The Awakened Heart Therapy and Consulting
Heal From Anxiety and Trauma. Find Your Peace.
You don’t have to keep holding it all together.
You may look like you’re managing on the outside, but inside you’re overwhelmed, anxious, and exhausted. Maybe you’re stuck in old patterns—people-pleasing, over-functioning, over-thinking, or planning for the worst case scenario. You’re either on guard or completely checked out.
You might be carrying trauma from your past, including childhood experiences that still echo in your relationships, sense of self, or how you see things. If you’re tired of just coping and want real healing, I can help. My approach is body-centered, trauma-informed, and compassionate. I’ve been there, and I get it.
If anxiety is starting to take over your day-to-day life and you’re feeling stuck in survival mode, trauma-informed therapy can help you reconnect with the present, a sense of internal safety, and your authentic self.
Trauma doesn’t just live in your memory—it lives in your nervous system and impacts how you function day to day. That is why talk therapy or CBT can only help so much.
I help adults process anxiety, emotions and past trauma safely using EMDR, somatic therapy, and parts work. Together, we will understand and reduce emotional triggers, increase your internal sense of safety, and help you move forward with more peace and freedom.
Let’s explore if it feels right to work together…
Schedule your free 20-minute consultation today.
Hi, I’m Taana Abbitt, LCSW, Independently Licensed Therapist in Arizona
I’ve spent the last 24 years helping people with various mental health challenges. Now, I work exclusively with adults to guide in healing emotional wounds that keep them stuck in anxiety, overwhelm, over-functioning, or survival mode. My clients are high-functioning on the outside—but inside, they feel scattered, exhausted, and disconnected.
I get it, because I lived so many years of my life feeling that way. I first learned about the methods I use from amazing therapists who helped me to heal.
Now I help other people heal from deep wounds that traditional talk therapy couldn’t touch. I use a mix of EMDR, mindfulness, and body-based techniques to help you feel more at home and safe in your mind and body.
You deserve to feel grounded and alive—not just functional. My goal is to help you build a self that feels safe and connected.
If you’re stuck in worry, perfectionism, or people-pleasing, therapy can help you slow down and find calm within. I work with clients to understand the roots of their anxiety and build emotional resilience from the inside out. Together, we can do this!
More about Taana:
Highly Qualified – I am an independently licensed therapist in Arizona.
Highly Experienced – I have 24 years of practice experience.
Highly Trusted – I have had the honor of working with thousands of people over my career.
Highly Trained – I have over 200 hours of EMDR therapy training and extensive training in other specialty therapy methods.
I help people who want to:
- Process distressing emotions and difficult experiences
- Develop a healthy relationship with their inner, authentic selves and their emotions
- Show up in a healthy way in relationships
- Work to achieve lasting relief from anxiety and trauma symptoms
How is my work and perspective different?
As an independently licensed therapist, I bring depth, a high level of training, and many years of experience to my work. My approach goes beyond talk therapy and combines EMDR, IFS, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and psychodrama—offering a holistic path to true healing that honors both mind and body.
“I have known and worked with Taana as both her supervisor and a colleague since 2015. She continually amazes me with insight, empathy, and compassion for all those she works with. Her vast range of experience in many different environments of care sets her apart from other clinicians by giving her a perspective that is unique and comprehensive.
I am also always struck by Taana’s desire to continue to learn and grow as a clinician and that knowledge combined with her innate instincts make her one of the most talented clinicians that I have ever worked with. I would not hesitate to refer the people I care most about in the world to her for care and treatment.” – Sonia S., LCSW, Clinical Director
I provide trauma-informed therapy for these mental health issues:
- Anxiety
- Phobias
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Complex trauma (Childhood trauma)
- Low Self-Esteem and Insecurities
- Inner Critic
- Perfectionism
- Codependence or people-pleasing
Experiential therapy for healing the effects of childhood trauma.
Many anxiety problems in adults stem from unresolved past experiences. Events or circumstances that felt overwhelming during your childhood or teen years can leave a lasting impact, shaping how you feel and behave as an adult.
The typical approach to therapy for anxiety disorders is to treat the symptoms, often by trying to teach people to over-ride their emotions with logic and to use skills (CBT and DBT).
But, typical therapy for anxiety falls short when it doesn’t identify or address the root causes. Without that, symptoms can persist or come back, and that can feel discouraging.
But there can be a path to freedom and peace.
I offer help to identify and resolve the root causes of anxiety disorders using experiential therapy.
I use EMDR Therapy, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy or Ego-State Therapy, and Psychodrama.
Trauma Therapy for Adults in Tempe, AZ
Trauma isn’t just a memory—it’s an imprint left in your nervous system. I provide trauma therapy that goes beyond talk therapy, using body-based and experiential methods like EMDR, IFS, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and Psychodrama to help you move toward true relief and integration.
EMDR Therapy (In-Person & Online)
EMDR is a powerful, research-supported method that helps people process trauma safely. I offer EMDR therapy to clients across Arizona, both in my Tempe office and online via secure telehealth. I have over 200 hours of training in using EMDR to address many different types of problems.
