Dr. Erin’s mission is to provide high quality, holistic therapy services for Boone, North Carolina and surrounding communities in Watauga, Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell, and Avery counties.
Our Team
Dr. Erin Sesemann, PhD, LMFT, CBIS
(she/her/hers)
Founder, Owner
I take a holistic approach to therapy with the aim of helping my clients improve their overall well-being by bridging the mind-body connection. With specialized training in Medical Family Therapy, EMDR therapy, and certification as a brain injury specialist, I actively integrate brain and body health into therapy through a variety of different approaches. I strive to create an open, non-judgmental space for people from diverse backgrounds and social locations.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in North Carolina and approved Professional Counselor Telehealth Provider in South Carolina. Confirm licenses at NCBMFT and SC Board of Examiners.
Erin’s Background
My journey in holistic health began during my undergraduate education as I competed as a collegiate athlete. As an student-athlete, I was interested in how my body and mind affected my athletic performance. I came away from this experience appreciating just how closely the mind and body are connected.
Through my graduate education, I specialized in assessing and treating individuals, couples, and families with consideration of how their culture, societal norms, community, schools, and the environment affect them. This includes paying specific attention to how the healthcare system plays a pivotal role in many people’s well-being.
I completed my Medical Family Therapy Pre-Doctoral Internship at the C.A.R.F Accredited Rehabilitation Center in Vidant Medical Center, a 900-bed academic medical center in Greenville, North Carolina. Here, I helped start the Medical Family Therapy program for the Rehabilitation Center that provided family therapy to individuals and families who recently experienced life-altering illness or injury that often resulted in new disability. I worked on issues like relationship conflict, family stress, coping, depression, anxiety, grief/loss, adjustment, and PTSD with people who experienced traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries or back surgeries, stroke, cancer, amputation, heart failure, and other types of health conditions or medical traumas.
To me, holistic health also means good communication within your healthcare team. At the rehab center, I collaborated with healthcare professionals from a variety of different disciplines: physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, recreation therapy, social work, physical medicine and rehabilitation, rehabilitation nursing. Now, in my own practice, I want to discuss what your healthcare team means to you and I am invested in helping you work better with your team.
The last thing I want to mention about holistic health is that it includes the health of the team members too. Healthy professionals are important to building the foundation of an effective healthcare team. Therefore, I want to give a shout out to all employees within the healthcare system! I witnessed the immense toll it takes on people to be employees within this system. As such, I focused my dissertation on developing recommendations for actions that organizations could take to reduce burnout and improve health through addressing employees’ job stress and social connectedness at work. The results of my dissertation titled, “Healthcare Employees Burnout, Job Stress, Health, and Workplace Social Networks: Addressing the Quadruple Aim,” was published in the peer reviewed journal Families, Systems, & Health and continues to inform my work with clients today.
Education
- PhD in Medical Family Therapy from East Carolina University
- MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from Oklahoma State University
Credentials
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (NC LMFT #2067)
- Professional Counselor Telehealth Provider (SC TLC #257)
- Fully-trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
- Certified Brain Injury Specialist
- Certified in Prepare & Enrich Inventory Assessment
- American Association for Marriage and Family Approved Supervisor
- Certified in safeTALK Suicide Prevention
Training in
- Trauma-focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Filial Therapy and Parent Child Interaction Therapy
Mrs. Nicole Safferstone
(she/her/hers)
Clinical Intern
Nicole currently works as a clinical intern while pursuing her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Appalachian State University. Therapy with Nicole is offered at a reduced rate based on a sliding scale fee. Visit our Investment page to learn more.
Nicole's Therapy Approach and Background
I believe in an integrated holistic health approach which includes the balance of mind, body, spirit, and the trust in a communal support system that provides you with the necessary resources. Coming from a humanistic approach, I aim to empower individuals by enhancing their self-esteem, autonomy, and resilience to create wellness in life. Enabling my clients to pursue a harmonious and meaningful life journey for themselves and being able to create healthy relationships within their community. I enjoy establishing an environment where individuals can explore their identity and values, find support to overcome obstacles, resolve dysfunctional rigidity, and develop social skills and tools to enhance trust and closeness. My purpose lies in supporting people from any backgrounds and social location to become the most authentic and powerful version of themselves. I emphasize the significance of an intentional somatic approach which includes strengthening mindfulness of the body, feelings, thoughts, and healthy communication.
I incorporate my experience as a systemic coach, mediator, and trauma therapist – including trauma-informed care and somatic-focused techniques with a focus on the personal system and the systems that exist around it – such as education, vocation, all kinds of relationships, spirituality, etc. I have a particular interest and specialty in supporting folks towards resolving post-traumatic or chronic stress, attachment wounding, and dealing with adjustment issues, depression, anxiety, or substance use that has gotten out of hand.
My professional goal is to complete the EMDR training and to expand my expertise here. My personal goal is to cultivate a practice of more peaceful awareness and lightness, as well as more patience for my constantly changing life. I am curious about your goals in life and look forward to accompanying you with a warm openness and presence.
I find my balance through an abundance of activities in nature from the mountains to the coast, alternating between dancing, yoga, climbing, surfing, and virtual fostering with the Watauga Humane Society.