Dr. Elizabeth A. Mellin (she/her), LPC, ACS

People with unresolved trauma or other painful life experiences often: •Prioritize other people's feelings over your own needs and wants. •Feel like a burden to others. •Have difficulty trusting others or trusting the wrong people. •Feel intense shame and self-loathing. •Doubt themselves and seek approval from others. •Think of themself as "broken." • Have a hard time relaxing during sex or avoid sexual intimacy. •Have trouble maintaining close relationships. •Feel emotionally numb or shut down. •Fear abandonment or rejection. •Find themselves attracted to emotionally unavailable people. If any of this resonates, we can talk. You are not alone. I specialize in sex-positive, trauma-focused therapy with a particular commitment to serving women and the LGBTQ+ community. Whether childhood abuse, parental rejection, religious alienation, societal discrimination, sexual assault, etc., the types of pain and trauma we experience are often related to our identities. Past relational pain and trauma frequently impact our present physical and mental health, relationships, and sex lives. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, and chronic illness are often connected to unresolved trauma and other painful life experiences. These experiences affect our ability to feel safe, connected, and nurtured in relationships. As a result, we might struggle with boundaries, co-dependency, self-worth, vulnerability, trust, and shame. We are hurt in relationships, and we are healed in relationships. I offer attachment-based, relational therapy to support healing from traumatic distress and other life adversities. In therapy, I help people explore how past relational wounds are showing up in the present and work on nurturing more secure connections with themselves and others. In the therapeutic relationship, we practice emotional regulation, building trust, sitting with discomfort, rupture and repair, communication, and setting boundaries—skills that can help ease the impacts of trauma and create new blueprints for healthier relationships. I am a queer trauma therapist with 20+ years of experience practicing therapy. I am also a faculty member who trains and supervises other therapists. My therapeutic approach is non-judgmental, informed by current research in LGBTQ+ mental health, interpersonal neurobiology, and attachment. People describe me as warm, funny, energetic, relatable, and compassionate. Areas of clinical focus include: •Anxiety •Chronic Illness •Depression •Trauma •Sexual Health Concerns This is an inclusive practice committed to affirming, anti-oppressive counseling for people of all genders, sexualities, and relationship structures. I am an anti-racist, poly-affirming, pleasure-positive, kink-aware, body-positive, neurodivergent affirming, and enneagram-informed therapist. To schedule a consultation, please select "Request Appointment" below.