Therapists West Hartford
Held Center for Healing
Held Center for Healing is an EMDR specialist healing space located in West Hartford, Connecticut. Our other office is located in Farmington, CT! We believe that healing is done through many different mediums. That’s why we offer a range of services and events tailored to meet the unique needs of each person. Our team offers both in person therapy and online services.
We understand the importance of a safe and compassionate space and value our therapeutic relationship with you. We’re here to support you every step of the way, ensuring you never have to face your healing journey alone.
Located at 16 Brace Road, Floor 3, West Hartford, CT, 06107
In Person & Virtual Sessions Offered
Therapy West Hartford CT
Trauma can be caused by many things such as:
- accidents
- sexual assaults
- domestic violence
- childhood abuse
- and other traumatizing events
It can also have lasting effects, including anxiety, depression, isolation, self esteem issues and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thankfully, a variety of effective trauma-focused therapies can help heal your mind and body. Your experienced therapist West Hartford, CT provider will meet with you to decide what avenue is best for your specific healing journey.
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Our Healing Services
Trusted Individual & Family Counseling
Counselor West Hartford CT
About Our Practice
At Held Center for Healing, we believe in treating the whole person. Our West Hartford holistic counseling professionals include EMDR therapists, psychotherapists, and yoga therapists. We know each client has different needs, so we work with you to create an individualized treatment plan to facilitate long-term changes.
Trust, respect, and compassion are the foundation of our practice. No matter which empirically validated therapy we use, we prioritize creating a warm, welcoming, judgment-free space where you can progress at your own pace. We are also strongly LGBTQIA-supportive and anti-racist to ensure you feel at home with us — regardless of who you are or how you identify.
Meet Our therapist ct Team
Salena Shaikh, LMSW
Salena Shaikh works with teens and adults to navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions through a compassionate, holistic lens She also specializes in life transitions for the geriatric population. Salena integrates mindfulness, somatic awareness, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) principles, along with polyvagal theory to support emotional regulation and nervous system balance. She has a special focus on women’s mental health and creates a safe, collaborative space where clients feel supported in their healing journey. She offers both in-person sessions in West Hartford and virtual appointments, and accepts Anthem, Aetna, Husky/Medicaid, and Cigna.
Tiffany Howell, LMSW
Tiffany is a psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience working with teens and adults struggling with trauma recovery and personality disorders. She has a strong background in trauma-informed care, having served in specialized sexual assault survivor units within a state agency. Beyond therapy, Tiffany is a passionate advocate, helping clients connect with essential resources to support their well-being. She takes a holistic approach to healing, incorporating evidence-based interventions, mindfulness practices, and sound healing. Tiffany offers both in-person sessions in West Hartford and virtual appointments and accepts Anthem, Aetna, Husky, and Cigna insurance.
Drew Cullen, LMSW
Drew is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and former U.S. Army Captain who specializes in supporting veterans and first responders and also those dealing with grief, loss and interpersonal struggles. With a background in community mental health issues, the VA, and primary care, he takes a warm, empathetic approach, helping clients uncover and address the root causes of their challenges. Drew also incorporates his seeing-eye dog, Velvet, into sessions to provide additional comfort and support, offering both in-person and virtual therapy. He accepts Cigna, Aetna, Husky and Anthem.
Grayson Arango, LPC-A
Grayson is a compassionate psychotherapist who specializes in working with teens and young adults navigating anxiety, life transitions, and grief and loss. With a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach, she helps clients build emotional regulation skills, develop healthier coping strategies, and feel more confident in their personal growth. Grayson integrates techniques like CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and play therapy to create a personalized path toward healing. She offers both in-person sessions in West Hartford and virtual appointments, and accepts Anthem, Aetna, Husky, and Cigna.
