Today we’d like to introduce you to Quincee Gideon.
Hi Quincee, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story in understanding the depth of trauma began in a hut in eastern Africa, where I was contracted with big aid organizations to write curricula that helped war-torn communities begin to make sense of their trauma. I was absolutely moved by the resilience I saw in the community members, as well as the stark reality of what 30 years of rebel warfare had done to an entire region of the world. I felt overwhelmed and uneducated in the nuances of trauma responses and how I could actually be of service.
After years of working on and off in Africa, I began my master’s degree in Professional Counseling in Nashville, Tennessee. I continued to travel back and forth to different regions in Africa and used the knowledge I was getting about human behavior, cultures, traumatic experiences, and social issues to create more robust (and hopefully helpful) posttraumatic growth programs.
At some point, I decided that a Master’s degree was just barely scratching the itch and I applied (and was accepted) to a doctoral program in Los Angeles. Over the last ten years of living in LA, my ongoing love of creating safe spaces for trauma survivors has only grown and, after years of supervising and training other clinicians how to be more trauma-informed, I decided to start a specialty practice that was specifically focused on providing exactly what a trauma survivor might need. In 2018, I started my trauma-focused private practice, Woven Together Trauma Therapy, in Santa Monica. It’s been wild to watch the practice grow and to watch the incredible clinicians provide such safe and loving care to our patients.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Goodness no. Right after I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my doctorate, I went through a traumatic divorce that left me financially, emotionally, and interpersonally devastated. I spent years of my doctorate schlepping through Los Angeles via bus to get to my different training sites and trying to present as a professional to my clients when my entire world was falling apart. I would sit with clients that had seen so much trauma and then cry the entire walk/bus ride home over the collection of horrors that we humans have to endure.
I still think about those years with a mix of sadness and some pride. I can’t believe that just a few years before starting my business, I was barely paying all of my bills and struggling to hold it all together. I feel very lucky to be in the position I’m in now and I also always have a special place in my heart for those that feel very vulnerable and fragile walking into the doors of my practice. I know that feeling in a deep way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a specialty practice of therapists that specialize in the treatment of trauma-related disorders. We focus on helping someone understand the complicated ways that trauma is woven into our self-esteem and worldview and then help them weave a new story for their future. Some of our patients find us after a one-time horrifying trauma that leaves them feeling that nothing can ever feel safe again. Others find us after a long history of neglect and maltreatment, leaving them wondering if anything has ever been safe at all. We are proud to be able to meet our patients in the middle of their stories and help them find empowerment and growth after such devastating experiences.
Trauma is complicated and most therapists are trained to treat trauma specifically. Because of that, we try to offer services that are consistent with what most trauma survivors need in their healing: individual therapy, EMDR treatment, therapeutic support groups and educational courses. If therapy has been invalidating or disappointing to a trauma survivor, we hope they will give it one more shot with a trauma-informed clinician.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
We learned that therapy is just as effective and even preferable in a virtual format. For so many of our patients, the traffic, parking, and scheduling concerns of getting to the office at a specific time held them back and frustrated them. Covid-19 forced us all online and our patients (and therapists) LOVED it! We spent a few weeks with each patient getting creative in finding safe places at home to speak honestly and candidly with their therapist. We all feel like we’ve found a rhythm and most of our patients prefer to stay virtual for the duration of their treatment.
Pricing:
- $200-300/ individual session
- $60-75/ group session
- Full educational courses as low as $75
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.woventraumatherapy.com
- Instagram: @drquincee
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woventraumatherapy
- Twitter: twitter.com/drquincee
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZOcDTjSJNkOHJuYZthnPXQ
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/quincee-gideon-santa-monica
Image Credits
Andy Wong
