Princess Manuel, LCSW

Starting therapy is a transformative step toward mental wellness. As a trauma-informed, feminist, and social justice-oriented licensed therapist, I specialize in providing culturally responsive counseling, therapy for women of color, and specialized support for athletes. My clinical expertise includes the evidence-based treatment of anxiety and depression, chronic stress, and the psychological effects of relational trauma. By addressing the critical intersection of identity, performance pressure, and mental health, I support clients navigating the unique challenges of systemic oppression, athletic burnout, complex interpersonal relationships, and occupational stress in a dedicated, inclusive space. Many clients seek my practice to resolve symptoms stemming from childhood emotional neglect, interpersonal violence, and complex PTSD (C-PTSD). In adult relationships and competitive environments, these historical experiences frequently manifest as hypervigilance, fear of abandonment, persistent people-pleasing, perfectionism, and difficulty establishing healthy relationship boundaries. Additionally, I specialize in helping clients and athletes address coping mechanisms such as emotional eating, bingeing, and body image distress, which often develop as survival strategies for managing underlying trauma and performance anxiety. If you are experiencing emotional dysregulation, chronic shame, or patterns of codependency, I offer practical clinical tools to help you heal your relationship with food and your body, improve communication, and reclaim your autonomy. My integrative therapeutic approach combines insight-oriented psychotherapy and somatic therapy to facilitate deep, lasting emotional healing. By uniting mind-body somatic techniques with cognitive strategies, we work collaboratively to process generational and present-day trauma, regulate the nervous system, and build psychological resilience. If you are searching for a compassionate, clinically rigorous trauma therapist dedicated to empowering your personal growth, enhancing self-confidence, and supporting long-term change, contact me today to schedule an initial consultation.