Carter Doyle (he/him)

Depression can look like numbness, shutdown, or “I can do my job but I can’t feel joy.” I help you identify the parts of you that are stuck in hopelessness or self-criticism and the burdens they’re carrying. Using IFS, EMDR, and—when useful—medication, we work to reduce symptoms while reconnecting you to energy, meaning, and relationships. You don’t have to earn care to deserve it.

PTSD and complex trauma can keep you in survival mode—hypervigilant, emotionally flooded, or dissociated. I use trauma-informed approaches (IFS, EMDR, attachment work, nervous system regulation) to help you process what happened without re-traumatizing you. We’ll build safety first, then work with the parts still stuck in past events so your body and brain can learn it’s actually over. The goal is more choice, less reactivity, and being able to stay present in the life you have now.

I use ACT to help clients unhook from painful thoughts, make room for emotions, and move toward values-based living. For many people with trauma, anxiety, or depression, symptoms pull them into avoidance; ACT offers concrete skills (defusion, acceptance, self-as-context) that let you take action even when your mind isn’t cooperating. I integrate ACT with parts work so your internal system isn’t forced—your values lead, your nervous system follows.

I’m trained in EMDR and use it to help the nervous system finish processing experiences that got “stuck” as trauma symptoms—intrusive memories, body reactions, shame, and negative beliefs like “I’m not safe” or “I’m too much.” We start with stabilization and resourcing so EMDR feels tolerable, then target key memories, triggers, or future fears. I often pair EMDR with IFS so we can work with protective parts that show up during reprocessing instead of fighting them.

IFS sees every person as made of protective and wounded “parts” and a core Self that is calm, wise, and compassionate. I’m IFS-trained and use it to help clients unblend from anxious, depressive, or trauma-driven parts so they can actually be heard and healed. We go at the pace of your system, respect protectors, and work toward unburdening the younger parts carrying pain. It’s especially helpful for complex trauma, LGBTQ+ clients, and people who feel “fragmented” or “too much.”

Anxiety often shows up in my clients as racing thoughts, overfunctioning, and parts that fear something bad will happen if you slow down. I help you understand what your anxiety is protecting, teach your nervous system to regulate, and use IFS/EMDR to heal the experiences that keep triggering anxious responses. My goal is for you to feel calmer, clearer, and more spacious inside—not just “coping.”