Taana Abbitt, Licensed Clinical Therapist

🌿 Meet Taana Abbitt, LCSW

Trauma & Anxiety Therapist in Arizona | EMDR, IFS, Somatic & Experiential Therapy

Welcome. I’m so glad you’re here.

I’m Taana Abbitt, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 24 years of experience, helping people heal from trauma, anxiety, and the lasting impacts of childhood experiences. I provide individual therapy to adults across Arizona—both in-person and virtually—through my private practice, The Awakened Heart.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like no one really “gets” what you’re going through, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to carry it all by yourself.

A Therapist Who Truly Gets It

My passion for this work began when I was 22 years old ( 29 years ago!).

As as an undergrad student at Virginia Tech, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a domestic violence and sexual assault crisis center called The Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley. That experience was the birth of my lifelong professional commitment to supporting trauma survivors with compassion and expertise.

I am a deeply attuned, experiential trauma therapist who blends clinical wisdom with lived empathy.

With 24 years of professional experience and extensive training in EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Psychodrama, I bring a uniquely creative, integrative, and experiential approach to healing.

But what stands out most isn’t just my clinical knowledge —it’s how I show up. Clients feel safe with me because I get it. I know what it’s like to carry anxiety rooted in trauma, to feel stuck even after trying to “think your way out,” and to long for relief that feels deeper than words. My work is infused with compassion, creativity, and a deep respect for each client’s inner wisdom.

I am especially skilled at helping people who’ve been through years of talk therapy but haven’t felt internal shifts and lasting change. I know how to guide people beyond insight—into embodied healing, emotional release, and real integration. I believe healing is not about fixing what’s broken, but reclaiming what was buried, hidden, or suppressed.

I am warm and collaborative—and deeply invested in both my clients and my craft. A therapeutic relationship with me doesn’t feel cold or clinical—it feels real, safe, and gently transformative.

🧠 How I Work: Integrative, Gentle & Effective

I’m trained in a wide range of powerful, evidence-based trauma therapies, including:

• EMDR and Attachment-Focused EMDR (trained by Dr. Laurel Parnell)
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (Level 1 completed)
• Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Parts Work
• Psychodrama

These approaches allow me to tailor transformative therapy experiences to you—your pace, your story, and your needs. I work flexibly and collaboratively, offering a safe, non-judgmental space where you can finally feel seen, understood, and gently guided through the places you feel stuck.

🌱 Areas of Specialization

I work best with adults who are ready to move beyond survival and do the work of healing. Clients often come to me for help with:

• Childhood trauma and wounds
• Single-incident trauma (One bad thing that happened one time)
• Anxiety, panic, and chronic worry
• Phobias or OCD that hasn’t responded to Exposure and Response Prevention treatment
• People-pleasing, perfectionism, codependence and low self-worth
• Burnout, emotional overwhelm, and nervous system dysregulation
• Therapy for therapists, doctors and nurses – especially Emergency Department workers
• Recovering from toxic relationships or emotional neglect

If you’ve tried talk therapy before but didn’t feel like it helped enough, experiential trauma work may be what you’ve been missing.

🎓 Credentials & Clinical Training

I hold an independent clinical license in Arizona (LCSW) and earned my Master’s in Social Work from Radford University in 2001. Over the years, I’ve trained with some of the most respected trauma experts in the field, including:

• Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
• Dr. Peter Levine
• Dr. Claudia Black
• Dr. Roger Solomon
• Dr. Laurel Parnell
• Dr. Tian Dayton
• Dr. Julie Anné Zeig

I’ve completed over 200 hours of EMDR training and consultation, including specialized protocols for addictive or compulsive behaviors, complex trauma, and parts work integration.

I’m also one of only 1,500 U.S. therapists trained in EMDR 2.0, a cutting-edge, accelerated trauma therapy approach.

💬 What Colleagues Say

“Taana is one of the most talented therapists I’ve known in my career. She’s results-oriented but always leads with empathy. I highly recommend her to both new and seasoned therapy clients.”
— Debra S., Clinical Psychologist

Did you know? It’s illegal for therapists to ask clients to write online testimonials or reviews. That’s why you won’t see client testimonials on my website, or lots of Google Reviews. I respect my client’s confidentiality, and the laws against this.

About My Practice

I currently see clients through my private practice, The Awakened Heart, LLC, where I offer:

Individual therapy for adults

Trauma and anxiety treatment

Virtual therapy for Arizona residents

In-person sessions in Tempe, AZ

📍Serving:

Tempe • Phoenix • Scottsdale • Mesa • Chandler • Tucson • And all across Arizona via secure telehealth

🤝 Let’s Begin Your Healing Journey

Healing isn’t about “getting over it.” It’s about becoming more fully yourself—safe, connected, and free. Whether you’re brand new to therapy or you’ve tried many approaches and still feel stuck, I meet you with deep respect and the tools to help you move forward.

Ready to get started? Reach out to schedule a consultation or ask questions. I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

You can read more about my qualifications below:

My credentials and education:

I am an independently Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Arizona. This is the highest level of licensure available in our field, and required the successful completion of 3200 hours of supervised work experience, as well as passing two rigorous national clinical exams. I have had numerous clinical supervisors who helped me improve over the years.

I completed a 61 credit master’s degree in Social Work at Radford University in Virginia, in 2001.

During graduate school, I met the qualifications to be invited to join Phi Alpha, the national social work honor society, dedicated to excellence in scholarship and high professional standards. This requires a minimum graduate GPA of 3.5.

I completed a bachelor of arts degree in English, with concentrations in Theater Arts and Women’s Studies, at Virginia Tech in 1998.

Some recent trainings relevant to my current practice:

I have completed Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Level 1 training and consultation hours.

I am currently engaged in EMDR certification hours through EMDRIA.

Integrating Yoga Techniques in EMDR.

Training in Psychodrama with Soozi Bolte, Grayce Guzmano, Marlo Archer, and Deb Gion, our local Arizona psychodrama experts (my words, not theirs)!

Training in Psychodrama by Tian Dayton.

Training in Somatic Experiencing by Peter Levine.

Training in addiction family systems and recovery by Claudia Black.

Training in EMDR 2.0 by Ad De Jong. I am one of only 1500 therapists in the US currently using EMDR 2.0.

EMDR DeTUR Training: Urge Reduction Protocol for addictions and dysfunctional behaviors–The Accelerated Adaptive Information Processing Model.

Training in Utilization of EMDR Therapy with Complex Trauma by Roger Solomon, PhD.

Training in Addressing Attachment issues through the 8 phases of EMDR Therapy by Roger Solomon, PhD.

IFS informed EMDR therapy for Addiction and Relapse Prevention by Susan Brown.

87 hours of training in Attachment-Focused EMDR by Laurel Parnell, plus 10 hours of consultation with her.

EMDR and the Dance of Attachment, by Deany Laliotis.

IFS & PARTS WORK 101: REAL LIFE SKILLS by Marianne Turley.

Internal Family Systems by Frank Anderson, MD.

40 hour basic training in EMDR and 10 hours of consultation – Ira Dressner, PhD.