Drew Feldbaum

I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a certificate in developmental disabilities from The Florida State University and began my work in a nonprofit focused on the needs of D/deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals and families in South Florida. Following that, I spent several years as a child protection caseworker in sexual abuse intervention teams. I became frustrated with system and clinical limitations on treatment for both victims and perpetrators of abuse and decided that I wanted to be a part of the clinical world to make the difference that I wanted to see. So, I went back to school and earned a Masters in Social Work (MSW) degree + certificate in behavioral health from Colorado State University and have been working clinically ever since.

Specific credentials:

• EMDR Certified and Consultant-In-Training
• ISSTD Advanced Certificate in Complex Trauma and Dissociation (100 program hours)
• ASCH Clinical Hypnosis Levels 1 & 2-Trained

Why in the world do I sit down (or stand up- whatever’s your thing) with clients and delve into their deepest struggles?

Life is messy, terrifying, and incredible. I became a social worker because connecting with people in whatever season their life is in allows me to truly witness the human experience. Also- gosh the way our brains know how to adapt to impossible situations... how could I not be interested.

Things to know about my communication style:

I’m straightforward, no BS, and use a curse word or two on occasion. I’m empathic and non-judgemental- I believe there is a very good reason parts have been doing what they are doing (even if it’s caused difficulties at times). They’ve been trying their darnedest and deserve utmost compassion, curiosity, and care as we work to re-orient to present day concerns and safety. It’s a rare session when laughing doesn’t happen because even in the depths of hell, I find it’s helpful to find the bits of humor.

Why I work with trauma:

There is hope. Complex trauma, attachment insecurities, anxiety, depression, dysfunctional aspects of multiplicity, suicidality...etc. All of these can heal. That doesn’t mean that the terrible things that happened can be reversed because, well, I’m not a magician. However, we can re-orient stuck parts who are still living and reliving all of these memories underneath the surface, the negative beliefs about the Self that come with them, and the responses that are attempting to be protective, but may also need some re-orienting. It might feel like this is how you’ve always felt and how you always will feel because we cannot take away what happened, but I can tell you from experience personally and professionally that it is very possible to move forward. Let’s give it a go to let go