Elliot Helt (they/them)

I work with relationships of all sorts, from monogamous to open to polyamorous. My approach supports stronger communication, emotional engagement, and the practical aspects of navigating various relationship structures that divest from problematic societal expectations and promote growth in connection with others. I believe strongly that relationships help us heal, in all forms. "Trauma happens in relationship and is healed in relationship."

A primary "specialty" area of mine is working with folks to explore their gender identity and gendered experiences. Through a trauma-informed, queer and trans affirming lens I combine my professional learning with lived experience to create a safer container in therapy to hold the complexities of our experience and deconstruct toxic societal messaging and oppression to support authentic expression and joy.

I support folks healing from trauma from childhood experiences, generational patterns, societal oppression, and medical trauma. My approach includes talk therapy, somatic approaches, and EMDR to support your innate healing and processing abilities. I support clients in nervous system regulation and post-traumatic growth through these modalities.

Narrative therapy explores dominate socio-political messaging that we often internalize which leads to experiences such as shame, low self-worth, and trauma. Through exploring language, systemic and inter-personal oppression and abuse, values, and authenticity we deconstruct these toxic narratives to re-orient towards re-authored stories that support trauma-healing, healthy coping strategies, and soothe nervous system dysregulation.

I work with couples and partners in all sorts of relationship dynamics and orientations whether romantic, platonic, monogamous, or nonmonogamous. In particular, I commonly support neurodivergent, queer, and nonmonogamous relationships. Through my training and lived experience I approach all relationships with an affirming anti-oppressive and trauma-informed lens that can lead to better communication, closeness, vulnerability, and security.

EMDR is a trauma-informed, trauma-oriented modality that follows eight phases to address various experiences that have led to current struggles from negative self-worth, shame, disembodiment, relationship issues, and emotional dysregulation, to name a few. EMDR is a supportive modality often used in trauma treatment that believes in our innate adaptive processing system and ability to experience post-traumatic growth and access our embodied selves.