Suraya Keating, MFT, EMDR Certified, REAT, RDT

I am a holistically-oriented, heart-centered therapist who supports adults and youth to transform anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship & sexuality issues, parenting issues, chronic pain, creative blocks and other challenges into opportunities for growth, transformation and wisdom. My work is client-centered, creative, and eclectic and is informed by EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Expressive Arts & Drama Therapy, Somatic and Transpersonal approaches. At the root of my heart-centered approach is the trust that within each individual lies an inner healer that - when tapped into - offers immense guidance and support to you in your journey as a soul. With those who are drawn, I offer a variety of therapeutic arts practices, somatic practices and parts work practices to deepen and expand our work together.

As a child growing up in the New York City area, I was raised in a multiethnic family rife with intergenerational trauma, severe mental illness, and emotional neglect. It wasn’t until I moved away from my family at age 17 that I understood the severity of the dysfunction and the subsequent impact of my upbringing on my behaviors, thoughts, and coping strategies. This and other life events, including a severe back injury at age 21, catapulted me into a healing journey that opened me to the mysteries of the psyche. I felt a strong calling to learn, grow, and evolve from past and present pains and to help others do the same. I learned some very simple concepts that I carry with me into my practice today: Presence heals, the body is a storehouse of important information, and we each carry within us unique wisdom that can guide us through life when challenges arise. While my work has been shaped by embodied approaches of EMDR, IFS, expressive arts therapy, drama therapy, somatic and transpersonal therapy, my therapeutic approach is eclectic and grounded in the belief that therapy is an alive, co-created process guided by deep listening to one's soul. As a mother, I am also heavily influenced by Attachment-centered models and place a huge value on the importance of healthy relationships in our lives.

I moved to California in 1996 to immerse myself in the fields of Counseling Psychology, Expressive Arts and Drama Therapy. In my 25 + year career as a psychotherapist therapist, I have worked with a wide variety of adults as well as youth of all ages in many settings: from private practice to schools to hospitals to prisons. Some of the themes that have been central to my work with adults and youth include healing trauma, breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma, relationship issues, sexuality/intimacy issues, anxiety, depression, parenting issues, chronic pain, substance abuse recovery, creative blocks, self-esteem, attachment issues and more. My work is trauma-informed and strengths-based, and shaped by both spiritual and social justice paradigms, depending on the client I am working with. My intake process is often informal to allow safety and trust to unfold organically. In regard to progress, the client's inner assessment of their wellbeing determines where they are on their healing journey. For those who are interested, I sometimes assign creative “heartwork” (homework that focuses on supporting you in your therapeutic goals) during the time between our sessions. I find that "heartwork" - for those who resonate and desire it - can enhance, deepen, and open new insights into the client's therapeutic process.