Clara Penati, LCSW

Clara Penati, LCSW

Clara provides a non-judgmental and individually-tailored therapeutic space for her clients. Creating a safe and comfortable environment is essential since therapy can be so daunting for anyone at any age. Clara engages each of her clients in a developmentally appropriate manner that centers their individual interests. Consequently, she draws from a variety of modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Art Therapy, and Mindfulness. As a trained EMDR therapist, Clara utilizes this method throughout her sessions to help her clients resolve their emotional “stuck points” stemming from trauma and/or any distressing past life events or negative self-beliefs.

Treatment Philosophy

Clara uses a strengths-based and holistic approach, one that honors our innate ability to heal and addresses the numerous systems impacting our lived experiences. For children and adolescents she seeks to work with families in a way that supports them in strengthening their attachment throughout their child’s development and sees this as a vital component to the success of therapy. For young adults, Clara recognizes the unique stressors and pressures that are placed on college-aged clients by society and that those can be compounded by the intersection of their identities. Lastly, Clara views her client's current stressors and symptoms within the lens of EMDR, which focuses on how our past influences how we react to current life situations.

Licensure

• North Carolina License  #C014479

Education/Training

• Master of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin
• Bachelor of Science, Tulane University
• Basic Training in EMDR, Marshall Wilinsky PH.D.
• Trauma-Informed Expressive Arts and Play Therapy, Cathy Malchiodi, Ph.D.
• Emotional Regulation with Children and Youth, Lisa Dion, LPC
• Making Sense of Anxiety in Children and Youth, Deborah MacNamara Ph.D.
• Anger and Eruptions, Rebecca Mitchell M.A, RCC
• 8 Phases of EMDR with Children & Adolescents: Integrating Play Therapy Techniques, Jacqueline Flynn, EDS, LMHC-S, RPT

Professional Affiliations

• EMDR International Association (EMDRIA)
• EMDR Canada