MEET ALEXA

Holistic Trauma Therapist in Boulder, CO

You learned early on that being thoughtful, caring, and conscientious was a good thing. And it is. But somewhere along the way, you also learned that your worth depended on being agreeable, helpful, responsible, or easy for others to love.

So you became skilled at anticipating other people's needs, at keeping the peace and carrying more than your share. At questioning yourself before disappointing someone else. Now, when you try to speak up, set a boundary, pursue something you want, or take up more space in your life, you find yourself face-to-face with guilt, anxiety, self-doubt, or fear. Part of you knows you're ready for something different. Another part worries about what it might cost.

I’m Alexa, an EMDR trained trauma and anxiety therapist in Boulder, CO. I help thoughtful adults recover from anxiety and trauma so they can feel at home in their bodies, authentic in their relationships, and anchored in self-trust.

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A woman with curly brown hair is smiling outdoors in a natural setting with trees and grassy field in the background.

I’VE BEEN THERE…

I was always a highly sensitive kid: I know what it’s like to be internalizing other peoples’ emotions, tracking the energy in the room, and making choices that aim to keep the peace even when they cost you your own.

I know how it feels to be a driven dreamer and ambitious achiever, but get hijacked by anxiety or guilt when pursuing a change that asks us to shed the people-pleasing persona in service of a more authentic, aligned, and real version of self.

Healing took time. And it was worth it. I started connecting the dots between how I felt and what I believed to be true about myself in those moments. I learned how to repair my relationship with the one who’s been there since the beginning: myself. I learned how to center my own needs, release the fear of disappointing others, and still be deeply invested in the people, projects, and communities that are meaningful to me. Life started to feel a lot more spacious and free.

Therapy with me centers:

  • A clear glass vase holding a small bouquet of mixed flowers including an orange carnation, white daisies with yellow centers, dark red leaves, and purple sprigs, placed on a white surface with a soft blurred background.

    HONESTY

    No need to tip-toe around your feelings here. We can bring the tough stuff into the room.

  • Sprouting seedlings growing in egg carton planters filled with soil.

    DIGNITY

    Your worth is not dependent on your achievements (including being a “good client” in therapy!) It is inherent.

  • View through open glass-paneled door to a sunlit room with a vintage floral armchair, potted plants, and a decorative flower on the window, surrounded by greenery.

    ATTUNEMENT

    We tend not only to what’s being said, but also what’s not being said, what’s being felt (but maybe not expressed) and make space for all of it.

  • A dirt path through a lush green forest with dense foliage and trees on each side, sunlight illuminating the trail.

    COMPASSION

    We recognize, name, and soften toward the struggle — including the challenges inherent in the healing process.

  • A top-down view of a wooden table with people working with herbs, flowers, and slices of cake. There are cups of coffee, a cutting board, a knife, and various sprigs and leaves scattered across the table.

    SYNERGY

    You are an active participant in this work. We collaborate on the process every step of the way.

More Personally

I am a daughter, sister, friend, dancer, writer, and aunt to a few humans and animals (like Tucker here). I like to spend my free time cooking, hiking, thinking about creative projects, tending to my tiny herb garden, and watching The Daily Show. I’m a former competitive athlete (ski racing!) and a long-time student of Tibetan Buddhism and other mind-body wisdom traditions.

I love the intuitive and the intellectual, the spiritual and the scientific. I’ve spent my life finding more and more integration among these things. I’ve been working as a wellness practitioner for 15 years and through that time worn many hats, including social science researcher, contemplative mentor, writer and editor, yoga therapist, and trauma and anxiety therapist. I bring my whole self to the therapeutic space so that you feel permission to do the same.

I have a lot of passion for life and humanity and how the mind works. I spent close to a decade slow-traveling the world, which eventually led me to pursue being a therapist. I love that this work holds space for all the things, and I hope you feel our work together holds space for all parts of you.

A woman with dark hair wearing a baseball cap with sunglasses on top, smiling and kneeling beside a large golden retriever dog outdoors on a dirt trail in a hilly, grassy area with a partly cloudy sky.

Click below to learn more about my education and trainings!

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

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

    B.A. English, Schreyer Honors College, The Pennsylvania State University, 2010

  • EMDRIA approved basic training in EMDR for simple and complex trauma (2025)

    Social Work Candidate (SWC), Colorado (2025) currently practicing with supervision to become LCSW

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

    Certificate from 3-year program 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).

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