Madeleine Bertin, LCSW

I am an experienced trauma therapist who specializes in working with people struggling with eating disorders, PTSD, CPTSD, and dissociative disorders.

I am a committed, compassionate, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in private practice where I offer psychotherapy to adolescents & adults. My areas of expertise include Eating Disorders, PTSD, Complex PTSD, & Dissociative Disorders, and the often co-occurring issues of Self-Harm, Depression, Anxiety, low self-worth, and interpersonal difficulties.

Graduating from Smith College with a B.A. in psychology in 1997, I received my Masters in Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Washington in 2004. My employment experience has spanned multiple settings including the Foster Care System, residential services for children & adolescents, inpatient psychiatric settings, an outpatient trauma clinic, and two hospital-based eating disorder programs. I am a member of the multiple professional organizations and I hold licensure in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, and Washington State.

My therapeutic philosophy is based upon the belief that people instinctually aspire towards growth, creativity, connection, exploration, and healing. However, certain life experiences (i.e.: trauma, disrupted attachment) can lead to intolerable internal states, and relational and behavioral patterns that can be difficult to recognize, change on our own, and often lead to ongoing pain.

In therapy, my goal is to help you experience a more fulfilling and meaningful life. While holding the fundamental frame of always working to create a relational experience for my client grounded in safety, I aim to help my clients gain greater self-awareness, resources, and process through painful experiences and unhelpful procedural tendencies. I want my clients to achieve an increased ability to make choices that lead to lasting change, including more feelings of connection, empowerment, and joy in one’s daily life.

I practice from a holistic lens considering a person's mind-body-spirit-environment and use an integrative and person-centered approach. I apply a variety of complementary approaches and techniques informed by cutting-edge research in the fields of somatic psychology, neuroscience, attachment theory, affect regulation, as well as mindfulness and cognitive approaches, to tailor the therapeutic process to reflect your individual needs, strengths, and readiness for change. Most importantly, however, I honor the innate expertise that clients bring to their own life experiences and will work closely with you to achieve your goals.

I hold fast to the belief that humans are meant to be in connection with others. Through safe relationships we regulate and can find the willingness to leap into the unknown, to try new skills, to learn about ourselves, others, and the world. Isolation is a recurrent theme among those who are in distress. It is with great care and consideration and a deeply held, and felt, value for the therapeutic relationship, that I move into relationship with my clients. I consider it a privilege to accompany you on your journey towards healing.