Tesa Emmart, LCPC, LMHC, SEP, PMH-C

Tesa Emmart was our guest on The BirthGuide Podcast, talking about “Navigating birth trauma, from preparation to reintegration” – Listen here

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Founder/clinical director

Specialties:

• Traumatic Births
• New Parents
• Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
• Postpartum Transitions
• Developmental & Generational Trauma
• Fertility

I specialize in a variety of areas regarding developmental and generational trauma and have particular interest in working with the perinatal population. I utilize a body-centered approach to help you learn how to identify, track, and manage your own body cues and encourage curiosity in this process. Of the areas I specialize in including generational and developmental trauma, I also am certified in perinatal mental health. I am particularly interested in the intersection of healing from our own developmental wounds and those that were passed down to us in order to become more attuned and regulated caregivers.

My therapeutic style centers around somatic experiencing, attachment, collaboration and creating a healthy balance between validation and gentle challenging. Being able to feel more present and in the here and now requires body-awareness, self-compassion and grace. As a poly-vagal informed therapist, I like to empower my clients by providing information regarding their own nervous systems. And while being in the present, in our own bodies, may seem pretty damn scary, I am here to guide you through this process, so that you can experience the world from a more regulated state. I believe that over time, as we get our minds and bodies communicating with one another, we can find inner calmness and curiosity towards our outside worlds.

As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Perinatal Mental Health-Certified, and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, I am uniquely qualified to work with issues related to trauma and mental health during pregnancy and postpartum. I earned my MA in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University and my BA in Psychology from Indiana University. I have completed specialized training in Somatic Experiencing, Somatic Touch, Polyvagal Theory, and Perinatal Mental Health.

In addition to my clinical work, I am a coordinator and assistant for the Somatic Experiencing Institute. I provide individual case consult, as well as personal sessions to students looking to achieve their Somatic Experiencing Practitioner certificate. Additionally, I provide supervision and consultation to new therapists working towards licensure, as well as more seasoned therapists who are looking to include body-centered therapy in their clinical practices.

Liz Berland, LPC, SEP, ABA Trained

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Staff Therapist

Specialties:

• Adoption Triangle
• Body regulation/Coping skills
• Communication
• Choices versus consequences
• Trauma- in its many forms

I am a body-centered therapist that uses my training and my life experiences in therapy. I find play therapy important with children and incorporate the arts as well. The most important piece to me in the therapeutic relationship is connection. You must feel comfortable and safe with me as the therapist, as I also need to connect with you as my client. It is from this space that we are able to work together towards the goals that we have set.

I came to my therapeutic career mid-life. With my Masters in Counseling, I continued my training with Somatic Experiencing and am now a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. I am currently in the last module of training for TEB (Transforming the Experienced Based Brain), which focuses on working with early developmental trauma and utilizes therapeutic touch to teach (or reteach) the body reflexes that perhaps were never learned or forgotten, as an infant, in utero or even as an adult. This approach enriches and incorporates the body’s wisdom into the healing process, fostering profound transformations.

I have always been drawn to working with children. With the TEB training, I have realized and found inspiration to work with infants and children up to the age of 7 years old. I find a lot of joy in working with the beginning of life and rejoice in the significant regulation that can be “onboard” in these early years. And, of course, in order to effectively work with children, I also need to work with their parents and being able to guide both is what I love to do.

Additionally, my therapeutic interest lies in working with the adoption triangle, which consists of birth parents, adoptive parents, and the adoptive child. I have a strong pull towards destigmatizing biological moms who are looking to place their baby up for adoption and in need of emotional support. If this is you, while you are pregnant we can guide you through the emotions you might be feeling and work with you to be able to bond with the fetus, which could both eliminate much of the early developmental trauma that can occur in utero and make the transition to the adoptive parents easier. I also enjoy working with adoptive children who need support with the emotions they might be feeling throughout their upbringing.I do this work so stigmas and stories are set free to live wholly in the family unit and beyond.

