Holistic and Effective
IFS + Brainspotting
Trauma Therapy
for Teens and Adults
in Baltimore, MD
Are you trying to heal from your past but keep getting stuck and don’t know how to change?
Perhaps you feel trapped by old patterns and the beliefs that you are not good enough, not worthy, or not loved.
You’re feeling hurt, alone, exhausted, anxious, depressed, and ashamed.
You’re both desperate and terrified for someone to actually see you and know you.
Now accepting new patients in person and via telehealth.
Does this resonate?
A part of you wants to give up and shut yourself away, but another part keeps you trudging through each day.
You’re trying to be a better partner, parent, and friend, and you keep giving and giving to others, but it seems like you get nothing in return.
You’re spinning your wheels at school and at work, but it feels like you’re constantly coming up short.
Maybe you’ve gone through some really hard things in your life starting in childhood. You want those memories to remain in the past, but they keep affecting your present.
You’re not sure anyone will understand you and be able to help. You feel hopeless. Things can’t change. This is all too much.
Or maybe it’s not you, it’s your teen. Your child.
You see that they are alone. Upset. Different than they used to be.
They don’t have the same energy, confidence, or sense of self-worth.
They’ve been bullied, hurt, left out, and left feeling ashamed.
Perhaps they’re struggling with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, self-harm, or disordered eating.
You’re worried about them but don’t know how to help them. They don’t want to talk to you and you just want them to be okay again.
You feel desperate, scared, and lost.
And now – you find yourself here.
A part of you does have hope that tomorrow will be better. That there is peace to be found. You know it deep within yourself –
“I deserve better than this. I deserve to heal, to let go of the past, to be able to live in the present moment and be okay.”
I understand you. I know you’re tired of being so exhausted, depressed, worried, and ashamed.
And I also see that part of you that knows that there is hope.
My name is Alli, and I’m a trauma therapist in Baltimore, Maryland.
And guess what?
I believe that there is good in you.
I believe that there is hope and healing for you, too.
I can help you find peace using proven holistic trauma techniques.
Using Internal Family Systems and Brainspotting, I work with people ages 11+ who have suffered traumatic experiences, from the BIG to the small and everything in between.
I recognize that our past impacts our present, and I believe that through deep, mindful, and holistic therapy, healing is possible.
When we are open to getting to know ourselves and all of our parts, we can change.
Hope is within you. Healing can start now.
IFS is an evidence-based trauma therapy that heals from deep within.
We get to know and heal all of the parts within you. By finding compassion, curiosity, and spaciousness toward the parts, they change and heal, thereby changing your whole system.
Even the parts we deem “bad” - the ones that numb us, block others out, binge, cut, judge, get anxious - they are here to help us. Once we get to know them and befriend them, they are given permission to change and actually help you in a way that works for you.
By helping your internal family, you can become the YOU you’re meant to be.
Brainspotting is a powerful method to heal trauma stored deep within the brain and body. We find a spot for your eyes to focus on and from there, mindfully process the traumatic experience.
Going beyond talking, it helps to quickly and effectively process traumatic experiences so that they don’t take hold over your life.
Shine the Light Counseling in Baltimore, MD is for you if…
You are struggling to cope after trauma, whether it was a one-time incident or ongoing childhood or relational traumas, & are looking for an effective trauma treatment that gently heals from the root
You’ve tried traditional talk therapy before and felt like it wasn’t enough or did not work
You’re feeling depressed, anxious, exhausted, frozen, ashamed, or hurt
You need support in life transitions, such as becoming a new parent, graduating school, moving, or starting a relationship.
You did not receive the love and support you needed as a kid and you’re still struggling to receive it
You have experienced perinatal trauma
You’re grieving a lost loved one
You are looking for a safe and supportive therapeutic environment for you or your teen
Your child is struggling with low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and keeping themselves safe
You struggle with anxiety, phobias & panic attacks
You’re questioning your sexual orientation and/or gender identity
You need a mental health evaluation for immigration proceedings
What Can I Expect In Therapy With You?
Maybe you’ve tried talk therapy before. It helped but didn’t heal.
So we go beyond talking.
Using mindfulness, brainspotting, Internal Family Systems, and somatic work, we will get out of just your thinking brain and deeper into your brain and body.
I’ll teach you coping skills to help you get through your day. You’ll learn simple tools to manage anxiety, ward off panic attacks, and decrease despair.
We’ll also go deep to heal the trauma from its roots.
Yes, trauma work is hard. But with the right therapist, it’s possible.
About Alli, a Baltimore trauma therapist
Alli Clayton, LCSW-C, is an experienced clinician dedicated to providing quality services to improve mental health and overall well-being. With a focus on trauma, Alli also specializes in depression and anxiety in teens and adults.
Alli loves working with teens and young(ish) adults who are struggling to figure out who they are in light of what they have experienced. Alli deeply believes in the good in each person and their capacity to heal.
Alli uses a holistic approach to therapy. She is trained in levels 1 and 2 of brainspotting and trained in level 1 of IFS. She also weaves in mindfulness and somatic therapies in addition to traditional talk therapy.
Located in Baltimore, MD, Alli can provide therapy services to anyone located in Maryland in both English and Spanish. Call or Email today to schedule your first appointment!
Services Offered
(all in-person in Baltimore, MD or online throughout Maryland!)
Therapy for Teens and Adults
Immigration Evaluations in English and Spanish for asylum, U Visa, VAWA, extreme hardship, and more
Brainspotting therapy, a proven technique to heal trauma
Internal Family Systems, or a parts-work approach that is proven to heal trauma
IFS & Brainspotting Intensives, both for current & former clients and those in therapy elsewhere
“Don’t you know yet? It is your light that lights the world.”
—Rumi