Sarah Tailor, LMSW
Sarah is a culturally informed psychotherapist offering therapy for children ages 4 and up in both West Hartford and Unionville. With experience in the U.S. and India, she specializes in trauma, mood disorders, and ADHD, integrating trauma-focused CBT, play therapy, and the I-COP model to support healing and growth. Sarah provides a compassionate, inclusive environment where clients can feel seen, supported, and empowered. She is currently accepting new clients for in-person and virtual sessions. She accepts Husky, Cigna, Aetna and Anthem.
Gary Gray, LMSW
Gary is a trauma-informed psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience working with teens and adults facing anxiety, trauma, and mood disorders. He is proud to be Jamaican-American and brings an attachment-based and culturally responsive approach, Gary helps clients understand the roots of their challenges while building practical tools for emotional regulation, coping, and growth. He creates a supportive, nonjudgmental space where clients feel empowered and respected throughout their healing journey. He offers in-person therapy in West Hartford and virtual sessions, and accepts Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, and Husky.
Mental Health Therapist West Hartford CT
How Therapy Helps Reprocess Traumas
Trauma is your response to an event you perceive as threatening. Trauma can come from a one-time event (like a crime or natural disaster) or an ongoing pattern (like intimate partner violence or childhood abuse). If you don’t process the trauma, it can become stuck in your mind and body.
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Trained therapists West Hartford, CT, can help you process your trauma so you can start to heal. At Held Center for Healing, your counselor will begin by creating a safe, supportive environment to help you feel comfortable. We believe therapy is only effective if you feel safe and cared for.
Then, we will use proven techniques to help you work through the traumatic event in real time. Our therapists are experienced in multiple types of trauma therapy, enabling them to choose the one that works best for you. Options include EMDR therapy, exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and talk therapy. Our therapists West Hartford are experts in all options and can help decide the best avenue for you.
Do you have more detailed questions about the therapy process? If so, please check out our FAQs page for more information.
Stop Struggling in Silence! Call Today.
Therapists West Hartford CT
What Is Trauma Therapy & Grief Counseling?
Trauma therapy aims to release the stored trauma from your mind and body. One of the core effects of trauma is an increase in fear. You may be worried (even subconsciously) that the event will happen again, that you will run into the person who harmed you, or that an everyday event may trigger a painful flashback.
The fear often leads to avoidance, which creates problems of its own. You may avoid certain people, activities, or even leaving the house. This avoidance can quickly lead to isolation, loss of enjoyment, and depression. If you feel isolated or out of control, trauma therapy West Hartford, CT can help.
Trauma therapy helps you reprocess your trauma at your own pace. As you realize that old traumas and subsequent flashbacks are not a threat to your safety, you can start to recalibrate your nervous system. Trauma counseling can also help you identify triggers and develop coping mechanisms.
For example, mindfulness-based therapy is a technique that can help you slow things down, become present in the moment, and tune into your body. This can help you calm your mind, generate self-compassion, and let go of fear. Our mental health therapist West Hartford CT practice will help you work through your trauma and find peace again.
Health Condition in 2022
EMDR Therapy*
Health/Substance Abuse
*84-90% of people show recovery from a single trauma event after doing EMDR therapy.
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West Hartford Therapist
What Is EMDR Therapy, and How Does It Work?
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a highly effective treatment for a range of clinical issues, this is one type of treatment available for trauma. Our clients benefit from EMDR for phobias and panic attacks, anxiety, depression and even unrecognized side effects. We offer EMDR trauma therapy, EMDR for addiction, and EMDR for grief counseling West Hartford, CT.
EMDR is rapid eye movement therapy that stimulates the brain in a controlled therapeutic setting. Your therapist will work with you to identify traumatic events, stressful memories, and negative thoughts. Then, they will use bilateral stimulation (including eye movements, sounds, and tapping) to help your brain reprocess memories.
Instead of associating negative memories with danger, EMDR helps you store these memories in a new, healthier, and less stress-inducing way. EMDR is one of the most efficient and effective ways to work through traumatic memories.
