Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
Attachment-based therapy for healing, connection and self-love
In-person therapy in Philadelphia and online for residents of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware
AEDP is an attachment-based, emotion-focused therapy that is grounded in the belief that you are innately wired for healing and connection.
AEDP draws from attachment theory, emphasizing that your early experiences navigating connections and managing emotions profoundly influence how you show up in relationships today. For example:
If you got the message that your emotions were “too much” - you might feel like there’s something wrong with you when you’re anything other than happy, or you may worry that you’re going to burden someone if you share how you’re really feeling.
If you got the message that feelings were meant to be “fixed” - you may move right into intellectualizing, problem solving, or trying to figure it out on your own when you’re struggling. It may feel hard to be vulnerable with others, even when you want support.
If you got the message that it wasn’t safe to feel your feelings - you may have developed strategies to try to avoid feeling them at all, or to not need much from others. In relationships today, being seen and cared for may feel both relieving and scary at the same time.
How AEDP Works with Emotions and Attachment:
In AEDP we turn towards your emotions in a way that feels safe and regulated, so you can process and move through painful experiences that previously kept you stuck.
AEDP draws from the neuroscience of trauma healing, focusing on enhancing neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections — allowing you to rewire your brain for safety and connection.
AEDP is grounded in the belief that healing happens in relationships. You’re not meant to face trauma or process painful emotions alone. In AEDP, we work to create a secure attachment, so you can feel safe to explore and heal the challenges that are keeping you from the connections you want.
AEDP is experiential, so we focus on the here and now, rather than thoughts and behaviors. Together, we actively explore what’s happening inside of you and within our relationship.
Rather than just focusing on symptom reduction, we work to uncover your strengths, your resilience and the ways you naturally move towards healing.
AEDP Can Help With:
Nurturing self-compassion and acceptance
Expressing and regulating your emotions
Embracing vulnerability and authenticity in relationships
Cultivating self-trust
Developing a secure attachment style
Healing from trauma
Deepening your understanding of yourself
Building resilience and confidence