Carolyn Spurway

LPC, LMHC

I often see clients who are their own worst critics, who feel driven to give and give until they have nothing left, and who feel a strong drive to be perfect, but all at the cost of their internal peace and wellbeing. They're burned out and overwhelmed, but somehow still doing it all. Sometimes these patterns of energetic imbalance, over-work, over-giving, and under-appreciation (of self) manifest in the physical body as well - pain in the neck or shoulders, gut issues, trouble sleeping, or metabolic dysfunction and blood sugar dysregulation. My approach is rooted in evidence-based psychology, but also views clients through a holistic lens that considers emotional health, physical health, spiritual health, and even energetic health. I look at each person as a complex sum of many parts, and in doing so, often find that as we begin working with each of these parts individually and with a mind to how they are influencing a person's internal system as a whole, we can elicit a greater sense of peace, calm, confidence, clarity, and compassion within the system. There's nothing quite like it when a client begins to access more self-leadership and self-empowerment - that's my ultimate goal!

Like many therapists and healers, I initially felt drawn to this work because I had to experience the depth of my own healing journey in order to grow, mature, and up-level. In my journey, I finally looked at and dismantled my own patterns of self-criticism, over-functioning, lack of boundaries, self-sabotage, and perfectionism. I know what it's like to walk through difficult experiences, and I remember the profound impact of the support I received from the variety of healers I've worked with through the years. In doing the deep therapeutic work, integrating body and mind, and in my own spiritual explorations, I have emerged and continue to grow as a more confident, whole, and aligned being. It is everyone's birthright to find their way to this state of being, and it's okay to ask for help along the way. My belief is that the most effective healers have had difficult paths to walk, and that this is their secret-sauce, as long as they have also excavated their wounding and discovered their own healthy empowerment and resilience along the way. My path informs my work with clients everyday, as does my continuous evolution as a conscious, Self-led being.

I love to weave together approaches that can support my clients emotionally, physically, and energetically/spiritually. My favorite treatment approaches to utilize in therapy are Internal Family Systems (IFS), nervous system regulation strategies including the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), body-based somatic interventions, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT Tapping), and Motivational Interviewing to support clients in accessing internal motivation towards their most desired outcomes. I find that Internal Family Systems (IFS) especially supports my clients in understanding their inner landscape, and in resolving sources of internal conflict, tension, and opposing desires (i.e. when part of you wants to slow down and rest, but another part of you keeps pushing to perform and achieve). I also have experience supporting clients in optimizing metabolic health through the use of a ketogenic diet in order to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety, offering psychedelic preparation and integration sessions and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), and in utilizing a variety of intuitive and energetic healing strategies. I am in the process of completing a year-long certification course in Core Shamanism and spiritual healing through the Ennobling of the Heart organization with Julie Kramer (Sept 2025 - Sept 2026), and will begin earning my Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) credential in December of 2025.