What might therapy achieve if you had more time to sink in and dig past the obvious?
Neuroaffirming, extended-format, somatic therapy for complex trauma and identity exploration
in North Tonawanda, NY | Just north of Buffalo in Western New York
Do you ever…
struggle to “get out” what you’re thinking?
understand the symptoms you’d like to change, but can’t seem to implement change?
feel like you were just getting to the important stuff when therapy ends?
need time to warm up before talking about hard sh*t?
feel yourself shut down or get overwhelmed when you hit heavy topics?
believe strongly that stories require the background details?
get told you go off on tangents? Maybe you’ve even heard “get to the point.” (ouch)
prefer to dive deep and really get in. to. it.
If so…
How’s traditional therapy going?
Have you been feeling a little stuck? Plateaued?
Like you know there’s deeper work, but somehow you just can’t get there.
Do any of these sound familiar?
“Maybe I’m just not working hard enough”
“Maybe this is the best I can hope for”
“Maybe there’s something wrong with me”
“Maybe therapy just doesn’t work for me”
I know we don’t know each other yet, but I just want to start by saying
for sure, 100% you are not doing anything wrong or failing at therapy.
You can tell people the doctor said so.
The work you’ve done so far isn't wrong either. It just wasn't built for you.
Honestly, "normal" sessions aren't built for any of us. They're built for insurance billing.
Two things to know about me off the bat:
I HAVE to know why to buy into something.
I REALLY hate when people are shoved into systems built for profit margins, not people, and then they get gaslit into believing they are the problem.
Hi, I’m Dr. Emily Knitter
Just “Emily” is totally fine though. I’m a Licensed Psychologist who took a winding road in life to get to this point. You can read a bit more about me here if you’d like.
I love working with other people who’ve taken the long way to get where they are. Who have some scars, bumps, and bruises to show. Who’ve questioned, burned down, and reinvented. Maybe you’re in the middle of feeling like you “should” have it figured out by now (spoiler alert, most folks in my office feel, or have felt, like they’re “behind,” whether they are 19 or 70. You’re in good company!)
If that’s you, we’ll likely get along wonderfully.
Welcome to therapy done differently.
Let’s start with some of the whys.
Therapy Relationship Basics
In my opinion, what we all need in therapy, particularly trauma therapy, starts with a therapist who:
can hear the hard stuff without flinching
truly believes defensiveness is a gift we should honor
can feel when you float away, sometimes even before you can
has the time and space to sit with you for the time it truly takes
Session Length
That last one is why nothing here runs on the insurance clock. Sessions are two hours as a baseline standard, weekly or biweekly. When the work needs more room than that, or your life, health, or schedule doesn’t fit recurring sessions, we can build an “intensive” instead: a half day, a full day, sometimes several. The shape gets sized to the work and what you need and want, not the other way around.
Time to Really Sink In
If you recognized yourself in any of the experiences at the top of this page, this format just might be the antidote. We can go slow. Ease in. Allow your brain and your body to get on the same “page” and transition into the mindset needed to dig deep into our experiences. That’s often a very different headspace than how we operate in our everyday lives. And it’s very rare I meet someone who can move between those two states with a flip of a switch.
Doing the Proverbial “Work”
Then, once we are ready for the work, we still have time left to actually dig into it. Whether you know exactly what it is, or you have no clue - just a sense something is there, that’s no problem. One of my strengths is untangling the knot that is our experiences and helping you explore what’s there when we can loosen it enough to look at the individual threads.
Ground Before Leaving
And even after all of that, we still have enough time to wrap it up comfortably and transition back into “regular” brain before you leave.
It’s pretty freakin’ cool, in my opinion.
I’ve heard from many current clients it’s a game changer.
Three ways in…
Extended Sessions
Recurring 2-hour sessions, weekly or every other week, in person in North Tonawanda or online anywhere in New York State. This is the baseline standard. Enough time to settle in, dig deep, and come out without rushing.
Intensive Therapy
Half-day to multi-day focused work for when something needs more room than extended sessions can give it, or you want to get started and really get right into it, or your schedule and brain work better with deeper work and less long-term commitment. Only offered in-person (not virtual) in North Tonawanda.
Starting Summer 2027
Equine-Assisted Intensives
Where the work happens in nature with a horse instead of an office. And your ability to feel the work instead of just talk about it is amplified tenfold. This is such powerful work, and I can’t wait to officially offer it next year.
A note on safety
"I don't care if you're gay, straight, or somewhere in the middle — I just care that you look good doing it." — Gretchen Wieners
The Grounded Center isn't neutral territory, it's sanctuary. I stand firmly with BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrant, and all communities targeted by state violence, oppression and discrimination.
Your story, your identity, and your privacy are fiercely protected to the fullest extent of the law. I have a lawyer and work regularly to ensure I am on top as possible of this ever changing landscape so I can do my part to keep all of my clients safe and looking good on their journey.
The Short Version
Services & details about The Grounded Center at a glance
Who this is for
Adults who've done therapy before and hit a wall
Complex trauma, attachment trauma, identity work
LGBTQIA2S+ folx needing to explore life without also needing to question their own safety in the space
Neurodivergent (ADHD, OCD, AuDHD, Autism) adults whose nervous systems need a different approach to therapy
Military veterans, first responders, people with high-stress careers
Over-achieving entrepreneurs who can’t sit still
People who have taken the long way in life to get where they are today
How it works
Two-hour sessions, weekly or biweekly
Nervous system stabilization comes before trauma processing, every time
Depth over volume: a small caseload, on purpose
Where
In person: 525 Wheatfield St., Suite 44, North Tonawanda, NY 14120, just north of Buffalo in Western New York
Online two-hour sessions: anywhere in New York State
Intensives are in person only
Credentials
Dr. Emily Knitter, Licensed Psychologist (NY, License # 028444)
Counseling Psychology, PhD, University at Buffalo (SUNY).
Retired U.S. Army combat veteran
Who this probably isn’t for
People needing crisis or weekly 50-minute support
Anyone who wants insurance-billed sessions
People who just need a space to vent (and there is a time and place for this!)
What I actually use
EMDR
Somatic therapy
Coherence Therapy
Parts-based work
Cost and insurance
Out-of-network; superbills provided upon request; also partnered with Thrizer to help make OON billing easier
Two-hour sessions - $400
Intensive packages starting at $1,215
Right now
Not accepting new clients until November 2026
Email: emily@thegroundedcenter.com
Phone: 716-327-1714
So what are the next steps?
An important note:
I'm not taking new clients until after November 2026
The Grounded Center is moving into its new home in North Tonawanda. Consultations will open then.
If what you've read here sounds like your work, leave your email on the waitlist and you'll be the first to hear when the doors open.
