🌿 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, LCSW, a Tempe therapist with over 25 years of clinical experience. I am a depth-oriented, highly attuned therapist who helps high-functioning, self-critical clients with anxiety, trauma, or phobias do meaningful, lasting internal work without feeling overwhelmed.

Clients describe me as warm, grounded, and easy to talk to, creating a space that feels safe, calm, and free from judgment. My steady, patient approach allows clients to go deeper at a pace that feels manageable, while my expertise in EMDR, somatic therapy, and parts work supports meaningful, lasting change. Clients often share that they leave therapy feeling grounded and more like themselves again, with greater confidence, clarity, and self-trust.

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 ( almost 30 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 passion and commitment to supporting trauma survivors with compassion and expertise.

Fast forward all those years, and I have grown into a deeply attuned, experiential trauma therapist who blends clinical wisdom and extensive training with lived empathy. The type of clients I specialize in are my people. I first discovered the high quality therapy modalities I now use, when I experienced them in my own therapy! I was blown away by how powerful and transformative they can be.

With 25 years of professional experience and extensive training in EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS) Ego State Therapy (Parts work), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (somatic therapy), 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. 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.

What’s it like to work with me?

Many of the people I work with have tried therapy before. They’ve done the work. They’ve read the books. They may even understand themselves on a cognitive level. And yet, something still feels stuck.

Clients often come to me after feeling:

  • misunderstood in previous therapy
  • judged or rushed
  • like they were “doing therapy wrong”
  • or like they were only learning how to cope, not actually change

What makes this work different is not just the approach. It’s how we work together.

Clients tell me they experience me as:

  • warm and easy to talk to
  • grounded and steady
  • present and keenly aware
  • patient, without pressure, burnout or frustration
  • able to help them go deeper without becoming overwhelmed

I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. I pay close attention to how your system responds, and we adjust the work so it actually fits you. There is no “right way” to do therapy here.

This work is deep, but not overwhelming. Structured, but not rigid. Effective, but not rushed.

Over time, clients don’t just feel better. They begin to:

  • trust themselves
  • respond instead of react
  • set boundaries more easily
  • feel more like who they actually are

This is therapy that works beneath the surface, creating meaningful, lasting change.

🧠 How I Work: Integrative, Gentle & Effective

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

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 treatmen
  • 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). Over the years, I’ve trained with some of the most respected trauma experts in the field, including:

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 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 wonderful clinical supervisors who mentored and trained me 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.

I currently see clients through my private practice, The Awakened Heart, đź“ŤServing:

Tempe • Phoenix • Scottsdale • Mesa • Chandler • Ahwatukee • 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? Contact me here. I’d be honored to help facilitate your healing!

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