IFS Therapy in Concord, NC
LGBTQIA+ & Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy
You want more than just “feeling better.”
You want to feel more like yourself—maybe again, or maybe for the first time. To understand what’s happening inside, trust your own voice, feel more connected in your relationships, and move through life with less masking and second-guessing.
All of you is welcome here.
Hi there, I'm Erica!
NICE TO MEET YOU
Hi, I’m Erica Smalla, LCSWA and Certified IFS Therapist. I’m a therapist who loves getting curious about people—their stories, their relationships, and all the different parts that make them who they are. My style is warm, creative, relational, and pretty human. We might go deep, notice what’s happening in your body, get to know a part, laugh at something completely unrelated, or sit with something that doesn’t have words yet. You don’t have to perform, mask, or do therapy “right” here. You just get to be you.
These are some of my favorite things
MY DOGS, ZEEK & NOODLE 🐾
TRAVELING SOMEWHERE NEW
REALITY TV
SOUR GUSHERS
GETTING LOST IN A CREATIVE PROJECT
COFFEE — ALWAYS
Available services
WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
A space to slow down and understand what’s happening beneath the surface. I offer IFS-informed individual therapy in Concord, NC for anxiety, trauma, overwhelm, identity, masking, and feeling disconnected from yourself. Together, we’ll work toward greater self-understanding, connection, and a life that feels more like your own.
KIDS & TEENS
Kids and teens don’t always have words for everything happening inside. Therapy can give them other ways to explore emotions, relationships, identity, anxiety, and difficult experiences. I provide affirming therapy for kids and teens in Concord, NC using connection, creativity, play, and parts-informed approaches that meet young people where they are.
IFS Therapy
The parts of you that overthink, shut down, criticize, people-please, or stay on high alert often developed for a reason. As a Certified IFS Therapist, I help clients approach these parts with curiosity rather than judgment. I offer Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy in Concord, NC to help you understand protective patterns, reconnect with yourself, and create meaningful change.
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy
You deserve therapy where your identity doesn’t need to be explained, defended, or minimized. LGBTQ+ affirming therapy offers space to explore relationships, identity, family, belonging, anxiety, and the experiences that have shaped you. At Heartbeat Therapy & Wellness in Concord, NC, all parts of you are welcome—and therapy isn’t about changing who you are.
Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy
Your brain doesn’t need to work differently to deserve understanding. Neurodivergent-affirming therapy supports autistic and ADHD clients navigating masking, burnout, overwhelm, relationships, identity, and feeling misunderstood. I offer neurodivergent-affirming therapy in Concord, NC that works with your nervous system and helps you understand yourself rather than teaching you to become better at hiding who you are.
COUPLES THERAPY
Relationships can bring out some of our deepest patterns. Couples therapy offers space to understand what happens between you, communicate differently, and rebuild emotional connection. I provide affirming couples counseling in Concord, NC for partners navigating conflict, disconnection, intimacy, life transitions, and recurring relationship patterns.
Areas of expertise
INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS (IFS) · ANXIETY & TRAUMA · NEURODIVERGENCE
LGBTQ+ AFFIRMING THERAPY · RELATIONSHIPS & INTIMACY
COUPLES THERAPY · KIDS & TEENS
What To Expect
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Let's Connect
Come As You Are
Get Curious
We’ll start with a free 15-minute consultation to talk about what’s bringing you to therapy, what you’re looking for, and whether working together feels like a good fit.
There’s no pressure to know exactly where to begin. We’ll slow things down, get to know you and what’s been happening, and begin exploring what you’d like to be different.
From there, therapy is collaborative and shaped around you. We may talk, explore parts through IFS, notice what’s happening in your body, use creativity, or simply make space for whatever needs attention that day.
Every part of you is welcome here
You don’t have to hide, mask, perform, or have the right words here. Heartbeat Therapy & Wellness is an LGBTQ+ affirming and neurodivergent-affirming space where every part of you is welcome—including the parts you’re still learning to understand.