Caitlin Siekerka, LPC | Anxiety, Grief, Trauma, Somatic Therapy

Anxiety, Grief, and Trauma

My Therapeutic Approach

Hi! My name is Caitlin (she/her/hers), and I’m an anxiety, grief, and trauma therapist at The Better You Institute in Philadelphia, PA, and virtually in New Jersey and Florida. Healing from anxiety and trauma isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about lasting change; the kind that comes from reconnecting with yourself in a space that feels safe enough to actually do it.

You may have spent a long time managing. Staying ahead of the anxiety, functioning through the grief, keeping the past where you left it. That takes enormous effort, and it works until it doesn’t. My approach is somatic and relational, which means we slow down and pay attention to what’s actually happening in you, not just what you’re thinking, but what you’re feeling and where you’re feeling it in your body.

What Your Therapy With Me Will Look Like

Much of this work happens in the body. Anxiety, grief, and trauma don’t stay in your thoughts. They show up as tension, numbness, restlessness, the sense that something is wrong before you can name what. In our sessions, you’ll learn to notice those signals and meet them with curiosity instead of fear. As you do, the old survival strategies loosen their hold. You start to find ways of showing up that feel grounded, authentic, and genuinely yours.

We’ll also work with the voice in your own head. “I’m too much.” “I’m not enough.” “I should be further along by now.” Those beliefs came from somewhere. Often, I find these beliefs come from your childhood—from a family system where they once served a purpose —and understanding their roots makes them possible to challenge. Together we’ll examine those thoughts as they arise, reconnect you with what you actually value, and rewrite the story you’ve been carrying about who you are. Along the way, I’ll reflect back the strengths I notice in you. Not as encouragement, but as evidence- the raw material for a more accurate sense of Self.

You’ll leave sessions with practical skills for managing distress and creating safety, drawn from CBT, DBT, and somatic work. But the aim is bigger than coping. It’s about feeling more confident, clearer about who you are, and safe in your own body. Not as an idea, but as something you can feel.

My Therapeutic Education

I hold a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, specializing in addictions, from Rosemont College. My background in acute care settings gave me a strong foundation in understanding complex mental health needs, and I bring that grounding to every client I sit with here at The Better You Institute.

Outside of the therapy room, I enjoy spending time with friends and my cat, going to the shore with family, and reading.

I offer both in-person therapy in Philadelphia and online therapy in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida to help you have the best access to care and feel comfortable where you receive it.

Healing is possible. I’d be honored to walk with you as you build a more connected and secure life.