Macauley Cliffe

Hi, I’m Macauley! I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 10 years of experience helping adults navigate anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, major life transitions, and the patterns that can leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves. I earned my master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago and have advanced training in trauma-informed care and somatic therapy, with an approach that recognizes the connection between our emotional experiences and what happens in the body.

I especially enjoy working with people who are insightful and self-aware but still find themselves feeling stuck, overthinking, carrying too much, struggling to trust themselves, or understanding their patterns intellectually without necessarily feeling different. I incorporate somatic therapy to help clients notice and work with nervous system responses, physical sensations, and emotions that may be difficult to access through talking alone. My work often focuses on helping clients reconnect with themselves, better understand their patterns, and develop a stronger sense of trust in their own needs, emotions, and inner authority.

My style is warm, engaged, and collaborative. Therapy with me is not about sitting back while you do all the talking. I’m an active participant in the process and aim to create a space where you can feel both supported and gently challenged as we work toward meaningful, lasting change.

My approach to therapy is warm, relational, and active. I believe meaningful change often requires more than understanding why we feel or behave a certain way. It also involves learning to recognize what is happening in our bodies, emotions, relationships, and nervous systems in real time.

I integrate traditional talk therapy with somatic approaches that help clients slow down, notice internal experiences, and develop a greater capacity to stay present with emotions rather than becoming overwhelmed by them or disconnected from them. Depending on what feels useful, sessions may include mindfulness, grounding, breathwork, exploring physical sensations, identifying patterns and protective responses, or simply creating space to experience something differently than you have before.

I am not a therapist who will sit silently and occasionally ask, “How does that make you feel?” I’m engaged, curious, and collaborative. I will offer observations, ask thoughtful questions, help you make connections, and gently challenge patterns when it feels important. At the same time, I believe you are the expert on your own experience. My goal is to help you understand yourself more deeply, trust yourself more fully, and create changes that feel authentic and sustainable in your life.

Our first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and begin understanding what brings you to therapy. I’ll ask about what has been happening in your life, what feels most important right now, and what you hope might be different as a result of our work. We may also explore relevant pieces of your history, relationships, and past experiences, but there is no expectation that you share everything at once.

Just as importantly, the first session gives you a chance to get a feel for me and how I work. I want therapy to feel like a space where you can show up as yourself, without needing to have the right words or know exactly where to begin. We’ll move at a pace that feels manageable while beginning to identify the patterns, experiences, and goals that can guide our work moving forward.