Caroline Gearing LMFT

I specialize in narcissistic abuse suffered in childhood, current relationships, difficult family/friend relationship that create situations where one is being diminished, manipulated, and victimized. I also deal with sexual abuse dealt with at any point in life. I am here to help you move forward dealing with very hard people and situations with dignity and self-respect. Strong focus on working on healthy boundaries and communication approaches.

I specialize with people recovering from sexual addiction and the related relationship difficulties. I am very hands on with recovery, with excellent materials and direct support in dealing with sexual addiction. For individuals wanting to restore their relationship I am very relationship-focused in encouraging behavioral changes that encourage healing the "betrayal of trust".

IFS states the mind is naturally made up of different "parts"--such as inner critics, protective managers, or wounded parts carrying shame or fear. IFS does not eliminate or battle parts of yourself that feel problematic (like perfectionism, impulse behaviors, or people-pleasing), instead you meet these parts with curiosity and compassion. By helping your core "Self" lead your internal system, you urburden old wounds, resolve internal conflict, and rebuild profound self-trust.

If you struggle to start tasks or feel paralyzed by long to-do lists, I will work with you to build strategies that do not rely on will-power alone. With dysregulation and feeling overwhelmed, we work on grounding techniques and how best to pace your energy. When feeling behind we will work to simplify your tools and focus on self-compassion over perfectionism. Then, if you have been diagnosed with ADHD later in life, let us process that information and create your roadmap forward!

ACT provides practical tools to help you "un-hook" from overwhelming thoughts, accept difficult emotional states without judgment, and clarify your deepest values. Instead of waiting for anxiety or grief to completely disappear before living your life, ACT empowers you to take meaningful, value-aligned action right now.

Somatic Experiencing (SE) & Nervous System Regulation. How it helps: through gentle body-awareness techniques--such as somatic tracking, pendulation, and grounding--we help your autonomic nervous system complete its defensive stress cycles. This calms physical hypervigilance, relieves chest tightness and chronic anxiety and restores a felt sense of physical safety in your body.