Hi, I’m Caroline (Carly) Falk
Co-owner of Lotus Embodied Counseling.
I am an LCPC EMDR Certified, EMDRIA-approved EMDR Consultant.
NOTE: Please understand that I maintain a limited caseload specific to the areas of focus detailed below and will not be able to accommodate all requests.
With a passion for healing and empowerment, I've dedicated 10 years to the field of psychotherapy. My expertise lies in working with individuals facing substance abuse, process addictions, and trauma disorders.
Who I Work With
I've had the privilege of delivering EMDR therapy to hundreds of clients, specializing in advanced trauma treatment for even the most complex cases, including dissociative disorders and survivors of child sexual abuse and high-demand groups. I’m a good fit for clients who have a complex trauma history in childhood who are ready to take a deeper dive into their journey. My special interest is working with survivors of sadistic abuse.
I am EMDR Certified and have completed advanced training in EMDR for dissociative disorders, IFS/Parts work, process addictions, attachment, and personality disorders.
I’ll be with you as you find your voice and learn to trust your incredible power.
What to expect from me
Therapy is about connection. Safe connection is the foundation of healing childhood or interpersonal trauma. It’s my hope that clients feel safe enough to face hard truths or painful experiences, and to express long-held emotions.
Chronic childhood stress or painful experiences can leave us feeling confused and uncertain about who we are and what we believe. We may struggle to feel safe in our own relationships, in our bodies, and in our minds. Trusting ourselves can feel impossible. We may have survived demanding religious upbringing that was harmful and not aligned with our identities. The lingering effects of being raised in a controlling environment can sometimes only be explored through the body. That is why you can expect me to support you in connection to your body as it expresses memory. Somatic complaints, chronic illness and pain can be our body’s attempts to alert us. Navigating healthcare can feel humiliating and overwhelming when you suffer with chronic illness. You can expect me to offer compassionate support and knowledgeable exploration of any connection from your current symptoms to past experiences.
With enthusiasm, honesty, and humor, I help clients reconnect with themselves, body, mind and spirit. It is my hope that you find home, belonging, and safety within yourself. I will be your advocate and your witness.
You and I may be a good fit if:
You are seeking treatment specifically for managing trauma-related dissociation
You experienced repeated negative life events throughout your childhood and have used substances, sex, over or undereating, exercise, gaming, or other means to cope.
You feel shame and guilt regarding decisions or interpersonally
You have tried therapy in the past and still feel that past trauma is unresolved and/or physical abuse
You experience chronic pain or chronic illness after surviving a stressful childhood
A little bit about me
I joined Lotus as Co-Owner in 2023 . Sharnise and I shared a vision that served a survivor community with dignity. Through my career and lived experience I have observed that harm to survivors is often missed, misunderstood, or dismissed in an attempt to soften reality.
As a survivor of gun violence and sadistic abuse, I know cruelty. Healing did not lessen pain, but it made space for me to live in my body again. Healing offered me a relationship with myself that was real and sacred, a self that is never destroyed.
It is now my life’s purpose to empower others who have experienced cruelty by others or by a collective system. I hope to educate a larger audience on the pervasive acceptance of harm within families and organizations. My heart is forever with the scapegoats, the whistleblowers and the courageous folks who come through our doors.
Beyond my professional life, you can find me wandering the woods, blasting early 2000’s pop-punk, hyper fixating on US History, or just yapping with friends.
More about my background & training
I attended college (General Studies, B.A. 2011) and graduate school (Counselor Education, M.Ed 2014) as a “Double Eagle” fromGeorgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. My undergraduate degree included three areas of study, Religion, Psychology, and Sociology. This prepared me to understand complex concepts and explore social issues with circumspect evaluation. In graduate school I studied Counselor Education with emphasis on Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am dearly proud of my counseling program, for the curriculum, the professors, and the students that go on to serve their communities. I learned to own my privilege, to connect with clients with dignity, and to be a lifelong learner. My counseling internship was completed at Savannah College of Art and Design. There I worked with college students experiencing a variety of mental health challenges while attending college. It was a pleasure and a privilege to serve a disproportionately neurodivergent community as an accommodation coordinator. From there I worked in substance abuse inpatient and outpatient settings, eating disorder clinics, and clinical private practice. While I worked with many populations over the years, the through-line was always trauma.
I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Maryland
I am a Board Approved Supervisor in the State of Maryland.
I am EMDR Certified and EMDRIA-approved EMDR Consultant. I offer consultation to therapists who have completed EMDR Basic Training.
I have completed advanced training in the treatment of trauma disorders, personality disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders, attachment trauma and dissociative disorders.
I want to welcome you to our practice, where we embark on a journey of empowerment, encouraging survivors to choose connection.
Together, we'll harness the power of therapeutic resources and the resilience of the human spirit, just like a lotus rising from the depths.