Allison Brunner, LCSW
Message from Allison
Those of you who are highly sensitive and feel a lot, welcome! You and I will explore more deeply together than in traditional talk therapy. You’ve likely tried psychotherapy before but have noticed that the work has either gone nowhere or taken you only so far, or you felt misunderstood. With an uncanny and intuitive ability to really “get” people from many walks of life, I will invite you to go beneath your thoughts, connect with your body and emotions, and gently access the root of your emotional discomfort and hurts to facilitate noticeable shifts with each session. Using mindful, somatic psychology (and shamanic energy if you wish), we'll facilitate deeper, more lasting healing so that you can live and embody your full potential. Somatic approaches (like The Hakomi Method) are evidence-based and rewire the brain for permanent change, according to neuroscienctific research. With 16+ years of experience in psychotherapy and coaching other therapists, I'll help you to alleviate anxiety and depression; navigate emotions confidently; boost self-compassion and self-esteem; set healthy boundaries; and improve relationships that are supportive of you while caring for yourself enough to walk away from those that are not.
About Allison's practice
Weekdays After 5pm
Weekdays 9am - 5pm
$$
Sliding scale
Directive
Reflective
Body-based
In-person available: No
Virtual available: Yes
Anxiety
Depression
Self-Esteem
Codependency
Existential Crisis or Transition
Health-Related Concerns or Chronic Illness
Romantic Life
Body Image
Oxford
Oscar
United / Oxford
Optum
Cigna
Aetna
PA
Why state matters
Get to Know Allison
"Allison's superior skill is in helping you find your own answers.... She is one of the most compassionate and loving people I have ever known. Save yourself years by working with Allison. Get to the heart of the issues that hold you back."
Martha Bennett, M.A., Colleague
"Allison's superpower is compassion. She will shepherd you through the fires of transformation with the fiercest of love as you eventually come face to face with your Highest Self. Make no mistake: this alchemical journey is not for the faint of heart. I can, however, guarantee this: you'll never encounter a more skillful or unwavering guide.""
Ashley Kind, M.S.Ed., Ed.M., LPC, Colleague
"Allison has tremendous knowledge, tons of experience, and the most loving heart to assist and guide you. Allison's work is some of the best I've seen in my career. Her ability to lead and guide others is top-notch! She commits to you with your whole heart and mind."
Kendra Stimpson, LCSW, LISAC, Colleague
"Allison has a sort of magic that is rare. Having seen that in action, I would trust her to find that light in myself."
Manda Conerly, LPC, NCC, Colleague
Have you received any particular training beyond your post-Bachelor's training?
Absolutely. To me, it's crucial to receive training beyond what is offered in graduate school. I've never been a fan of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, but I wanted to know exactly why and how to perform that method effectively before judging it further. Then in 2014, I received a certificate of recognition as a Skilled Cognitive Therapist in a Community Setting from the Beck Initiative, 2014. I find that CBT keeps us stuck in our minds, and we need to go deeper, into the body, to experience real change. Thus, the most helpful training I've received was for two years in The Hakomi Method of Mindful, Somatic Psychotherapy. I've received special training to safely address trauma and release painful emotions stuck in the body through a method called Emotional Freedom Technique, for which I received a certificate as an accredited master practitioner from the Priority Academy in 2021. I continue to attend weekend trainings in Somatic Experiencing, Bioenergetics, Internal Family Systems, Gestalt Therapy, Coherence Therapy, and more.
Do you have experience (5-10 years+) working with any types of obstacles or people in particular?
Yes. My passion and greatest joy is working with Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and empaths. I received specialized training and am listed as an HSP-Knowledgeable Therapist after completing Dr. Elaine Aron’s program on Psychotherapy and the Highly Sensitive Person, 2016.
What led you to become a mental healthcare practitioner?
I used to be a journalist and editor for newspapers and magazines as well as an instructor of English as a Second Language until I felt a deeper calling. I'd been a client of somatic psychotherapy for at least a decade and had experienced profound changes and healing. I was so grateful for the help I'd received that had changed my life, I wanted to offer the same type of therapy, which at the time was nearly impossible to find in Pennsylvania. So I enrolled in a two-year training in The Hakomi Method of Mindful, Somatic Psychotherapy at The Hakomi Institute while also attending graduate school to become a clinical social worker.
Where did you work before going into private practice?
I worked for several years (2007 to 2013) with clients in community mental health in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I've also contracted for telehealth companies and coached other psychotherapists in how to translate their skills to online platforms.
Please share 2-3 anonymized examples of how the work can play out and/or look in the room so that I can form a visual or narrative of what to expect.
We begin sessions in a mindful, inner-attuned state as I guide you to bring your awareness to any emotions, physical sensations, images, memories, thoughts, or intentions for the session that are present in the now-moment that you feel curious about and want to explore. As you share with me what you notice, I'll guide you deeper into your felt experience and body (if you feel safe being embodied) or into your subconscious. We'll interact with parts of self to see what's needed (and offer what's needed) in real time so that aspects of self that froze during traumas big or small can reintegrate into wholeness. In traditional or mind-oriented therapies, you spend most of the session in ordinary consciousness, talking and analyzing, or challenging your thoughts. You and I will go deeper so that real, inner, lasting change can occur.