STEPHANIE GOTTESMAN

Stephanie (she/her) believes that healing happens when we have the space to understand ourselves with curiosity, compassion, and without judgment. She takes a holistic, trauma-informed approach to counseling, recognizing that our thoughts, emotions, bodies, relationships, and environments are deeply interconnected. Stephanie views counseling as a collaborative process in which clients are supported in developing greater self-understanding, reconnecting with their strengths, and moving toward lives that feel more grounded and meaningful.
Stephanie’s work is informed by Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic approaches, and her background as a yoga teacher. Through her work with at-risk youth and individuals in inpatient substance use recovery, she has developed a deep appreciation for the ways people adapt to difficult experiences and for the wisdom and resilience that can exist alongside pain. She incorporates mindfulness and body-based practices when appropriate, helping clients notice what is happening within them and deepen their awareness of the mind-body connection.
Stephanie is a counseling intern in her final year of the M.S.Ed. in Counseling Education program at Purdue University Fort Wayne. She brings warmth, curiosity, humor, and compassion to the counseling relationship. She works with preteens, adolescents, adults, couples, and families navigating trauma, life transitions, relational challenges, and identity development. She welcomes LGBTQIA+ clients and is non-monogamy- and kink-affirming. Her goal is to create a space where clients feel safe enough to be honest, curious enough to explore, and supported enough to find their path toward healing and thriving.



