Elayne Smith, LMFT & Founder

Welcome to The Center for Connection, Healing and Change.

I created CCHC as a space for clients to deepen their connection to both themselves and their loved ones. I believe that the degree to which we experience our relationships as satisfying and responsive holds great power for our well-being.

It was also created as a place that invests in the work of creative and skilled therapists. The Center offers a place for therapists to thrive, grow, and develop their professional identity as relationship-focused therapists.

Clients I work with: Adult individuals. I also provide specialized therapy for self-actualizers, high-functioners, overachievers, pursuers, leaders, entrepreneurs, therapists, clinical directors and supervisors, mental health practice owners, healers, first responders, teachers, the military, and those committed to purposeful growth.

Issues I work with: Identifying and exploring issues at their origin/root, relationships, patterns of survival, adaptation, and protection, deep healing, shadow drivers, life transitions, and cultivating potential.

To read more about Elayne, click here

Rachel Pendergraft Beck, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist,  Clinical Supervisor, Systemic Residency Program

I believe in the restorative and healing power of being truly known by self and others, through a process of deepening emotional intimacy, healing pain, and understanding needs. I specialize in working with clients to identify blocks in their relationship and supporting each person to feel seen, heard, and understood.  

It might be that you each have a different way of navigating emotions, conflict, disconnection, or stress. I take time to connect with each of your perspectives, working as a translator for the things you need, your different ways of being, and the relational ‘misses’ that drive you apart. For most couples, one partner tends to pursue for connection, upping the ante when they can’t feel their important other, while the other partner tends to withdraw or shut down in an effort to reduce tension and diffuse conflict.

I can help you to slow your old cycle down, get access to what you truly need, and support you to share your internal world with your precious person. Where this is new, risky, or foreign for either of you, I will guide you through the process, step by step, until you can build a new map for catching yourself and your partner in your moments of need.  

I am skilled in working with individual clients who are looking to explore the ways that relationships have shaped them, both in the past and present. I can help you organize your early experiences and the messages they may have offered about your worth, lovableness, and boundaries. Where you may have developed any limiting beliefs about what you deserve, what you can ask for, and what you can receive I can help you heal, risk new interactions, and build your self-worth.

Clients I work with: Adult individuals and couples.

Issues I work with: Communication, emotional intimacy, deepening connection in relationships, conflict repair, family of origin issues, adult attachment, trust, boundaries, codependency, anxiety, depression, neurodiversity (ADHD and ASD) challenges in relationships, life transitions, trauma, and young adult concerns

To read more about Rachel, click here

Jennifer Rulli, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Director of Clinical and Growth and Training

Early family of origin experiences lay the foundation for internal and interpersonal patterns that continue to play out in later life. Though these patterns are not set in stone, they are often automatic and hard to recognize, change, and understand. Together we can explore the ways in which our adaptations may have served us well in earlier times but are no longer proving to be helpful, effective, or authentic.

In my work with teens, we explore ways to process and cope with distress, supporting your teen to feel more confident and less burdened by anxiety. Together, we find ways to balance the need to explore the world and emerging identity with independence and individuality with the security of connection and belonging.

Parenting can feel like a roller coaster as children’s needs change from one developmental stage to the next or when circumstances change the support needs your child may have. We can work together to help you adapt to these needs and work as a parenting/caregiving team.

In working with individuals, I value working with parts of clients that may be overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, loneliness, confusion, or shame. Honoring our wounded parts allows us to learn more about our unmet needs, nurture self-compassion, and engage differently in relationships. I also work with major life transitions/changes so that you can be true to your own needs and values even when stress or hurt feels overwhelming.

Clients I work with: Adolescents aged 12 to 18 and their families/caregivers, parents and caregivers, and adult individuals. I also offer EMDR to adult individuals. 

Issues I work with: Adolescent and parent relationships, increasing connection in relationships, family of origin issues, managing emotions, trauma, ADHD, anxiety, depression, shame, self-esteem, identity exploration, chronic illness/special needs, life transitions, gender/sexual identity, school issues, neuro-diversity.

To read more about Jennifer, click here

Amanda Kelsheimer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Clinical Director – Family Therapy Services, PCIT Trainer and Supervisor

I support clients to creatively turn their pain into coping skills, missed connections into secure relationships, and problematic behaviors into strengths and resiliency. My goal is to make therapy a positive and rewarding experience for you and/or your family.

Sometimes children and families are faced with difficult circumstances that are stressful or overwhelming. Families may also go through experiences that disrupt the relationships they have with each other, impacting the security and connection they may have previously felt.

