Amy Rose Hesni, Lcsw

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Arizona and Louisiana with over 17 years of experience in trauma-informed psychotherapy. I earned my Master of Social Work from Tulane University in 2008 and have worked across inpatient and outpatient treatment settings, university counseling, grief and bereavement care, and trauma-focused programs. I am EMDR trained (finalizing certification) and integrate CBT, DBT, IFS-informed parts work, somatic approaches, and mindfulness-based therapies.

I specialize in complex PTSD, sexual trauma, religious and spiritual trauma, attachment wounds, ADHD, anxiety, and shame-based relational patterns. Many of the individuals I work with are high-functioning on the outside but feel lost, fragmented, or deeply self-critical on the inside.

Clients often describe me as warm, loving, affirming, and validating. I also bring a teacher’s heart into the room. I believe understanding how trauma impacts the nervous system, relationships, and even women’s biological health helps reduce shame and restore clarity. I see therapy as sacred work. You are not a diagnosis to me; you are a whole person whose nervous system learned to survive.

I believe you are the expert on you. I view therapy as a sacred and collaborative process. Together, we create a space where the parts of you that learned to survive can finally be understood with compassion rather than judgment. If you feel damaged or broken, my first priority is helping you feel safe. Healing cannot happen in a space that feels rushed or overwhelming. We move at a pace that respects your nervous system.

In our work, we gently explore survival patterns, shame, attachment wounds, and the unconscious beliefs that may be operating beneath the surface. Through depth-oriented work (including shadow exploration), we bring awareness to what has been hidden, rejected, or misunderstood within you, not to pathologize it, but to integrate it.

Healing is not about simply retelling a story. It is about reclaiming disowned parts of yourself, restoring inner alignment, and reconnecting with your inherent worth.

My work blends depth and practicality.

We may process trauma through EMDR or parts work while also building concrete tools for emotional regulation, boundaries, and communication. I also pay close attention to the body–brain connection, how stress, hormones, sleep, and trauma history influence mood and behavior.

Healing is not just cognitive; it is embodied.

Above all, my work centers on self-forgiveness, self-trust, and self-love. The goal is not to “fix” you. It is to help you reconnect with your inherent worth and discover renewed purpose.

In your first session, I want to meet you with warmth, care and without judgment. You do not need to have everything figured out. You do not need the “right words.” You are welcome to come exactly as you are; whether you feel confused, overwhelmed, tearful, guarded, hopeful, or simply unsure of where to begin.

If parts of you feel broken, ashamed, or afraid to be fully seen, those parts are welcome too. Nothing about your experience will surprise or scare me away.

I will take time to listen carefully and gently. We will talk about what brought you here and what feels most tender right now, moving at a pace that feels emotionally safe. There is no expectation that you share everything at once. Trust builds over time.

You can expect a steady, grounded presence. I may offer simple explanations about trauma, attachment, or the nervous system to help you understand that your reactions make sense. Many people feel relief just realizing they are not broken.

From the very first session, my intention is to create a space where you feel seen, heard, and care for; where healing can begin through safe and attuned connection.