AEDP therapy in VAndalia and across IL
A gentle relational approach to healing
Have you tried traditional talk therapy but not seen the change you were hoping for?
You may already understand your story intellectually.
You’ve reflected deeply, read the books, prayed through it, maybe even sat in therapy before. But your body still feels stuck carrying something your mind can’t seem to resolve.
Maybe you live with..
Chronic Tension
Exhaustion, Gut Issues, Pain
Numbness or a nervous system that feels constantly on edge.
Maybe you’ve spent YEARS trying to manage your symptoms or hold everything together, without realizing how deeply your body has adapted around survival, over-functioning, and unresolved attachment wounds.
At times, you may feel frustrated by how quickly you become overwhelmed… or how hard it is to stay present, connected, or safe in your own body.
You may have even had experiences in therapy that felt too fast, too cognitive, or left you feeling like you were trying to keep up, rather than being met where you actually were.
I imagine you’ve done a LOT of work on your own, but still feel like something deeper hasn’t shifted.
If that’s been your experience, it’s not because you haven’t tried hard enough—and it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.
Often, it means you haven’t had a space where your story, your body, and your relationships could be slowed down, supported, and worked with in a way that helps your whole system feel safe enough to stay present for healing.
AEDP is a good fit for you if you…
You've been to therapy before but still feel like something hasn't fully shifted.
You understand your experiences intellectually, but your emotional or physical responses still feel overwhelming.
You want therapy that moves at a pace your nervous system can actually sustain.
You're looking for more than coping strategies—you want deeper, lasting healing.
You long for a therapist who is actively engaged with you rather than sitting quietly across the room.
You want to understand yourself with greater compassion instead of judgment.
Real healing begins when your body finally feels safe enough to stop surviving and start connecting.
Here are some of the ways you may experience this in our sessions..
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In our work together, you won’t be left to navigate difficult experiences on your own. I stay present and engaged with you throughout the process, so when something feels vulnerable, overwhelming, or hard to put into words, you don’t have to hold it by yourself.
At times, I may gently check in about how you’re experiencing me in those moments, because the relationship we’re building together is part of the healing.
You might hear me ask things like:
“What do you notice on my face as you share that?”
or
“How are you experiencing me right now as you’re talking about this?”These moments help create a different kind of experience: one where you feel seen, met, and not alone in what you’re going through.
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Rather than only talking about your experiences, we’ll slow things down and pay attention to what’s happening in real time.
This might include noticing what you’re feeling emotionally, what thoughts are coming up, and how your body is responding in the moment.
You might hear me ask:
“Where do you notice that in your body?”
‘What’s coming up for you right now?”
“What’s happening inside as you say that?”These gentle check-ins help us remain grounded in what you’re experiencing, so nothing important gets pushed aside or moved through too quickly.
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There’s no expectation to go faster than what feels manageable. If something begins to feel overwhelming, we slow down. If something feels important, we make space for it.
At times, you might notice yourself starting to feel distant, checked out, or disconnected in session, especially when something feels like too much. That’s a very natural way your system protects you.
If that happens, you won’t be left to navigate it on your own.
I’ll gently help you reconnect to the present moment in a way that feels steady and supportive. You might hear me say:
“I’m right here with you.”
“We can slow this down together.”
“Let’s take this one step at a time.”There may be other times we bring in simple, body-based practices—like noticing your breath, your surroundings, or small movements—to help you feel more grounded and connected.
You may hear gentle invitations like:
“Can we stay with this for just a moment?”
“Let’s go at a pace that feels okay for you.”And because this is a real relationship, there may be moments where I don’t get it exactly right. If that happens, I’ll be intentional about slowing down and repairing with you so you don’t have to carry that experience alone or move past it without being seen.
Those moments can be deeply meaningful. They create space for something different to happen in real time, where connection is restored, and your system can begin to experience what it’s like to be met, understood, and stayed with.
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At times, you may notice different parts of you showing up:
a part that wants to stay present,
and another part that wants to pull away, shut down, or protect you.Rather than trying to get rid of those responses, we’ll gently get to know them with curiosity and care.
You might hear something like:
“There’s a part of you that wants to stay, and another part that’s pulling back—can we notice both?”
“What does that part of you need right now?”
“Can we make space for that, without trying to change it?”This helps create room for your experience, instead of feeling like you have to fight against it.
At the end of the day, I want you to know:
Healing doesn't happen because you try harder. It happens because your mind, body, relationships, and faith begin experiencing something new
How this approach creates lasting change
You will walk away with..
A greater sense of safety and ease within your body, even during difficult emotions.
The ability to stay present with your experiences instead of feeling overwhelmed, shut down, or disconnected.
Greater compassion toward yourself and the parts of you that have been trying to protect you.
Lasting change that comes from experiencing healing-not just understanding it.
More confidence in your ability to navigate life’s challenges with greater steadiness and resilience.
A deeper sense of connection with yourself, your relationships, and your relationship with God.
Your story is welcome here.
“May you come to find that the heartbeat of God is in you and with you as you embrace this journey”- Aundi Kolber
Questions?
FAQs
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What is AEDP therapy?
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) is an attachment-based, experiential approach that helps people move beyond simply understanding their struggles and begin experiencing lasting emotional change. Rather than only talking about difficult experiences, we'll gently slow them down together, paying attention to what's happening in your emotions, your body, and our therapeutic relationship. This creates opportunities for healing that often extend beyond insight alone.
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Many of my clients come to therapy with a good understanding of why they struggle, yet still find themselves feeling stuck in the same emotional or relational patterns. AEDP is different because we don't stop at insight. Together, we'll slow down and work with your experience as it's happening in the moment, creating new emotional experiences that can lead to deeper and more lasting change.
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Just as God often transforms us through relationship, the therapeutic relationship becomes a place where safety, grace, and new experiences can foster healing.
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These questions are very purposeful. They're invitations to gently notice and work with experiences as they're unfolding, which is often where meaningful healing begins.