDR and ERP, I help clients move beyond coping and into true healing, where triggers lose their power and intrusive thoughts no longer run their lives. I specialize in working with clients who have experienced complex trauma, chronic anxiety, OCD, and emotional overwhelm — especially those who are high-functioning but internally struggling. My background in trauma-focused clinical social work, nonprofit leadership, and community-based mental health allows me to understand both the psychological and real-world pressures clients carry. I’ve worked with survivors of domestic violence, at-risk girls, families in crisis, and clients navigating major life transitions, which gives me a deep, compassionate understanding of resilience and survival. What also makes me unique is that I bring both professional expertise and lived experience to the work. I know what it means to rise from adversity, rebuild, and create a life rooted in purpose. That perspective allows me to meet my clients with authenticity, not just theory. I also offer Christian-integrated therapy for women who want faith to be part of their healing, blending clinical excellence with spiritual grounding in a way that is respectful, ethical, and deeply supportive. The result is therapy that is focused, compassionate, and effective — helping clients move from feeling stuck, anxious, and overwhelmed to feeling calm, confident, and emotionally free.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
You are the client I am best positioned to serve if you feel like you’ve been strong for everyone else but quietly exhausted inside. You may struggle with anxiety, intrusive thoughts, OCD, emotional overwhelm, or the lingering effects of past trauma. You might be successful on the outside yet feel disconnected, stuck, or constantly on edge. You want more than just coping — you want real healing, emotional peace, and to finally feel safe in your own mind and body. You are ready to understand why you react the way you do, break free from old patterns, and stop letting fear, guilt, or past experiences run your life. You want to feel grounded, confident, and emotionally steady, not just “getting by.” If you value a warm, supportive, yet structured approach to therapy — and if faith is important to you or you’re open to integrating it into your healing — you will find a home here. I work with clients who are ready to move from survival mode into a life of clarity, freedom, and purpose.
EMDR
In my practice, I use EMDR as a structured, evidence-based trauma treatment that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories that remain “stuck” and continue to trigger emotional and physical reactions in the present. Rather than simply talking about what happened, EMDR allows clients to access and rewire how the memory is stored in the nervous system. This leads to a reduction in emotional distress, intrusive thoughts, somatic reactions, and trauma-based beliefs such as “I am unsafe,” “I am powerless,” or “Something is wrong with me.”
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
In my practice, I use ERP to help clients gradually and safely face the thoughts, images, urges, and situations that trigger anxiety—while learning how to resist the compulsions, avoidance, or mental rituals that normally follow. Instead of trying to get rid of intrusive thoughts or make them feel “safe,” clients learn how to tolerate uncertainty and retrain their brain that anxiety is not dangerous and does not require a compulsive response. I take a trauma-informed and compassion-based approach to ERP. Many of my clients have lived through experiences where they truly were unsafe, so we move at a pace that respects the nervous system and avoids retraumatization. We start by building emotional regulation skills, increasing insight into how OCD operates, and creating a personalized hierarchy of fears. From there, we engage in carefully planned exposures that empower clients to confront what they fear without engaging in rituals, avoidance, or reassurance-seeking.