Get to know your therapist

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Stephanie obtained her Bachelor and Master's degree in from Indiana University South Bend. While pursuing her undergraduate degree as a psychology major, she assisted in suicide prevention community programs and academic research. She worked alongside passionate mental health workers, therapists, and psychiatrists at a community mental health facility for the first 7 years of her career. After she received her Master's degree and initial licensure, she led Dialectical Behavior Therapy programming for residential settings, integrating a mindfulness culture for both residents and staff. 

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Ms. Burkus received extensive trainings to work with severe trauma cases, particularly those struggling with C-PTSD.  She excelled at building therapeutic rapport with those attempting to manage severe emotion dysregulation and shame. She developed a comprehensive understanding of trauma therapies that included EMDR and somatic therapy. 

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Approach

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"As a therapist, I work with a lot of people who have learned to internalize their traumatic experiences to mean something bad about themselves. These individuals experience an immense amount of guilt and shame, causing them to feel like a burden. As a certified Shame Treatment Specialist, I must approach these clients with nonjudgmental curiosity, gentleness, and warmth. Feeling safe with a therapist is absolutely key to opening the doors to a self-compassion journey. I want my clients to understand that yes, trauma changes your brain chemistry, but so does healing."

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