Center your peace. Reclaim your joy.

At Presence and Purpose, we strive to meet you in all the layers of your humanness—relational, emotional, psychological, and perhaps spiritual. This practice was founded on the values of compassion, courage, integrity, and recognition—that is, a willingness to see and understand all parts of you in a space that feels safe to be honest and authentically you.

Hi, I’m Alexa, MSW, SWC, therapist and founder at Presence + Purpose

A woman squatting on a dirt trail outdoors, smiling, holding a large Golden Retriever dog with a blue tag, in a scenic hilly landscape with green grass, shrubs, and a partly cloudy sky.

As a psychodynamic and somatic therapist, my approach is grounded in curiosity, compassion, and collaboration. I help clients explore the deeper patterns shaping their lives and take meaningful steps toward healing and change—steps that reflect not just insight, but action. I’m a white, millennial cis-woman with ancestral roots in the UK, and I bring to this work a deep reverence for the complexity of being human.

At the heart of my practice is the belief that every part of you is worthy of being seen, heard, and understood. I offer a grounded and welcoming space for you to examine your inner world with honesty and care. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, or a life transition, I’m here to help you slow down, listen inward, and expand your capacity to move through both stress and joy with greater resilience and emotional capacity.

In our work together, we’ll make space to understand not just what’s happening in your life—but why. Together, we’ll look at the beliefs, experiences, and relationships that have shaped you. Through EMDR, psychodynamic therapy, and compassion-based practices, I’ll support you in gently untangling the inner knots that keep you stuck, so you can move forward with more freedom, clarity, and connection.

As a clinical social worker, I bring a justice-informed lens to therapy. I recognize that personal pain doesn’t exist in a vacuum. We’ll explore how systems, structures, and cultural narratives may be impacting your self-perception and lived experience—so that we can honor your personal story in the context of the larger world around you.

In addition to my clinical training, I am a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) and a trained teacher of Compassion-Based Resilience Training (CBRT). This work integrates the wisdom of the heart, body, and mind—bridging the intuitive and the intellectual, the spiritual and the scientific. It’s from this integrated space that healing becomes possible.

You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin. You just have to be willing to start. I’m here to walk alongside you—creating a space where all parts of you are welcome, and where real, lasting change can unfold.

  • Master of Social Work, Smith College School for Social Work, 2024

    B.A. Psychology, Western Connecticut State University, 2021

    B.A. English, The Pennsylvania State University, 2010

  • EMDRIA approved basic training in EMDR (currently completing consultation hours), 2025

    Certified teacher of Compassion-Based Resilience Training, Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science, 2021

    Certificate in Contemplative Psychotherapy, Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science, 2020

    IAYT-certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT), International Association of Yoga Therapists, 2018

  • Yaden, D. B., Graziosi, M., Owen, A. M. ... (2025). A field-wide review and analysis of study materials used in psilocybin trials: Assessment of two decades of research. Psychedelic Medicine, 3(1), 1–18.

    Earp, B. D., McLoughlin, K. L., Owen, A., Calcott, R., Caraccio, M., Clark, M. S., & Crockett, M.J. (2021). Praise and blame in relational context. In B. D. Earp, Relational Morality [Doctoral dissertation, Yale University]. Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

    Owen, A, Oberleitner, L., and Oberleitner, D. (November 2019). The Role of Emotional Processing on Health in College Students. Poster presented at the New England Psychological Association Annual Meeting, Manchester, NH.

    Owen, A. (2019, April). Living Life Creatively. Invited lecture with Dr. Christopher Uhl in Environmental Science. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

    Owen, A. (2010). Functions of Irish Famine Poetry: Speaking the Unspeakable through the Written Word (Undergraduate honors thesis).

Rates

Individual Therapy

Online or in-person, this is designated for individuals to process and explore their thoughts and emotions and work toward healing. Typically, meetings are weekly or bi-weekly.

50 mins | $155

I am in network with some insurances, including Aetna, Anthem BC/BS, UMR, and Medicaid.