Kimberly Bonsiero, LCSW-C

Credentials and Specializations

• Master of Social Work, University of Maryland Baltimore
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker – Clinical (LCSW-C)
• EMDR Certified Clinician through EMDRIA
• Completed Advanced Trauma Training from the Ferentz Institute.
• Completed intensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Services Offered

• Individual Therapy
• Consultation

Approach to Therapy

Many individuals who I have worked with have described their previous and discouraging experiences of engaging in standard “talk therapy.” This makes sense as the verbal-linguistic part of our brain is suppressed during traumatic events, causing trauma to be stored viscerally and emotionally. This explains the powerful, often distressing, and sometimes confusing reactions we have during present interactions in our relationships and workplaces.

I practice several evidenced-based models of trauma-informed therapy such as the Eye Movement Reprocessing and Desensitization (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and somatic-informed practices to help clients heal from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related symptoms.

EMDR is an experiential form of therapy which integrates visual, tactile, and/or auditory bilateral stimulation to help individuals resolve and reprocess traumatic memory. This modality of treatment helps clients shift from states of feeling disempowered, to blame, and hopeless to cultivating self-compassion, a felt sense of safety, and present understanding.

I integrate skills from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy into my practice to further help clients cultivate mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional regulation skills. Once traumatic memory has been reprocessed, my clients have found they have increased ability to access a variety of coping skills.