About – Perennial Integrative Therapy

ABOUT

Perennial Integrative Therapy

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THE PERENNIAL APPROACHWhy Perennial?

A perennial is a plant that does not have to be replanted. It dies back, waits through winter, and returns from its own roots — fuller than before.

The name is the philosophy. Most of us come to therapy in a season that feels like winter — bare, slowed, uncertain whether anything is still alive underneath. Perennial begins from a different assumption: that the roots are intact, that what looks like an ending is often dormancy, and that growth which returns from your own ground is sturdier than growth forced from outside.

This is not optimism for its own sake. It is a clinical stance. The work is to tend conditions — safety, understanding, the right support at the right time — so that your own capacity for change can do what it is built to do. It is captured in three commitments: safety first, connection always, transformation over time.

What "integrative" means here

Integrative therapy means no single school of thought owns the session. Different seasons and different people call for different tools. Rather than fitting you to one method, Perennial draws from several evidence-based approaches and integrates them around you.

CONTACT ME

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THE APPROACH, IN PRACTICE

Many paths to healing, thoughtfully woven for you.

These are the traditions Perennial draws on. In any given session, one may lead and the others recede — the mix is chosen for you, not prescribed in advance.

Trauma does not affect everyone in the same way, and healing is not a one-size-fits-all process. We thoughtfully integrate different therapeutic approaches based on your experiences, needs, goals, culture, and readiness. As your needs evolve, the approaches used in therapy may evolve with you.

Feature six core approaches

EMDR
Helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they feel less emotionally overwhelming in the present.

Parts Work
Supports compassionate understanding of the protective, wounded, and resilient parts of yourself.

Somatic Therapy
Uses body awareness and nervous-system regulation to address how trauma is held and experienced physically.

Emotional Freedom Techniques
Combines focused reflection with gentle tapping to reduce emotional and physiological distress.

Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches
Helps identify unhelpful patterns, strengthen coping skills, and develop more flexible ways of responding.

Attachment-Focused Therapy
Explores how early and relational experiences influence safety, trust, connection, and present-day relationships.

Additional practices may include
Polyvagal-informed interventions, mindfulness, grounding, guided imagery, inner-child work, narrative therapy, ACT, DBT skills, and sound-based relaxation.

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ABOUT MELicensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

PRACTICE
EDUCATION
CREDENTIALS

Ayanna Gellineau is the founder and therapist-owner of Perennial Integrative Therapy, PLLC. Her practice is collaborative, paced, and grounded in the conviction that people are not broken machines to be repaired but living things to be understood — and that the right support helps a person grow back from their own roots.

MSc Counseling Psyhology
EMDR trained
Trauma informed therapy certification

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Pennsylvania license: PC017463 (active)
Regulated by: PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors
Practice: Perennial Integrative Therapy, PLLC