Kris Downing, LCSW-S, SEP
(She/Her) |
Counselor:
Adults, Children, Families, Parents
Kris is a licensed clinical social worker and Somatic Experiencing practitioner with 25 years of experience helping individuals feel more connected to their true selves and find greater happiness in relationships. Her warm, relational style combines cognitive and expressive therapies with somatic mind-body work to promote deeper healing. She draws on her training in trauma-focused therapy including EMDR, as well as EFT tapping, mindfulness practices and sandtray therapy.
Kris approaches each person’s experience with curiosity and care, listening and gently guiding them to find more self-compassion and trust in their own wisdom. Kris supports adults to strengthen their emotional regulation skills, manage anxiety, heal from grief and loss, and break free of unhealthy patterns and limiting beliefs that may keep them feeling stuck. She helps individuals attune to the flow of communication between their mind and body. This allows them to move forward with a greater felt sense of safety and confidence.
In her playful work with kids, Kris appreciates that play is how children communicate their feelings and needs and develop important life skills. She finds creative ways to nurture the child’s social and emotional development, executive function skills and self-efficacy. Kris helps caregivers to be their child’s best advocate at home and school and improve parent-teacher-child communication. She values the parent’s perspective and relies on them as partners in their child’s healing. She is the adoptive mom of two neurodivergent sons with ADHD and has learned a wealth of humility about parenting!