Tameka Whittlesey, LCSW (she/her)
Therapist in Charlotte, NC
EMDR trained and *now* offering Therapy Intensives
The world has a lot to say about who women should be...
when to build a career, when to have children, how much to endure quietly, and how quickly to “move on.” Add political uncertainty, systemic barriers, and generational expectations, and it can feel like the ground is always shifting beneath you. These experiences are deeply personal, yet they’re often met with silence, judgment, or pressure to be “strong.” That’s where the heaviness begins.
I’m a trauma therapist. I work with people who have lived through experiences that changed them; sometimes suddenly, sometimes over time. Trauma that comes from shock, from relationships, from prolonged stress, from grief and loss. Trauma that lives not just in memory, but in the body. Much of my work centers around reproductive and perinatal experiences like birth trauma, infertility, pregnancy loss, family planning, and the emotional impact of hormonal or gynecological health concerns. These are often tender, complicated experiences that don’t fit neatly into language, timelines, or expectations.
I work with women across identities and life experiences. I’m also aware that for many, especially Black women, queer women, and disabled women, the body has had to work harder just to stay afloat. When your nervous system has been shaped by medical harm, marginalization, or the quiet pressure to adapt and endure, healing asks for something different than being told to “push through.”
The work I do is not fast or forceful. We move slowly, with intention. We pay attention to what your body can hold, and we make room for rest, pauses, and integration along the way. I don’t believe healing happens through urgency. I believe it happens through safety, relationship, and time.I use body-based and trauma-focused approaches, including Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, along with Internal Family System and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, to support work that is grounded, collaborative, and respectful of your lived experience.
Healing, to me, isn’t about fixing or reinventing yourself. It’s about creating enough safety to come back into relationship with who you already are. If this approach resonates with you, I’d be glad to explore whether working together feels like a good fit.