Kendra Lewis, ASW #112392

We carry parts of ourselves shaped by our relationships; past and present. The quality of our relationships whether it's romantic, familial, or internal deeply affects our sense of self, our identity, our peace of mind, and ability to thrive. When those relationships are strained or misaligned, we can begin to feel misunderstood, stuck in unhealthy cycles, or disconnected from who we are and what we want. 

As a therapist, I aim to provide a space that invites compassion, curiosity, and courage. I support individuals and couples who are seeking to strengthen their self-worth, break unhelpful relational patterns, and explore attachment dynamics that may be influencing their current relationships or emotional states. Whether you’re in the middle of a life transition, struggling with self-concept, or trying to make sense of your internal experiences, our work together will be collaborative, supportive, and deeply grounded in the understanding that you are the expert in your own story. My goal as your therapist is to provide a space to explore with compassion, curiosity, and safety. 

Healing is Possible

My approach is warm, client-centered, rooted in trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and collaboration. I meet clients where they are, creating a space that feels safe enough for honesty, and structured enough to support real change. My clinical focus includes individuals and couples experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, identity development, and challenges with self-concept or relational functioning. I integrate mindfulness, somatic awareness, psychoeducation, and structured evidence-based interventions to meet each client where they are. Whether you’re looking to process a specific experience, or explore long-standing patterns, I am here to guide the process at your pace. 

My name is Kendra Lewis, I earned my Master’s in Social Work from California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. I hold Bachelor’s degrees in both Psychology and Criminology & Justice Studies. I have experience providing therapy in outpatient clinics, behavioral health programs, and community health settings supporting individuals navigating dual-diagnoses, trauma, anxiety, depression, and identity exploration. As an independent consultant, I’ve developed psychoeducational resources on trauma-informed intimacy, communication, and adult attachment for relationship-focused wellness practices. These experiences have deepened my appreciation for the ways emotional safety, expression, and relational connection intertwine in healing. 

Evidence-Based Practices

In our work together, I will use a blend of evidence-based approaches tailored to your individual needs and goals. These may include: 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps clients identify thought patterns that may fuel anxiety, depression, or relational reactivity. Together we can explore how thoughts impact emotions and behavior and challenge beliefs to build a more balanced narrative.

Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is used to support clients in their emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, and mindfulness. This approach is particularly helpful for when managing intense emotions becomes overwhelming, especially when navigating attachment trauma and interpersonal chaos. 

Trauma-Resilience Model (TRM) is a somatic-based approach, this working alongside mindfulness-based practices is used to restore a sense of presence and safety in the body. Together we will recognize biological responses to stress and shift towards regulation. 

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is used when building psychological flexibility. Developing the skill of staying present and taking meaningful action while facing painful thoughts and emotions, and how to put this into practice. 

Psychoeducation plays an important role in my practice. I believe that understanding the why behind our experiences can be empowering and fosters an opportunity for growth. I provide clients with the tools to not only understand but take actionable steps in their own emotional safety, communication dynamics, boundaries, inner critic work, and nervous system health. 

Somatic Awareness Techniques is an integral part of my trauma-informed approach used to help in better understanding how trauma is held physically and how to release it. By reconnecting with our bodies we may be able to use it as a source of information, regulation, and healing. 

Each session integrates concrete tools with deep emotional processing to help you navigate the past, present, and future with greater strength and clarity. 

Anxiety

Anxiety is more than worry; it’s a state of heightened vigilance that lives in both the body and mind. It can show up as persistent overthinking, racing thoughts, muscle tension, irritability, restlessness, sleep disturbances, or avoidance of people or places that trigger discomfort. 

In therapy, I help clients understand anxiety as a protective response, one that is often formed in response to uncertainty, unpredictability or emotional misattunement in early relationships. Through a combination of CBT, ACT, and mindfulness, we examine thoughts that fuel anxiety and the body’s role in holding emotional distress. We work to identify patterns of avoidance, soothe the nervous system through grounding techniques, and learn to build a tolerance for uncertainty without losing connection to the present moment. 

We don’t aim to eliminate anxiety, but to transform your relationship with it, so it no longer controls your decisions, relationships, or sense of self.

Depression

Depression often feels like a fog; clouding your thinking, dulling your motivation, and distancing you from parts of life that once brought you joy or meaning. It may look like low energy, apathy, self-criticism, emotional numbness, or deep feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness. 

My approach to depression emphasizes connection, self-compassion, and reconnection with meaning. We’ll explore internal narratives rooted in early experiences, challenge perfectionism or shame-based thinking, and identify small but powerful steps towards reengagement with the world. Using ACT and person-centered therapy, we’ll center your values to move beyond survival and into intention. I also integrate IFS to help you identify inner parts that might feel stuck, exhausted, or silenced, and begin to give them space, language, and care. 