Therapists in West Hartford CT
Trauma Therapy for Adults & Young Adults
Young adulthood is a challenging time. As you move from your family unit to becoming independent, facing challenges along the way is natural. You may feel confused, isolated, anxious, or depressed and find yourself searching for “a therapist near me” or “affordable counseling near me.”
At Held Center for Healing, you can find a West Hartford therapist, who understands what you are going through. No matter what you struggle with, we can show you how to cope and regain ownership of your sense of self. Our young adult counseling can help you gain clarity and control during this transitional time.
Our empathetic counselors have experience guiding clients with the following issues:
- Relationship troubles
- Domestic violence
- Chronic illness
- Body image or eating disorders
- Substance abuse
- Discovering your identity
- Work issues and career exploration
- Major life changes, like going to college or moving back home
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Children's Therapy Services In West Hartford
Families in our community can also access support through our dedicated child therapy services. A child therapy session West Hartford CT gives children a safe, developmentally appropriate space to express emotions, work through challenges, and build healthy coping skills through play and relational work. Our approach to child therapy West Hartford CT integrates both the child and their caregivers so the healing continues at home.
Whether your child is experiencing anxiety, big emotions, behavioral struggles, school stress, or difficulty adjusting to change, our clinicians offer compassionate, evidence-informed care tailored to their age and needs.
West Hartford Counseling
One-on-One Yoga Therapy
Many people know about yoga’s physical benefits. It can help you relax, reduce muscle tension, improve flexibility, and quiet your thoughts. But did you know that it can also help you process emotions and negative experiences?
Held Center for Healing offers one-on-one yoga therapy under the guidance of a trained counselor West Hartford, CT. Because we provide these sessions via telemedicine, you can practice in the comfort of your home. And because you’re the only participant, we can focus on exactly what you need.
Unlike many traditional yoga classes emphasizing physical fitness, our therapy emphasizes mental health needs and healing. Train your brain the same way you would train your muscles! A certified yoga therapist will lead you through poses and breathing exercises to calm your nervous system and provide relief from the physical symptoms of trauma, such as chronic fatigue and pain.
West Hartford Counseling
How Life-Changing Events Impact Lives
Traumatic events and their aftermath can alter your life in profound ways. If you’ve experienced a life-changing event, such as an assault, an accident, or domestic violence, you may have the following symptoms:
- Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
- Experiencing nightmares or flashbacks of the traumatic event
- Avoiding people or places that remind you of the traumatic event
- Being overly attentive to things that may hurt you
- Pushing away friends and family
- Struggling to make new interpersonal connections
- Having difficulty trusting others or yourself
- Feeling guilt, shame, and/or anxiety
- Suffering physical symptoms, such as heart palpitations, muscle tremors, or chronic pain
- Developing unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse, excessive drinking, or overeating
Despite having survived the initial trauma, lingering symptoms like these can dramatically reduce your quality of life after a distressing event. Our experienced therapists in West Hartford, CT will help you find your quality of life again.
Mental Health Issues
The Importance of Seeing a Therapist To Heal
If you’ve been researching “counseling services near me,” you probably already know that a therapist can help you heal from trauma. But why exactly is a therapist so important?
Your West Hartford counseling healer provides an empathetic ear, allowing you to unburden yourself emotionally without judgment. What’s more, our counselors are specially trained to help you process trauma. Together, we will examine painful emotions and memories in a safe environment. Then, we will choose appropriate evidence based practices to help you reorient your mind and body.
At Held Center for Healing, we understand the damage trauma can do to your mind and body — and the complex process of working through it. If you’re searching for a therapist in West Hartford, CT, call us today at 860-516-5722 to get started on your healing process.
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Have you ever walked into a therapy session feeling like you’re just scratching the surface of what’s really bothering you, wondering if anyone could truly understand the depth of what
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Have you ever wondered why some people seem to move forward after life’s most painful moments while others find themselves stuck in cycles of anxiety, depression, and emotional pain? The
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