Kayla Colton (she/they)

I am a Registered Psychotherapist specializing in attachment trauma, chronic shame, and relational wounds -- especially those shaped by narcissistic or scapegoating family systems. I also support neurodivergent and LGBTQ2S+ adults in exploring identity, self-experience, and authenticity.

What feels most important in my work is the depth of attention I bring to emotional and relational experiences, especially the ones my clients have spent years trying to explain, intellectualize, or minimize just to be understood.

I tend to work well with clients who are self-aware, but still feel emotionally stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from themselves in important moments.

My approach is grounded in curiosity and nuance. I believe many symptoms make sense when you understand them in the context of your relationships, your nervous system, and your life experiences, and not as signs that something is inherently wrong.

In our work together, I’ll invite you to gently tune into what’s happening in your body and nervous system. We will focus on building a felt sense of safety, increasing awareness of internal states, and using grounding practices that support regulation without overwhelm.

Clients often describe feeling genuinely seen in ways they have struggled to find elsewhere, especially when they have felt “too much,” overly complex, or difficult to categorize within standardized treatment models. I aim to create a space where insight, emotional experience, and authenticity can come together without shame or reduction.

My work is shaped by both extensive clinical training and my own ongoing therapy process. I believe it matters that your therapist is also doing their own work! I identify as queer and neurodivergent, and my practice is grounded in a culturally sensitive, anti-oppressive framework.

At the core of how I understand therapy:
- Psychological suffering is often shaped through relationships
- Symptoms are meaningful adaptations
- Insight and emotional integration are different processes
- Emotional validation helps restore a sense of coherence
- The therapeutic relationship can create new emotional experiences that support change
- Authenticity, agency, and self-reclamation matter

How I work:

Psychodynamic foundation
We explore recurring relational patterns, internal conflicts, defenses, and attachment dynamics—both in your life and as they show up in the therapy relationship. This helps us understand your experiences not as isolated problems, but as meaningful responses shaped over time. Together, we begin to notice patterns that may be outside of awareness and make space for something new.

Janina Fisher’s trauma model (parts work)
We build awareness of different “parts” of your experience and develop the ability to stay present while noticing them. This work focuses on stabilization first, helping you feel safer and more regulated, before moving toward deeper processing. The goal is to reduce overwhelm and support gradual integration.

Somatic and nervous system work
We pay attention to how your experiences live in the body through activation, shutdown, tension, or collapse. You’ll learn to recognize these patterns and build capacity for regulation through grounding, orienting, and gentle awareness. This work supports a felt sense of safety, connection, and more choice in how you respond.

I aim to create a space where insight, emotional experience, and authenticity can come together without shame or reduction.

You are welcome here, and I look forward to our work together!