Aurela Vangjeli, MSW, RSW, SEP

In my work, and in my life as a fellow human, what I have come to know is this: through safe, attuned relationship in the present moment, our bodies begin to feel safe enough to access what has been held inside — parts of ourselves that have been waiting to be seen, heard, and understood. And when they are met — something begins to soften. A held breath releases. What has been carried alone can now be felt in the presence of another, and slowly, a new map can emerge — one that opens the door to connection, ease, rest, flexibility, wonder, choice, power, support.

As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), returning to the body is at the core of my work. The nervous system is a relational system — always responding to the environment and the people in it, capable of creating something new when held in genuine presence. Touch training for trauma practitioners has deepened my understanding of how much our bones, muscles, and organs hold — and how much care and respect that calls for when we encounter these deeper parts of ourselves, whether through physical contact, imagined contact, or simply attention itself. Because it is here, in the felt experience of the body, that our core feelings live — sadness, fear, anger, joy, disgust — the very feelings so many of us learned to shut down in order to survive.

And yet, those feelings are not meant to stay shut down. We are emotional beings with needs — for connection, for safety, for our core feelings to be felt all the way through. I also bring elements of Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) and AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy) that support learning how to be with those feelings again — to let them move, process, and complete — often allowing something new to grow. What hurt us we often had to carry alone. Healing happens when we no longer have to.

I support people navigating trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, life transitions, difficulties with emotion regulation, and a sense of disconnection from themselves or others. I also work with those who carry something harder to name — a persistent sense of emptiness, of not quite belonging, of longing for a life that feels more fully lived. If something in you recognizes what is written here, that recognition is enough. Together, we move at the pace that’s right for you — toward safety, toward feeling, toward yourself.

I am a registered social worker, and therapy with me is covered by most insurance companies. If cost is a barrier, I offer a reduced fee. I also offer a free consultation — a chance to get a sense of whether we are a good fit. I welcome you to reach out.