Who will be sitting across from you….

Hi, I’m Kalie Wolfinger

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Arizona with nearly fifteen years of clinical experience across outpatient therapy, emergency departments, inpatient behavioral health, and international humanitarian settings. My clinical focus centers on trauma: complex PTSD, dissociative disorders, trauma and abuse, anxiety, OCD, and grief. I also work closely with first responders, humanitarian aid workers, and individuals carrying long-term, cumulative trauma that has shaped their lives over many years. I am a member of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD).

Depending on client needs, I integrate several therapeutic modalities, including EMDR, Attachment Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Regardless of modality, my work is grounded in attachment-focused, interpersonal neurobiology, which guides how I understand symptoms, relationships, and healing.

Outside of the therapy room, I’m a graduate school professor and clinical educator. Whether I’m sitting across from a client, a student, or another clinician, my approach is the same: honest, relational, and grounded in what actually helps people heal and grow.

When I’m not working, you’ll find me traveling the world with my family, a mix of biological, adopted, and blended relationships that keeps life full and vibrant. At home, my table is rarely empty; cooking for the people I care about is one of my deepest sources of grounding and joy. I’ve been known to leave half the contents of my suitcase behind in other countries so I can bring home spices, masa, mole or cacao. And if I’m in the Middle East, I’m almost certainly trying to convince myself I have room for just one more rug.

  • Trauma is a response to an event or series of events that are deeply distressing or disturbing and cause significant emotional, mental and/or physical harm. Trauma occurs when the individual's natural ability to cope is overwhelmed by fear, helplessness and horror.

    Trauma may occur via a single incident or multiple events (complex trauma), which often stem from long-term childhood trauma, or repeated exposure to traumatic events (such as with first responders or humanitarian aid workers).

    Dissociation + Dissociative Disorders is a process through which a person feels disconnected from their thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity. Dissociation is a defense mechanism in response to overwhelming trauma or painful experiences. Dissociation and dissociative disorders fall on a spectrum ranging from moderate to severe.

  • First Responders and Humanitarian Aid Workers often experience long-term vicarious trauma.

    Vicarious trauma, also known as secondary trauma, refers to the emotional and psychological impact experienced by individuals who are exposed to the trauma or suffering of others, often as part of their work or caregiving roles. It occurs when individuals repeatedly witness or hear about traumatic events experienced by others.

    Symptoms of vicarious trauma can include emotional exhaustion, feelings of helplessness or hopelessness, intrusive thoughts or images related to the trauma, increased irritability or anger, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep patterns, and a diminished sense of empathy or compassion.

  • Anxiety is a normal and often adaptive response to stress or perceived threats. It's a feeling of unease, worry, or fear that can be mild or severe and can occur in response to a specific situation or be more generalized. While it's natural to experience anxiety from time to time, especially in challenging or uncertain situations, anxiety becomes a problem when it is excessive, persistent, or interferes with daily life.

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by persistent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) that individuals feel driven to perform.

    Obsessions are intrusive and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that cause significant anxiety or distress. These obsessions can vary widely and may revolve around themes such as contamination, harm, symmetry, or taboo thoughts.

    Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that individuals feel compelled to perform in response to their obsessions. These behaviors are often aimed at reducing the anxiety or discomfort caused by the obsessions, although they typically provide only temporary relief. Common compulsions include excessive cleaning or handwashing, checking, counting, repeating rituals, or mental rituals like repeating words or phrases.

  • Grief + the grieving process can be experienced with any type of loss, whether it be death, divorce, chronic illness, rape, addiction + more.

  • Therapy during the foster care and adoption process can benefit all members of the foster care/adoption triad including: the child, the biological family and the foster or adoptive parents.

    I work with parents or adult adoptees navigating some of the challenging pieces of this journey which may include: attachment and trust concerns, trauma or neglect, questions around identity and belonging, and grief and loss.

Specialities

EMDR

EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocess is a therapy technique used to help individuals process and heal from traumatic memories. EMDR is based on the idea that traumatic memories are stored in a way that disrupts normal cognitive processing and leads to ongoing distress and symptoms.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess these memories and store them correctly to resolve some of the unwanted symptoms.

More about EMDR