Priscilla Dean, MS, LCPC, TTP
PRISCILLA DEAN, LCPC, TTP; FOUNDER AND THERAPIST
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Transforming Touch Practitioner
Before the pandemic started, I was already doing deep work with traumatized clients. I was doing this work as a wounded person myself, with my own history of developmental trauma. In 2018, I set out to form a therapy practice dedicated to allowing trauma to inform every client’s symptoms and story. This was in direct contrast to the way I was trained, by the way, which simply put, was: 1.) Identify and manage a client’s symptoms 2.) Enact treatment 3.) Repeat these steps if progress stalls or regresses.
And folks, if I’m being honest, such a linear model of symptom management often didn’t work for my clients. In my own development as a therapist and a human, a meaningful direction of trauma therapy and a new passion began to grow. I discovered that I deeply wanted my clients to have a deeper understanding of how trauma influences their own symptoms and treatment. And then, just 2 short years into creating Evergreen, the global pandemic began. The entire world became traumatized, united under one trauma. And even today, humanity is not even close to recovered, nor have we even begun collectively taking the toll of how we have been harmed by such a body/life altering event such as the pandemic. A quick fix, a symptom + treatment = “healing” is not available to us as a culture, as the world. We need to understand what trauma means for us individually, in our partnerships, parenting our kids, in our neighborhoods, in our churches, in our schools, and in our communities. The stakes have never been higher.
In my personal professional work, I have worked in the Wheaton area for 14 years. In my career, I have always loved disordered eating work of all kinds, ranging from mild concerns to severe issues. I have a special compassion for individuals and families helping those diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-Eating Disorders, as well as those who do not meet the diagnostic criteria. Outpatient therapy is often difficult to find for disordered eating, due to the high level of safety concerns and necessary outpatient providers working together for holistic treatment. For this reason, I created a specific outpatient disordered eating policy for all of our staff to work as a team with your dietitian, psychiatrist and PCP, as necessary if you struggle with disordered eating.
I have also always used the Enneagram in my work. I found the Enneagram way back in 2005, as a psychology major undergrad college student. Since exploring this powerful tool both inside and outside clinical settings, the Enneagram has been integral to my work with clients who want to have a deeper understanding of themselves. I am a certified Enneagram Teacher, and I offer Enneagram coaching clients who want to explore the deeper parts of their personality motivations and personal blind spots.
Another primary treatment tool that I offer to my clients is a somatic trauma intervention called Transforming Touch, which is a developmental trauma intervention created by Dr. Stephen Terrell. If you find traditional talk therapy unhelpful or otherwise unsuccessful in helping create safety or providing you much of any trauma symptom relief, touch work might be an excellent option for you. In TT, safe, consensual, intentional touch is provided on a massage table to the client in a safe environment, and emotional regulation is allowed through touch and the attachment of therapist and client. If you have more questions about this modality, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Trying harder to be a good person, trying harder to be mentally healthier often stops working and leads to burnout. Instead of these “bootstrap” methods, I’m convinced that learning to allow your pain to have presence in your body and in your heart actually tends to be the path to real healing. Healing is possible, for every human on this planet, if you make the small choices, alongside a supportive person (therapist or another safe person!) to allow yourself to choose it. I know this is true, because I too, still am walking that path. And you can be assured that each one of our staff are walking the long road of healing what has been harmed in our bodies and minds. Trauma absolutely can be healed.
You’re not alone.
Peace,
Priscilla
ABOUT ME:
When I’m not seeing clients or running the practice, I’m home being the mama with my three kids. I de-stress by cooking foods I’m craving, playing my cello, or taking very unprofessional photos of large trees. I’m a proud (and adult diagnosed!) member of the neurodivergent community. I’m passionate about equality for all womxn (not just white womxn), and believe the patriarchy needs to be smashed on the daily. I believe therapy is a way to process and honor suffering; that most people have experienced some kind of trauma in their lives, and to heal from trauma is a sacred, terrifying and amazing path that has no final destination.