Ayla Perez

I work with people who have learned to play small, those who struggle with confidence, self-trust, or the feeling that taking up space isn’t safe or allowed. Many of my clients are deeply insightful and capable, yet carry patterns of self-doubt that were shaped by past experiences, relationships, or systems that taught them to shrink in order to survive.

My work centers on helping clients understand why these patterns formed, not as personal flaws, but as intelligent adaptations to earlier circumstances. From that place of understanding, we gently build new ways of relating to the self and the world, ways that allow more presence, agency, and embodied confidence.

I primarily use EMDR and Somatic Therapy, modalities that honor the body’s role in healing and support deep, lasting change rather than surface-level coping. I work with individuals, couples, and teens through adults, tailoring each session to meet clients where they are and move at a pace that feels safe and sustainable.

I also hold a deep respect for grief work. Grief shows up in many forms, not only through death, but through lost relationships, unmet needs, identity shifts, life transitions, and the lives we imagined but did not get to live. Often, unresolved grief is what keeps people stuck, disconnected, or afraid to step fully into themselves. I find meaning in walking alongside clients as they name, feel, and integrate these losses with care and compassion.

My approach is relational, trauma-informed, and grounded in the belief that healing is not about fixing what is broken, but remembering what has always been there. Therapy with me, is an invitation to take up space, thoughtfully, authentically, and on your own terms.