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Allison Brunner

LCSW, 18 years of experience

New to Grow

Virtual
Next available on

About me

Hello and welcome! Slow down and turn inward with me, if you'd like, moving beneath surface thoughts into the deeper layers where lasting change begins. Rather than staying in your head, we’ll bring gentle awareness to your body and emotions, exploring what arises at the edge of your comfort zone — like in yoga, where growth happens at the stretch point but never with force. This is a safe, compassionate space for you to feel, notice, and work with what’s ready to shift. My approach is both deep and gentle, helping you access and release what has long been held so you can live with more ease, presence, and wholeness.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

After we take care of the initial paperwork required by insurance, we’ll begin by simply getting to know each other. This isn’t a surface-level chat — it’s about creating a safe, welcoming space where you can start to settle in and feel comfortable. Together, we’ll talk about your goals and any hesitations you might have about trying a more mindful, body-centered therapy. When you’re ready, we’ll begin exploring by gently bringing awareness to your body and emotions, noticing what arises in the moment. Sometimes that might mean paying attention to different “parts” of you — the part that feels afraid, the part that longs for connection, the part that wants to protect you. We’ll approach all of this slowly and compassionately, so you feel safe as you begin the deeper work of self-discovery and healing.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

With nearly 18 years of experience, I bring both professional training and lived understanding to the work we’ll do together. Having walked through my own healing from debilitating anxiety and depression, I know what it’s like to sit in your seat — and I also know that change is possible. My approach is grounded in deep empathy and presence. As a highly sensitive, intuitive person, I can meet you in the most tender and difficult places without fear. I’ll go as deep as you feel ready to go, while always honoring your pace and what feels safe for you.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

You may be someone who feels deeply — an old soul, a highly sensitive person, or someone who has always carried more emotional depth than those around you. You’re committed to your inner work, even when it feels challenging, and you’re ready to meet yourself with more compassion. You may long for a space where your sensitivity is welcomed as a strength, and where you can explore your inner world safely, at your own pace.

Specialties

Top specialties

Other specialties

Chronic IllnessGriefSelf Esteem

I identify as

Serves ages

My treatment methods

Somatic

In our work together, you’ll have the chance to slow down and gently shift out of your head and into your body. Using the Hakomi Method of Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy (in which I completed a two-year training), I’ll guide you in noticing sensations, emotions, and patterns that may be stored beneath the surface. This body-centered approach helps you access and explore experiences in a mindful way, rather than relying only on analysis or thought, creating more space for awareness and healing.

Transpersonal

I weave transpersonal perspectives and somatic practice together so you can explore how your inner life connects to something larger than the personal story. Trained for nearly a decade in the Andean mystical tradition, I hold a safe, grounded container for people who are highly sensitive, empathic, or spiritually seeking. Here you can speak openly about existential questions, spirit experiences, or the ways sensitivity shows up in your relationships and work — and together we’ll explore how the issue you bring fits into a broader spiritual and body-felt framework.

EMDR

Although there wasn’t an option to list Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) here, I selected EMDR because EFT works in a very similar way. I was trained for a full year in EFT for trauma. In our work together, we can use gentle bilateral stimulation with our fingertips, tapping on acupressure points on the face and upper body to help release trauma stored in the body. With EFT, you don’t have to relive or retell the traumatic experiences over and over. Many clients find EFT to be a gentler approach than EMDR, leaving them feeling more integrated and settled after sessions. This method has been well researched and shown to be highly effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD and trauma.

Existential

In our work together, I’ll invite you into experiences that go beyond talking about your challenges. Instead of staying in the analytical mind, you’ll have space to interact with different “parts” of yourself directly — for example, speaking to the part that feels afraid, the part that longs for connection, or the part that wants to protect you. We may use imagery, role play, or body awareness to help you get to know these inner parts in a safe and supportive way. This approach goes very deep and allows you to feel and explore what’s present in the moment, creating openings for lasting change.

Location

Virtual

Licensed in

New to Grow
This provider hasn’t received any written reviews yet. We started collecting written reviews January 1, 2025.