Milo Crosswhite, MA, LPC-C

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff therapist

Specialties:

• Birth Preparation & New Parenthood
• Holistic Art Therapy
• Precipitous & Traumatic Birth Experiences
• Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders
• Postpartum Identity & Intimacy

It takes a village and I am a member of that village. When we help parents heal we in turn help the next generation to prosper.
My passion is to serve the perinatal population, women, independent, and partnered parents. The miracles of life are challenging whether you have a desire to become a parent, independently or partnered, and especially as a birthing parent. The journey of parenthood is a ride of joys, overcasts, detours and surprises which shape us as people.

I meet my clients at the intersection of counseling and art therapy using trauma-informed, positive, person-centered, expressive arts therapy to hear, validate, and empower. A core value of person-centered therapy is “the belief that every person has worth, dignity, the capacity for self-direction, and an inherent impulse toward growth” (Rogers, p.231, 2016). The perinatal period of our lives is one of the most challenging and dramatic times in which we are often at our most vulnerable for so many reasons. Navigating and maintaining ourselves as people and parents takes energy and compassion for ourselves. I am here to meet you where you are and support you on your journey.

Art and birth runs through the fibers of my being. I have such passion for the human right to birth safely and securely with autonomy and confidence. I want to empower parents to transition through parenthood with the respect they deserve.  It takes a village and I am a member of that village. Using the expressive arts helps clients to identify and be in touch with feelings, explore unconscious material, release energy, gain insight, solve problems, and discover the intuitive and spiritual dimensions of the self” (Rogers, p,234, 2016). You do not have to suffer in silence. You deserve the tools and encouragement to meet your goals, in line with your core values.

I am a clinical counselor, art therapist, and relationship therapist, passionate about serving the perinatal population, inspired to work with women and parents. I offer trauma informed, sex-positive care at the intersections of counseling and art therapy. I earned my Master of Arts in Counseling: Art Therapy and my Certificate in Sex Therapy from Adler University in Chicago, IL. Through art we are able to express ourselves in ways which words alone cannot afford. Art has never let me down. Through creative expression and verbal articulation, we can process our traumas and experiences so that we may embrace a more authentic life.

Rogers, N. (2016). Person-centered expressive arts therapy. In J.A. Rubin (Ed.),  Approaches to art therapy: Theory and technique (3rd ed., pp.379-403).  Routledge. doi.org/10.4324/981315716015

Kat Boyne, LSW

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff therapist

Specialties:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Trauma /PTSD
• Life Changes/Adjustments
• Perinatal / Maternal Mental Health

I understand how overwhelming it can feel when life’s challenges start stacking up—whether it’s dealing with anxiety, feeling weighed down by depression, moving through trauma, or adjusting to big life changes. If you’re reading this, you’re likely ready to make some shifts and explore new ways of feeling better and being kinder to yourself. I’m here to help you do just that.

I approach therapy from a holistic view, honoring you as a whole person—not just the issue you might be struggling with right now. As a mother, I understand firsthand the array of intense and sometimes overwhelming emotions that can arise during life’s phases. My passion for perinatal and maternal mental health is deeply influenced by my own journey through parenthood, especially as it took some unique and unconventional turns. I know that family planning, no matter what it looks like, is deeply personal and can sometimes leave us feeling “othered.” My goal is to use my experiences to create a safe, supportive place for those feeling unseen or isolated in their journey.

Language has always been a source of power and transformation for me—it shapes how we understand ourselves and the world around us. Finding the right words can feel like discovering your own strength and agency. In our work together, I’ll encourage you to define and embrace your own voice, letting it guide you toward what feels most true and authentic. Together, we’ll explore therapeutic approaches that help you uncover and express your unique self in ways that genuinely resonate.

One of my favorite quotes from Stephen Chboksy’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is, “We accept the love we think we deserve.” So many of us feel undeserving of peace, love, or kindness. Together, we’ll work to rewrite these beliefs so you can welcome the compassion and joy you truly deserve. Therapy is a process, and it can be exhausting in the best, most healing way. But you’re not alone in it. I’m here to walk, sit, and stand by you every step of the way as you shape your own story, on your terms.