Trauma and PTSD

Trauma can result from “Big T” events (such as abuse, violence, or loss) and “Little t” experiences (chronic invalidation, emotional neglect, betrayal, or prolonged stress). Often, trauma isn’t just stored as memory, it’s held in the body, shaping your emotional responses, physical sensations, and relational expectations. 

In trauma work, safety always comes first. I prioritize helping clients stabilize their nervous systems before revisiting traumatic memories. I use the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM) and somatic tracking to help you recognize survival responses like fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. We will work gently with the body’s cues to restore your “Resilient Zone”, a state of physiological and emotional balance. 

When appropriate, we integrate IFS to identify protective parts and wounded parts, explore how they developed, and bring them into harmony. Trauma recovery isn’t about relieving pain; it’s about reclaiming safety, choice, and integration.

Couples Therapy

Relationships are powerful systems capable of deep healing and also deep pain. When relational patterns become reactive, emotionally distant, or stuck in cycles of blame and withdrawal, it can be hard to see a way forward. I work with couples and families navigating communication breakdowns, ruptures in trust, emotional injuries, cultural clashes, parenting transitions, and long-standing patterns of disconnection. 

I integrate Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and the Gottman Method, two highly researched and empirically supported approaches to couples therapy. From EFT, we examine how partners’ attachment styles influence the dance between pursuit and withdrawal, criticism and defensiveness, or avoidance and over-functioning. We work to uncover the raw emotional needs beneath the conflict and use awareness to build new patterns of vulnerability, responsiveness, and emotional attunement. 

From the Gottman Method, I draw on practical tools to strengthen emotional intimacy, manage conflict effectively, and repair ruptures. We explore the “Four Horsemen” of relationship

breakdown: criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling. Replacing them with antidotes that increase trust and mutual understanding. I also use the assessments and structured interventions from Gottman’s research to help partners rebuild friendship, shared meaning, and fondness as a foundation for lasting connection. 

For families, I apply systemic principles to explore generational dynamics, cultural expectations, boundary patterns, and unmet emotional needs within the family unit. Whether you’re working through intergenerational trauma, role confusion, or identity-based tension, I aim to facilitate a dialogue that centers safety, accountability, and emotional transparency. 

Whether you’re navigating relationship repair, life transitions, or longstanding patterns, our work will focus on enhancing emotional responsiveness, communication, and secure connection within your relational systems. 

Life Transitions & Identity Development

Life Transitions, whether you’re entering a new relationship, ending one, relocating, changing careers, navigating evolving roles, or simply feeling lost in your sense of self- can bring both growth and grief. These shifts often stir questions around identity, belonging, and direction. 

In therapy, I help clients explore these transitions through a lens of self-reflection, values alignment and emotional grounding. Who are you when you are not over-performing, over-helping, or trying to meet other’s expectations? How do family, culture, gender roles, and attachment history shape your sense of self? We’ll unpack these beliefs, family expectations, and attachment patterns shaping your experience, and work to build clarity around who you are becoming. Using ACT, person-centered therapy, and cultural humility, I support clients in reclaiming a narrative that feels self-directed, authentic, and grounded in both personal and relational integrity.

Self-Concept, Codependency, & People-Pleasing

Many clients come to therapy with a felt sense of being “too much”, “not enough”, or simply unsure of who they are outside of their roles and relationships. You may feel pressure to fix, to please, or to disappear emotionally to maintain connection. Over time, this leads to resentment, burnout, emotional dysregulation, and disconnection from self. 

In therapy, we explore the origin stories of these patterns; often rooted in early attachment dynamics, emotional neglect, or enmeshment. I use psychoeducation, IFS, and somatic tools to help you identify internalized roles (eg. the care taker, the peacekeeper), understand your nervous system’s adaptive strategies, and begin to develop boundaries and self-trust. 

We work on reconnecting with your own emotional needs, learning to tolerate healthy guilt, and building relationships that are mutual, safe, and sustainable.

Healing From Within

I believe therapy is a collaborative process; one that honors your lived experiences while also offering tools to help you in feeling empowered, grounded, and connected in yourself and your relationships. Whether we’re working to understand emotional triggers, shift thought patterns, or reclaim safety in your body, I am here to walk with you at your pace. 

I believe that if we make room for emotional honesty and choice, that is when healing happens. In our work together we’ll untangle the stories that keep you stuck in shame, fear, or disconnection. We’ll explore how early attachments and current relationships influence the way you show up. 

If you’re ready to begin healing the relationship you have with yourself and others, I welcome you into a space of warmth, honesty, and growth.

I offer a complimentary 20-minute consultation to discuss your unique needs and explore how we can work together to achieve your therapeutic goals. This initial meeting is an opportunity for us to connect, and for you to ask any questions you may have about the therapeutic process.

Please do not hesitate to contact me for a free 20-minute consultation.

Individual therapy sessions are 50 minutes/$140 per session and couples sessions are 50 minutes/$160 per session. 

Email: Kendralewistherapy@gmail.com

 Phone #: (707) 780-2499