IFS & Parts Work
Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps you connect with the younger, protective, or reactive parts of yourself that formed in response to life’s pain. This inner work creates space for deep healing, compassion, and self-leadership.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a body-centered approach to healing trauma. It helps you become more aware of how your body holds stress, fear, and unresolved emotions—especially when words aren’t enough. By gently tracking physical sensations and movement patterns, we work together to release trauma held in the nervous system and restore a sense of safety and connection.
Psychodrama (for Individuals)
Psychodrama is an experiential therapy that uses role play, imagination, and guided action to explore emotions, inner conflicts, and life experiences. In individual sessions, we use objects, movement, and creative techniques to help you safely express and process what words alone can’t reach. This powerful approach can bring clarity, emotional release, and a deeper connection to your authentic self.
I provide in-person therapy in Tempe, Arizona or to people located any where in Arizona through a secure telehealth platform.
Voicemail: 480-687-7631
Services are provided by appointment only. No emergency or crisis response services are provided through this outpatient practice.
Did you know? Only a licensed therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric nurse practitioner has the education, training, and legal permission to provide assessment, interventions or treatment for mental health problems. Any unlicensed person claiming to provide help for a mental health problem is operating outside of Arizona state laws. No certifications of any kind qualify a person to provide mental health services.
You can read more about this here – Coaching vs. Therapy.
Wondering if experiential therapy would be right for you?
I accept a limited number of clients that I believe would have good outcomes from the types of therapy I use.
Experiential therapy is a good choice if:
You are able to connect with your emotions and body. People who have some experience with yoga, meditation, or mindfulness do really well with the experiential therapy techniques I use.
You are able to visualize in your mind’s eye and think abstractly and creatively rather than concretely (Can you picture a lemon? Can you pick an object to represent your Boss?).
You have tried some general or talk therapy, and feel ready to do deeper work to try and resolve emotional issues.
You recognize that growth in therapy requires tolerating emotions and situations that may feel uncomfortable, and you’re willing to put in the work.
You’ve talked about your trauma with a therapist, but it still hijacks your thoughts, emotions, and behavior and keeps you stuck. You realize talking about it isn’t enough.
You have tried logic-based therapy like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but you still have anxiety and trauma responses stuck in your body and mind (CBT is effective for 40-50% of people).
You have tried Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP) for OCD or a phobia, but you just keep developing new obsessions or compulsive behaviors, or the phobia persists.
You are in couple’s counseling, and you want to do some individual processing of experiences or trauma.
You know your current symptoms are probably rooted in childhood experiences or trauma, and you are looking for a therapist who can expertly facilitate this work.
You are ready and willing to do some focused trauma work.
Experiential therapy will not be a good fit right now if:
You are not able to keep yourself safe in your daily life and take care of your basic needs.
You are not able to invest in therapy sessions at least twice a month, without it being a hardship. This is the minimum necessary to build and maintain momentum towards your goals.
You have suicidal or homicidal thoughts (A higher level of care is appropriate).
You have self-harm behavior like cutting, burning, head banging, or hitting (A Dialectic Behavior Therapy program is recommended).
You have Dissociative Identity Disorder. This is beyond my skill set. There are therapists who specialize in working with DID.
You have intense anger, blame other people and take your anger out on other people (A therapist who specializes in Borderline Personality Disorder is recommended).
You don’t take responsibility for improving your problems and are looking to be “fixed” or “rescued” by someone else.
You struggle to maintain sobriety from drugs or alcohol, and it feels out of your control (Substance abuse IOP is recommended).
You are invested in defending the idea that you don’t have trauma.
You don’t want to talk about the past.
You are looking for a “step-by-step” guide to getting better. This type of work is dynamic and creative.
You are looking for a type of therapy with “homework,” (that is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy).
Ready to Start Your Healing Journey?
The process of facing anxiety and trauma can be daunting, but the rewards—peace, strength, and freedom—make the effort worthwhile. Life is too short to live in the shadow of old wounds and old circumstances.
Break Free from the Past
Trauma acts like an invisible chain, anchoring us to the past. When we confront it, we begin to release ourselves from its grip. This freedom allows us to live in the present instead of being held back by the past.
Build Healthier Relationships
Unprocessed trauma often creates emotional walls or toxic patterns in relationships. By addressing it, you can heal wounds that might otherwise harm your ability to connect with others. You’ll learn to build trust and intimacy and live authentically.
Improve Mental and Physical Health
Trauma can manifest as anxiety, depression, or physical issues like chronic pain. Studies show that processing trauma reduces stress, improves sleep, and enhances overall well-being. Your mind and body deserve the care that healing offers.
Take Back Control
Ignoring trauma gives it power over your life—your decisions, behaviors, and reactions. Confronting it helps you reclaim control and develop resilience, turning pain into strength.
Discover Your True Potential
Trauma often distorts how we see ourselves, and creates feelings of shame or inadequacy. Healing helps you discover your self-worth, gives you confidence to pursue goals and dreams that once felt out of reach.
Create a Ripple Effect
Healing isn’t just for you—it benefits everyone around you. When you address your trauma, you set an example for loved ones and create a healthier environment for your family, friends, and community.