Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy

Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) is a trauma-informed, experiential therapy that helps you heal through emotion, connection, and the body’s natural capacity for resilience. Rather than focusing only on managing symptoms, AEDP supports you in gently accessing the feelings underneath what you’re going through so you can move through them, not around them.

At its core, AEDP is based on a simple truth: many of our struggles (anxiety, shutdown, people-pleasing, overwhelm, relationship pain) are not signs that something is “wrong” with you, they’re often protective responses shaped by what you’ve lived through. AEDP offers a steady, compassionate space to explore those responses and build a deeper sense of safety, clarity, and self-trust.

How Does AEDP Work?

AEDP is an “in the moment” approach that pays attention to what’s happening right now, in your emotions, your nervous system, and your relationships. Sessions often include talking, but also a slower, more felt sense of your inner experience.

In therapy, we may:

• Slow down to notice emotions as they arise (instead of pushing them away or overthinking them)

• Track body sensations and nervous system responses (like tightness, numbness, heat, tears, agitation)

• Identify protective patterns (such as avoiding, intellectualizing, caretaking, perfectionism, or shutting down)

• Work with difficult feelings safely, like grief, anger, fear, shame, or longing so they can move through rather than stay stuck

• Strengthen experiences of safety, connection, and self-compassion

• Notice and build on moments of relief, insight, or “something shifting” so change becomes integrated and lasting

AEDP is also highly relational. The therapeutic relationship is not neutral or distant, it’s a meaningful part of the healing. Many people find that having their experience met with steadiness, attunement, and care can be deeply reparative, especially if their emotions weren’t welcomed or supported in the past.

What Makes AEDP Different?

AEDP is unique because it doesn’t just explore pain, it also pays close attention to what helps you heal.

Some of the key features include:

• Experiential healing: we work with real emotion in real time, not only insight or analysis

• A focus on safety and pacing: we go gently, respecting your nervous system and readiness

• Transformation, not just coping: the goal is deeper emotional freedom and self-trust

• Healing through connection: feeling supported, understood, and not alone is part of the therapy

• Strength-based and resilience-oriented: we build on what’s already strong in you, even if it doesn’t feel obvious yet

What Can AEDP Help With?

AEDP can be helpful for many concerns, especially when emotions feel intense, confusing, or difficult to access. It may support you with:

• Trauma and PTSD (including relational trauma and complex trauma)

• Anxiety, chronic stress, and panic

• Depression, numbness, or feeling disconnected from yourself

• Shame, self-criticism, and low self-worth

• Emotional overwhelm or difficulty regulating feelings

• People-pleasing, perfectionism, and fear of disappointing others

• Attachment wounds and relationship struggles (trust, closeness, conflict patterns)

• Grief, loss, and unresolved emotional pain

• Life transitions, burnout, and feeling “stuck”

What Does an AEDP Session Feel Like?

Many people describe AEDP as gentle but powerful. Sessions often feel grounding, emotionally present, and deeply human.

You won’t be pushed to “relive” painful experiences or share more than you’re ready for. Instead, we focus on creating safety and staying connected to what’s manageable so your system can process emotions without becoming flooded or shut down.

Sometimes sessions involve tears or strong feelings; other times they involve relief, warmth, calm, or clarity. Often, it’s a mix. The goal is to help your emotions become less frightening, less overwhelming, and more workable so you can feel more like yourself.

Is AEDP Right for You?

You don’t need a diagnosis to benefit from AEDP. This approach may be a good fit if you:

• Feel stuck in patterns you understand logically but can’t change emotionally

• Struggle with anxiety, shutdown, or emotional overwhelm

• Carry shame or harsh self-criticism

• Feel disconnected from your feelings or your body

• Long for deeper connection with yourself or others but find it hard to access

• Want therapy that is both compassionate and transformative, not just focused on symptom management

If you’re looking for an approach that helps you feel more grounded, emotionally free, and connected, AEDP may be a supportive next step.

Begin Your Healing Journey

You deserve a space where your emotions are met with care, where your pace is respected, and where healing feels possible. AEDP can help you build a stronger relationship with yourself, move through what’s been held inside, and create meaningful change from the inside out.

If you’d like to explore whether AEDP is a fit, reach out to schedule a consultation.