Trauma and PTSD therapists & psychiatrists in Southbury, CT

Life can be very tough at times, yet with available resources and support you can get through it. Are you diagnosed with or seeking a diagnosis and treatment of a mental health disorders? Are you struggling with substances use addictions? Are you struggling with family difficulties, work place related stress, maintaining strong family and friendship ties? Are you parent of or a person diagnosed with ID/DD? My varied skill set and work experiences as both a mental health nurse practitioner and clinician will be strong assets to you. Let's work together to get through this.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Connecticut with over 15 years of experience supporting individuals across the lifespan — from middle school-aged children navigating the challenges of adolescence to adults and elderly clients facing the complexities of everyday life. My broad clinical background has equipped me with a deep understanding of the unique emotional, developmental, and social needs that vary across each stage of life, allowing me to provide thoughtful, age-appropriate care for every client I work with.

Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, emotionally exhausted, or simply stuck—even though you’re doing your best to keep everything together? Maybe you’ve been carrying stress for so long that you no longer remember what it feels like to truly relax. Perhaps your thoughts won’t quiet down, your emotions feel difficult to manage, or experiences from the past continue to affect how you feel, think, and connect with others.

You may be navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, parenting challenges, grief, a major life transition, or ongoing stress. You may struggle with setting boundaries, communicating your needs, managing emotions, rebuilding trust, or finding your confidence and sense of direction. Sometimes, there isn’t one specific problem—you simply know that something doesn’t feel right anymore and you want to understand why.

You might be the person everyone depends on—the one who takes care of everyone else while quietly struggling inside. You may have become so accustomed to pushing through that asking for help feels uncomfortable. Or perhaps the coping strategies that once worked no longer seem to be enough.

Whatever brought you here, you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

Therapy can provide a safe, supportive space to slow down, feel heard, and make sense of what you’ve been carrying. Together, we can explore what may be keeping you stuck, understand patterns that affect your well-being and relationships, and develop practical tools to help you feel more grounded, confident, and in control.

You deserve support—not because you are weak, but because you have been carrying a lot. Reaching out for help can be the first step toward healing, growth, and feeling like yourself again.

Hi, I’m Nikki — owner of Dragonfly Haven Wellness LCSW PLLC. I’m looking forward to starting our work together.

I’m a licensed clinical social worker with a Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University, earned in 2003. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of supporting children, teens, adults, and families through life’s challenges in both outpatient and school-based mental health settings.

I believe therapy works best when you feel safe, supported, and genuinely understood. My approach is warm and collaborative, while also helping to point out connections to support your growth. I draw from a blend of psychodynamic therapy, relational approaches, CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, and Encompass co-occurring treatment to help clients build insight, strengthen coping skills, and create meaningful change.

I’ve recently completed a certified integrative mental health provider course and somatic technique training to focus more on body-based approaches alongside traditional talk therapy to support healing as a whole-person process.

Whether you’re navigating anxiety, depression, stress, relationship challenges, life transitions, or simply feeling stuck, you don’t have to do it alone. My goal is to create a space where you feel comfortable showing up exactly as you are and knowing that I am here to work alongside you as you move towards change.

Finding a therapist who truly gets your life can feel like a long search. One who sees more than a diagnosis, who doesn't need you to explain yourself before you can get to work. If you're part of the LGBTQ+ community, that search often comes with an extra layer: the quiet work of figuring out whether this therapist is actually safe, or whether you'll spend your sessions educating them. With me, you won't have to do that work.

I'm a licensed therapist with more than 22 years of experience in mental health and addiction treatment. I've worked in community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, correctional settings, and private practice. I've sat with people in some of the hardest moments of their lives and know how to meet them there without flinching.

My primary focus is LGBTQ+ individuals and couples. That includes navigating identity, coming out at any stage of life, relationship dynamics unique to queer and same-sex partnerships, internalized stigma, minority stress, and everything that comes with living authentically in a world that doesn't always make that easy. I also work with anxiety, depression, trauma and PTSD, substance use and dual diagnosis, men's issues, and stress and burnout.