Grotto is an employee-owned trauma therapy practice that was incorporated in 2022 to protect the mental health of helping professionals during the COVID pandemic. Our first line of defense was in-house. Prior to seeing clients, we worked with the North Carolina Small Business Association (NCSBA) to carefully design a working model that prioritized our clinicians well-being. We believe that we must walk the walk to talk the talk (pun intended and also seriously). Thus, the model of practice prioritizes personal dignity and well being. We clinicians each select our clients, insurance paneling preference, reimbursement option, and availability that best allow for our own self-care and work-life balance. As such, we, as clinicians, show up to session on own terms in our best versions of self.
Our client base has spanned over the years to include individuals who are in need of accelerated and/or advanced therapeutic services. In addition, due to our heightened level of security, we often work with clients who require additional protection from prying eyes such as public figures, individuals with security clearance, and licensed professionals.
Grotto is federally recognized as a small women’s owned business by SAM.gov and Dun & Bradstreet. We are accredited by the Better Business Bureau (grade A) and professionally recognized by the North Carolina Psychology Board and Secretary of State as a professional practice.
Grotto offers empirically established treatments to enhance mental health. An empirically established treatment is designed by industry experts and described in a manual to assure the treatment can be appropriately applied by other clinicians. Before it is acknowledged as a standard treatment, researchers evaluate it.
There are two common methods for evaluating treatment effectiveness. A between groups study compares people with similar symptoms split into two groups, one given the treatment and the other with no treatment or a similar one. To reduce bias, the evaluator is often “blind” or unaware of which group the individual being observed is assigned to. Symptoms are then compared at the end of the experiment to determine whether the treatment was more effective than the control. The other common way of evaluating is a within group design, comparing individuals before and after their treatment. Generally, the outcome will be measured by a self-report of the target symptoms. When the treatment repeatedly and reliably provides relief, these results are written and submitted to an academic journal. Here, the rational, methods, results, and conclusions drawn are evaluated by peer reviewers through the academic publication process. Our psychological treatments meet these guidelines and are considered industry standards. The empirically-sound treatments we offer are below.
In addition to these standard trauma therapy approaches to helping ease psychological discomfort and aid in healing, we place great value on assuring a therapist-client fit. We cannot befriend everyone, not every therapist suits every client. The power of connectedness and a genuine regard is our primary goal to assure that the process of growth is optimized and as comfortable and safe as it can be. In this context, we treat the mental health conditions below.
Grotto welcomes clients throughout the lifespan 12 and onward, individuals, couples, and families. For parenting strategies, we can aid with parenting young children, however, we do not see these kiddos independently. We welcome all styles of family structure.
We specialize in therapeutic and professional support for fellow clinicians, psychiatrists, nurses, first responders, forensic personnel, and persons in positions of leadership. Meet our team of psychologists.