Parenting through these times is hard and knowing how best to help your child/teen to navigate the challenges of life can feel stressful and overwhelming. I support children and caregivers alike to learn new ways of responding and supporting one another as they navigate different developmental stages, life challenges, or transitions.

I also work with adults who struggle with feelings of unworthiness, difficulty organizing or tolerating emotions, or relationship patterns that don’t feel satisfying or secure. Where you have needed to develop protections or believe that secure connection is not available to you, I can help you to work through the unresolved pain that limits your present reality. You deserve to feel worthy, valuable, safe, and seen.

Clients I work with: Children and teens (aged 2 to 18), families, parents and caregivers, and adult individuals. 

Issues I work with: Parenting, school life, behavioral concerns, communication, life transitions, grief and loss, blended families, multigenerational families, sexual identity, youth and teen exploration of self/identity, strengthening attachment and/or connection, defiance, impulsivity, dysregulation, tantrums, autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, separation,  finding shared parenting strategies, social skills, military life, bullying, self-esteem, and shame.

To read more about Amanda, click here

Shana Avery, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Your experiences form maps on the inside of you about what can be available to you in the world, who will be there for you, what needs or emotions are acceptable, and the extent to which you are loveable, worthy, and deserving.

I am certain you have found ways to survive, protect against, or adapt to the stressors of life or unmet relationship needs. These brilliant strategies have helped you get through all the hard moments, and they may also leave you feeling limited, stuck, or wounded.

I work with couples to learn more about their missed needs, unseen emotions, and protective strategies that show up for each partner during moments of relationship distress. Sessions help you build a bridge between your different ways of being in the world and develop a shared language for connection, security, and intimacy that you can lean into time and time again.

I work with individuals wanting to move through old pain, family dynamics, trauma, or loss. My role is to help you organize what is happening on the inside of you so that you can access your inner needs, wisdom, and healing. From there, I can help you find ways to share who you are with the people you care about the most, risk being more fully yourself, and create balance in your world.

Clients I work with: Adult individuals and couples.

Issues I work with: Relationship patterns, communication, emotional intimacy, sexual concerns, premarital/pre-commitment concerns, attachment styles, emotion regulation, trust, life transitions, grief and loss, trauma, identity, self-worth, family of origin/issues from childhood, intergenerational patterns, anxiety, depression,  military life, and first responders.

To read more about Shana, click here

Maureen Flaherty, Licensed Professional Counselor 

I specialize in the deep, change-worthy work of family-of-origin issues, reduction of the symptoms of mood disorders, decision-making about the future of relationships, the issues of living that are specific to men, and the treatment of substance use issues.

In my twenty years of practice as an agent of change, I have come to know that many of our emotional and relational difficulties can be connected to the experiences we have growing up in our family. My goal is to help you resolve and heal the unfinished business of the past so that you don’t have to keep recreating them in the present.

My style of therapy is targeted, structured, and focused on the creation of lasting change. I believe that therapy should help to restructure your experiences so that you see life through a different lens. This new lens allows for continued change, long after therapy has ended.

Much of my clinical experience and expertise has been in working with men. Cultural expectations of men often look to them to be independent, self-sufficient, stoic, problem-solvers, and invulnerable. I support men to explore more effective ways to manage stress, relationships, emotions, and problem-solving.

Clients I work with: Adult individuals, groups, and families. 

Issues I work with: Anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic illness, shame, guilt, trust, self-worth, identity, relationships, emotional intimacy and connection, emotion regulation, family-of-origin issues, childhood experiences, men’s issues, and adult family relationships.

To read more about Maureen, click here

Ruth Pascoe, Licensed Professional Counselor

Finding our way back to our whole self can be a difficult journey, one that asks us to connect with feelings not yet owned, wounds not yet processed, and longings not yet voiced. When our needs for comfort, validation, protection, and predictability are not met in our relationships, we can be vulnerable to feeling unworthy, unsafe, and that our needs are unimportant.

The strategies we have for dealing with our unmet needs often show up in similar patterns for managing stress, distress, and disconnection. Some move towards others, hoping that if we fight loud, long, or hard enough, our pain and anger will eventually be acknowledged. Some move away from others, minimizing or numbing emotions to keep from being hurt or judged. 

I work with individuals and couples to reconnect, build security, and identify and share unmet needs.

We consider the ways relationships have shaped you and influenced present-day interactions. Together, we will bring understanding to places of reactivity, validation to still-open wounds, and clarity to unmet needs. I work in a manner that fosters inner resilience, strength in vulnerability, and taps into the unparalleled power of connection.

Clients I work with: Adult individuals and couples.

