Why Psychotherapy?

There are many ways to work with our emotional, relational & psychological struggles. Psychotherapy, when done well, strives to look honestly at our pain & suffering with the intention of easing it.

Everyone is unique, so finding an approach that achieves that ease is not always obvious…that does not mean it’s not worth the effort.

I offer Psychotherapy that integrates body & mind.

I’m Jodi Alieksaites…

Contemplative & Somatic Psychotherapist, MA, LPC

I have a Master’s Degree in Contemplative Psychotherapy & Buddhist Psychology & am a licensed counselor in Missouri & Colorado.

I confess to being a bit of a “mad-scientist,” a highly-sensitive person, AuDHD-er with an endlessly-curious mind. It took me some time to discover what worked for me in the realm of channeling my non-stop inspiration & empathic vulnerabilities, I am proof that it can be done!

I didn’t do it alone (although it was NOT from a lack of trying). I’ve had amazing teachers, mentors & healing professionals who have helped me over the years. I want to bring what I’ve learned to benefit you on your path to self-awareness.

Jodi Alieksaites

Psychotherapy Modalities:

arm in the air with green leaves drapped around

  • My style of Psychotherapy emphasizes the mind-body relationship, integrating mindfulness practice & working to interrupt problematic patterns in the mind, body & emotions. We’ll work with how your mind might be struggling with anxiety/panic, boundaries & limiting beliefs. Awareness in the present moment provides the essential framework for curiosity & gentleness in the process of change.

  • In sessions I direct you, experientially, in tracking body sensation, the movement of emotion, thoughts, breath & posture to attune to & integrate what is needing attention. At the same time, there is the potential to release blockages & an opportunity to reset the nervous system.

    Assignments between sessions further integrate practices into your daily lifestyle.


  • I first learned “parts work” through mentorship with a Shamanic Journey-work teacher who taught me Soul Parts Retrieval & since have added & adapted Internal Family Systems & Somatic Psychotherapy to create a primary focus on parts-mapping & body-mapping.

    Parts-mapping helps cultivate self-compassion as well as disengaging denial of difficult emotions. Please note: I do not offer “formal” IFS work as it does not suit my approach.

  • I began my career in end-of-life care & have over a decade of experience in hospice, dementia care & grief counseling. I strive to help people understand that grief is a natural human process & is not simply sadness, but includes an array of emotions as well as body responses.

    Loss is inevitable, but the extent to which you suffer with loss is not pre-determined. Grief left unattended can devolve into despair & endless sorrow.

Why Work with Me?

Choosing a therapist can be a challenge, but I think the most important element in “good fit” is feeling you can show up as you are. No one wants to feel judged. I strive to create an atmosphere of curiosity & acceptance. I help clients to not judge themselves, let go of self-aggression & fear.

If you value self-awareness & cultivating a peaceful mind & body, we might be a good fit.

My style as a psychotherapist is not to follow strict protocols, but to customize my therapy modalities to you & your needs…collaboration is key!

EDUCATION & LICENSING

  • Master's Degree Naropa University
    Contemplative Psychotherapy & Buddhist Psychology (3-year degree program)

  • Bachelor’s Degree Creative Writing University of Missouri

  • LPC in the state of Colorado
    (FYI…A Licensed Professional Counselor in CO must hold a Masters’ degree in their profession & be supervised for two years post-Masters’ degree
    plus 2,000 hours clinical experience as well as pass the National Licensing Exam)

  • LPC in the state of Missouri

FURTHER TRAINING & EXPERIENCE

  • Integrative Somatic Parts Work w/ Fran Booth

  • Safe & Sound Protocol Certification

  • Level 1 Training Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

  • Year-long Internship in Play Therapy

  • Year-long Internship in Hospice Care & Grief Counseling

  • 10 years of Professional work in end-of-life contemplative elder & dementia care, Supervisor

  • 2 year study in shamanic arts w/ Ancient Ways Center in Colorado

  • Levels 1 & 2 Reiki Training

Guiding Elements

  • ‍ “Nothing in the world is as soft & yielding as water. Yet for dissolving the hard & inflexible, nothing can surpass it. The soft overcomes the hard; the gentle overcomes the rigid.”

    — Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

  • LOVING KINDNESS

    Sometimes we are not very skilled at being gentle & kind to ourselves. Often the opposite is the norm, which results in a barrage of self-aggressive thoughts riddled with "shoulds."

    It's impossible to experience joy from this place of self-judgement. We can't fake it. Loving ourselves is not fluffy, unimportant stuff. It is the most essential ingredient to living a life of purpose & connection.

  • EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

    If emotional intelligence is not modeled for us as we develop & grow we simply do not learn how to clearly name how we feel.

    We may assume that some emotions are unacceptable to others around us & begin to suppress our feelings.

    Emotional intelligence begins with knowing how to identify feelings & to learn to attune to yourself.

  • MINDFULNESS & EMBODIMENT

    Mindfulness has become a commonly used term that in some ways has become watered-down due to overly broad use. Mindfulness is our effort to turn our attention & awareness to the present moment in an intentional way.

    This includes mindfulness of what our thoughts & mind are doing, as well as mindfulness of body, breath, movement & posture.

    Combining mindfulness of body & mind can create what we call an "embodied" way of being…feeling “whole.”

  • CURIOSITY

    Curiosity creates the space for exploration & disarms judgement & assumptions. As such, it is very effective for exploring fear & problematic beliefs.

    Curiosity is often a gateway to playfulness, light-heartedness & creative expression, which is beneficial in therapy & life.

  • NON-PATHOLOGIZING APPROACH

    Mental Health diagnosis has many flaws. Diagnostics can be helpful & sometimes harmful. While some folks benefit from a diagnosis, others do not or are mis-diagnosed.

    Whatever your situation, it’s important to me that I do not pathologize you, but rather help to offer effective guidance & frameworks to support psychological, emotional & relational well-being. You are not “broken.”

  • NEURODIVERSITY-AFFIRMING

    Neurodiversity-affirming therapy acknowledges the challenges Autistic people & AHDers experience. Strategies are customized to meet an individual’s unique circumstances, respecting inherent neuro-different attributes.

    We also use the terms & language that resonate for you. Come as your are…self-diagnosed or otherwise.

    This is not about making neurodiverse individuals conform to neurotypical standards. That practice has caused a lot of harm, historically & is inappropriate in neurodiversity-affirming psychotherapy.

therapy should not shock your system…

Sometimes people think therapy is about BIG CATHARTIC MOMENTS. To be honest, I don’t think that always equals good therapy.

My goal is not to “shake you up.” My intention for my clients is to process what you’re struggling with in session & to create skills & views that will help you increase your well-being in your day to day.

If something “releases” in that process, it can be a relief, but it is not the goal. The body (& the mind) releases when it’s ready.

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