Renee Touhey-Childress

I'm a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience working with adolescents, young adults, caregivers, and adults navigating their own life experiences. I have expertise and a genuine passion for working with LGBTQIA+ individuals, identity development, complex trauma, anxiety, depression, neurodivergence, non-traditional relationship & family structures, caregiver support, burnout, and navigating challenging systems.

My background in nonprofit and organizational leadership means I also understand the unique pressures and rewards of helping professions, and I bring both clinical skill and solidarity when working with clinicians, social workers, educators, and first responders.

I earned both my Bachelor's and Master's in Social Work from Wheelock College (now Boston University). The bulk of my career has been in foster care, adoption, residential care, and juvenile justice, with extensive training in trauma-informed care including Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI). I've also spent years in nonprofit leadership, gaining the knowledge necessary to navigate challenging systems - schools, child welfare agencies, mental health systems — from the inside.

My approach is strengths-based, relational, and tailored to who's actually in the room with me. I believe people already hold the capacity for growth. My goal is to support you in cultivating new skills along the way. I aim for a space that's safe, collaborative, and real, where you can show up as you are without having to perform, or mask.

I draw heavily from trauma-informed care and TBRI, prioritizing connection, emotional safety, and regulation as the foundation for any deeper work. I help clients understand how past experiences shape the present while also focusing on practical tools you can use this week; communication, navigating relationships, managing stress, creating your path forward.

My style is warm, direct, and engaging. I use humor, creativity, and, when it fits, playfulness; because therapy works better when it feels human. I have experience with neurodivergent clients and adapt to each person's way of thinking, processing, and communicating.

I believe in Aligned Impact over change for the sake of change. Aligning the kind of work that fits who you are, reflects your values, and actually shows up Monday morning, not just in the therapy hour. Therapy with me is a partnership: meeting you where you are, move at the pace that's right for you, and build from there.

Our first session is a conversation, not an interrogation. I'll ask some questions to understand what's bringing you in, a bit of your history, and what you're hoping to get out of therapy. There is no pressure to share everything at once. We move at your pace.

It's also a chance for you to get a sense of me. I welcome questions about my approach, experience, or anything else that helps you decide if I'm the right fit. Therapy works best when there's real connection and trust, and that starts now, not three sessions in.

We may begin sketching out goals, and it's okay if things still feel unclear. Figuring that out together is part of the work. My priority for our first hour is that you leave feeling at ease, heard, and like there's a foundation worth building on.