Issues I work with: Communication, emotional connection, and intimacy, relationship patterns, self-esteem, shame, guilt, trust, identity, life transitions, limiting beliefs, grief, trauma, issues from childhood, emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and depression.

To read more about Ruth, click here

Kristen Dwyer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

I help clients dive more deeply into the origins of who they are and how life and relationships have shaped them. When you look deeper into your story you can get a better understanding of how you have learned to navigate connection, emotions, conflict, boundaries, and relational needs. As you organize what has shaped you, you can reclaim your power to heal and resolve old patterns and find new ways to be more fully yourself.

Whether you lean on shutting down or withdrawing, overfunctioning or pursuing, people-pleasing, controlling, perfectionism, isolation, or giving up your power, you have come by these strategies as a means of getting what you need as best you can. While these protective strategies might have reduced the hurt of feeling rejected, unimportant, or not enough, they also limit your full potential, self-worth, and sense of satisfaction in life.

Where you want to try out new ways of interacting with loved ones, I can be there to support you through this change. It can feel risky to show up differently, be clearer about your needs and boundaries, or be more open and vulnerable. I would be honored to help you create the relationships you long for and deserve.

Clients I work with: Adult individuals, couples, and groups. 

Issues I work with: Anxiety, depression, self-worth, identity, emotion dysregulation, trauma, limiting beliefs, relationships, communication patterns, boundaries, emotional intimacy, trust, family of origin experiences, adverse childhood grief and loss, chronic illness, and life transitions/adjustments.

To read more about Kristen, click here

Kyle ‘Gus’ Stephan, Supervisee in Social Work

My role is to help you make sense of who you are and how you got here, what ways of relating are working and where there are misses, and how to create the relationships you long for. 

In my work with children, teens, and families, I know the behaviors of your child or teen can always be made sense of when we view them through the lens of seeking connection, security, co-regulation, or validation. 

I also know that as a parent or caregiver, your heartfelt goals are to communicate to your child or teen that they are important, valued, and loved. 

I make space for everyone’s resourceful, surprising, brilliant, and sometimes limiting patterns, responses, and adaptations. Together, we can build a shared language for talking about your relationships, behaviors, and hurts so that you can navigate the trails and joys of life through every developmental stage. We all need help to build out our toolbox and learn what works for each person.

In my work with couples, I can help you explore your relationship patterns, playing out in conscious or unconscious ways, that create disconnection, stress, and conflict within your relationship.

I honor the difficulty, pain, and incongruent nature of conflict with the very person you long to be closest to. Recurring cycles in your love relationship can be extremely taxing, disorienting, and frustrating. I can help you find opportunities for connection, uncover the needs that underpin your dance, and support you to be more open, accessible, and responsive to one another.

Clients I work with: Children aged 2 to 18, families, caregivers/parents, couples, and adult individuals.

Issues I work with: Anxiety, depression, parenting strategies, emotional regulation, coping skills, interpersonal and family dynamics, communication, loss and grief, identity exploration, life transitions, self-worth, trust, attachment, defiance, behavioral concerns, school issues, and men’s mental health.

To read more about Gus, click here

Aysha Kemp, Supervisee in Social Work

Life and relationships sometimes offer inaccurate messages about who we are, what we deserve, and what is available to us. Where you have felt invalidated, shamed, limited, or unsafe, I want to help you rewrite your story. I am passionate about connection, communication, mind-body-soul healing, and guiding others into their light.

I support individuals and teen families in identifying patterns such as over-functioning, perfectionism, people-pleasing, shutting down, withdrawing, or focusing on tasks. As we explore the roots of these strategies, we can find new ways to relate, meet needs, build self-worth, and heal old hurts.

As a veteran and therapist of color, I am invested in serving the needs of military service members and minority individuals and families. Whatever your story, I can be alongside you in your important work of self-discovery, healing, and leaning into connection, vulnerability, and authenticity. You deserve to feel safe, healed, seen and understood.

Clients I work with: Adult individuals, children aged 13 to 18 and their families, caregivers, and parents.

Issues I work with: Relationships, communication, emotional intimacy, self-discovery, anxiety, depression, life transitions, mind-body-soul connection, self-esteem, healthy coping mechanisms, relational patterns, trauma healing, life purpose, trust, identity, emotional wounds, and emotional regulation.

To read more about Aysha, click here

Anwar Taylor, Resident in Marriage and Family Therapy

When we are in conflict, disconnection, or misunderstanding with a loved one, we all experience distress. Our protective strategies come alive- we shut down, criticize, go numb, or pursue for reconnection. We find ourselves in the same old dance, talking different relational languages we can’t seem to reconcile, having the same old fight.

