Neal Holden, LCSW

Therapist in Chandler, AZ

I’m Neal Holden, and I’ve been working as a therapist since early 2019 and a social worker since 2000.

When I was 16 my best friend Jerome talked me into seeing a therapist. I was angry, sad, lost and weighed down by shame. I felt alone without a sense of belonging. Like many people, I turned those emotions into anger, an emotion that feels more powerful than sadness. All three males in my household, including me, have the same broken bone in our hand from punching stuff. I have no room to judge, been there.

My therapist helped me actually feel like I was enough, that I mattered, and that I had valid reasons to have emotions. When you believe that you matter and have what it takes to influence your life for the better, inner peace is obtainable. Therapy is designed to help you get past the blocks and live the life that you deserve!

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker

  • EMDR trained (certified in 2022 through EMDRIA)

  • Certified Clinical Trauma Professional in 2017

  • 200 Hour Yoga Teacher (Yoga Alliance)

How Therapy Helps Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, and Feeling Stuck

The whole point of seeing a counselor is to move forward with the best life you can live. We may use therapy techniques to change the way you view yourself and to no longer be plagued by the past.

We will get your mindset to be helpful instead of hurtful to your life. You’ll learn ways to cope with and navigate through hard emotions. That said, no amount of insight, coping skills, or reprocessing trauma will actually make your life better without change and action. We do therapy to break barriers and have the skills and perspectives needed to go out and life that life.

Fun Facts about Neal:

  • I built that wall behind me out of old shipping pallets and built most of the furniture in my office.

  • My wife is a dog trainer, so in addition to our 4 dogs we usually have several other dogs in the house.

  • I grew up in Camden, NJ - but found my true home in AZ where I can play in the desert, trees, rivers and lakes.

My trainings as a trauma therapist led me to exploring the mind body connection like never before. I incorporate the mindfulness practices and healthy philosophies from yoga and Pilates teacher trainings into therapy as part of the healing process.

Humans need things like fun, challenge and connection. All the therapy in the world won’t push that depressed mood away if you aren’t meeting those needs.

Need direction on what that looks like for you?

Done!

Helping people connect to themselves and a life they love is why I do this.

I’m an avid outdoors enthusiast with a background in health of the body, spirit and mind. I will absolutely encourage and support you as you learn to nurture all of you.

We’ll find something that helps your overall health and mood, something you look forward to doing. You’ll develop a healthy routine of YOUR choice such as yoga, outdoor activities, dancing, or anything that gets the heart rate up and dopamine pumping!

I’ve helped countless clients find the passion that they connect with and enjoy. I will prescribe you a lifestyle of challenge, fun and connection to yourself and the people and things you love. Without this, what’s the point?