Reconnect with who you’ve always been.

NeuroAffective Touch® helps you experience greater safety and connection.

In-person therapy in Wilmington and online throughout NC & SC

What would life feel like if you knew these statements were true?

“I belong.”
“It's not my fault.”
“I am worthy.”
“I am lovable.”

What if you didn’t have to convince yourself, or grit your teeth as you say affirmations in the mirror, but just knew?

NeuroAffective Touch® is a therapy method that creates space for your mind, body, and heart to come into conversation with one another. It offers an opportunity to experience safety and connection in a way your nervous system may not have before, supporting a deeper connection with yourself that can be felt—not just understood.

NeuroAffective Touch is designed to work with developmental and attachment trauma, including experiences such as:

  • Emotional neglect, such as having your feelings or needs ignored or overlooked

  • Inconsistent or unavailable caregiving

  • Adoption, early separation, or loss

  • Lack of physical affection or nurturing touch

  • Growing up feeling unsafe or unprotected

  • Difficulty feeling safe or connected in relationships

  • Feeling disconnected from your body

  • Long-standing patterns of shame or feeling unworthy

“The body cannot be touched without engaging the mind, and the mind cannot be engaged without affecting the body.”

– Dr. Aline LaPierre, Creator of NeuroAffective Touch®

How NeuroAffective Touch supports healing:

NeuroAffective Touch helps you reconnect with who you've always been beneath the ways you've learned to survive.

This therapeutic approach brings together physical touch, mind-body dialogues, nervous system awareness, and the therapeutic relationship. Together these create opportunities to explore the relationship between your mind, body, and heart, allowing them to communicate in new ways. As that communication develops, long-held patterns shaped during your childhood can begin to shift.

Why touch?

Touch in therapy may sound unusual at first. Touch is one of the earliest ways we may experience safety, comfort, and connection as infants. When those early experiences leave important needs unmet, they can shape how we see ourselves and connect with others.

NeuroAffective Touch offers a different experience of touch within the safety of your relationship with your therapist. Touch in my practice is intentional and always offered within the context of our work and with consent. You are always in control of whether touch is part of a session.

What is a session like?

Sessions begin with conversation. I'll start by asking what you would like for yourself out of our time together that day. As we explore that, we'll slow down and begin noticing your breath, physical sensations, and your inner experience. Paying attention to what's happening in the present moment helps us become curious about your experience rather than trying to change or fix it.

If we decide to include touch, you'll remain fully dressed and lie comfortably on a padded massage table with blankets and warm flaxseed pillows. We may begin by noticing your breath and connecting with the center of your body. The touch itself varies depending on what we're exploring together. I may hold or gently move along your arms, support your back or head, or touch around your eyes and ears. We may move between several parts of your body during a session, following what you're noticing and what feels supportive.

Before touching you, I'll ask your permission. As we work, I'll check in about the pressure and your comfort, and you're welcome to tell me what you need or where you'd like me to go next. This is still psychotherapy, so we'll talk during the session, exploring what comes up as we go. I'll also invite you to notice what's happening inside—physical sensations, emotions, thoughts, or what your mind and body might each be saying.

NeuroAffective Touch can help you:

  • Engage authentically rather than shape-shifting to meet external expectations.

  • Make choices that align with your long-term goals and personal values rather than acting out of fear or external pressure.

  • Trust your instincts and make decisions with more confidence.

  • Ask for what you need and set boundaries that protect your peace.

  • Build relationships where you feel seen, supported, and connected rather than seeking validation.

  • Listen to your body instead of pushing through.

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FAQs

  • Yes. In fact, NeuroAffective Touch was designed by Dr. Aline LaPierre to be integrated with other therapeutic approaches rather than only used as a stand-alone modality.

    Depending on what you're experiencing and what feels most supportive, we may incorporate NeuroAffective Touch, EMDR, NARM, mindfulness, or other approaches into our work together based on your needs and what you're drawn to.

  • Although NeuroAffective Touch involves touch, it is very different from massage therapy. You'll remain fully clothed throughout the session, and touch is always offered within the context of psychotherapy.

    Rather than working with muscles or soft tissue, NeuroAffective Touch uses attuned touch to support awareness of your inner experience and the connection between your mind, body, and heart. Throughout the session, we'll check in about what you're noticing and experiencing.

  • Yes. Touch is always collaborative and only happens with your consent. I'll ask before touching you, and we'll check in about what feels comfortable and supportive as we go. You can ask me to adjust the pressure, move to a different part of your body, or stop at any time.

    You are always an active participant in deciding whether and how touch is part of our work together.

  • I began training with Dr. Aline LaPierre, the founder of NeuroAffective Touch, in 2024. As part of the certification process, I continue to deepen my skills through ongoing consultation and continued training.

  • If you'd like to learn more about NeuroAffective Touch®, I recommend visiting Dr. Aline LaPierre's website. https://neuroaffectivetouch.com/about/what-is-neuroaffective-touch/

You are enough.

Those words can become something you know, not just something you say.

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