I help individuals, couples, and families talk about what is happening inside them, identify needs, and understand what is at the core of any recurring patterns. I make space for all the ways life has shaped each of you, how this impacts your interactions, and where the misses are taking place.

I can help you build a new map for getting what you need, individually and together. Where you have developed limiting beliefs, protectors, or relational strategies that no longer fit, we can make space to explore, process, and heal. My goal is for you to release the things that hold you back, so you are freed up to live with calm, security, and connection.

Where you may have needed to protect, bury, or deny painful experiences or unmet needs, I can help you heal and process. Together, we can build on your innate strengths, resources, and resiliency so you feel confident about the change you are creating, retain ownership of your successes, and trust that you can effectively navigate future moments of need.

Clients I work with: Adult individuals and couples

Issues I work with: Relationship patterns, communication, emotional intimacy, trust, life transitions, grief and loss, trauma, identity, self-worth, family of origin/issues from childhood, intergenerational patterns, premarital/pre-commitment concerns, attachment styles, emotion regulation, anxiety, depression, sexual concerns, men’s mental health, military life, and first responders.

To read more about Anwar, click here

Grace VanDerMeid, Resident in Marriage and Family Therapy

We all find ways to adapt and survive moments of disconnect, invalidation, or criticism. This can often mean we hold beliefs about ourselves that are limiting, worry that we have to hide or minimize parts of who we are, deny certain emotions, hustle for our worth, and/or build up layers of protection.

We may find ourselves stuck in a conflict between parts of us that long for connection and belonging and parts that strive to protect us from the possibility of further pain, rejection, or disconnection. This internal conflict can frequently play out in our important relationships in ways that create conflict, distance, frustration, and confusion.

I believe in creating an experience for deeper self-exploration, healing, and compassion. Whether you are an individual, couple, or adolescent my goal is to create a space of self-led and directive healing so that you can live with greater security and confidence and build more satisfying relationships.

I support couples to explore and address the emotional experiences and unmet needs that underpin misunderstandings, ruptures in security, and conflicts. We focus on creating an emotionally accessible and responsive space where both of you can deepen connection, rebuild trust and security, and find more open and satisfying ways to relate.

I work with families to create a solid map for navigating the challenges, changes, and transitions of life. I work with children aged 2 to 18 and their parents by providing support, validation, normalization, and maps for secure relationships that are particularly relevant in times of need. I help families through these times in ways that protect and nurture your connection, as the greatest resource your children will have during the stressors of living.

Clients I work with: Adult individuals, couples, children, families, and parents, including those with autism and ADHD. 

Issues I work with: Communication, family and couple dynamics, recurring patterns or disagreements, emotional connection and intimacy, chronic illness, disability, neurodiversity, parenting, emotion regulation, life transitions, self-worth, grief and loss, trauma, blended families, cultural and identity issues, intergenerational patterns, issues from childhood, family of origin concerns, cycle breaking, school issues, behavioral issues, military life, conflict, and financial stress.

To read more about Grace, click here

Sophie Borchers, LMT, and Zen Shiatsu Practitioner

She/her/hers – what are personal pronouns and why do they matter?

Our body can hold a lot as a means of protection and adaptation but it is not always clear about when it can release these strategies and return to balance, calm, and safety. The body has innate wisdom and is wired for resilience. It knows how to heal, adapt, self-correct, and protect, and, sometimes needs support with the ‘how’. 

Embodied healing modalities such as Zen Shiatsu are helpful in retraining our nervous system to react appropriately to external stimuli. At its core, when there is disconnection, we may find our bodies automatically responding or sending signals that send us into a parasympathetic (fight/flight) or functional freeze states when there is no threat present. These “up” and “down” dysregulated states can feel like a rollercoaster or pendulum wildly swinging from one side to the other. This process can leave us feeling exhausted, defeated, unprepared, vigilant, or worse.

The problem is NOT you and you are not alone. Your system and its symptoms are just an expression, an indication, of how hard your body has worked to protect you based on your lived experiences. It is possible to create change, find more satisfying and calm ways of being, and support a gentler and more secure relationship with the world around you.

Clients I work with: Adult individuals and children 8 years old and above. 

Issues I work with: Muscle and joint pain, quality sleep, respiration, energy levels, stress, trauma, digestive disturbances, anxiety, depression, symptoms of PTSD, neuropathy, pregnancy, post-natal wellness, chronic health conditions, mystery pain, autoimmune disorders, sympathetic nervous system resets, and emotionally overwhelming or dysregulated states.

To read more about Sophie, click here

To learn more about Zen Shiatsu services, click here