Allison Wise, LCSW
Virtual therapy anywhere in California and New Jersey.
A little about me (and why this work looks the way it does)
Recently, I won a contest for a pet photo shoot—and I showed up in sweeping gowns, unapologetically regal, with my cat by my side.
It was ridiculous.
It was audacious.
It was playful and fierce and completely, unmistakably me.
I had an absolute blast—because I let all of myself come forward without editing or apology, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
What makes that meaningful is simple: there was a version of me long ago who would have talked herself out of it.
Who would have found a reason to back out.
Who would have done it, and then hidden the photos.
Who would have worried that being seen like that would cost her something—her credibility, her composure, her relationships, her “right” to be taken seriously.
That day captures something important about how I move through the world now—and how I work with people.
Yes, I bring over 15 years of clinical experience..
Yes, I know the systems, the tools, the frameworks, and how to guide meaningful, lasting change.
And yes—I’ve lived the difference between surviving inside yourself and inhabiting yourself.
What I want for you goes beyond insight.
It even goes beyond healing—though yes, we need that to get there.
What I want for you is access.
Access to yourself.
Access to permission.
Access to embodiment.
Access to the parts of you that learned to stay contained—but never stopped existing.
What I want for you is to feel excitement without shame, power without guilt, expression without second-guessing.
To seize the moments when you feel fierce, playful, and alive —without wondering if it’s “too much,” or if it somehow contradicts your success, your intelligence, or your responsibilities.
It doesn’t.
It's actually exactly what you need to access in order to take your next big steps.
This work is not about becoming someone else
It’s about allowing more of you to exist—fully integrated into the life you’ve already built.
The capable part.
The accomplished part.
The playful part.
The powerful part.
The wild, creative, sovereign part.
All at once.
That’s the work.
That’s the invitation.
And that’s who I’m here for.
If that sounds like you, book a consultation.
My clients experience me as warm, direct, and disarmingly funny.
They know I’ll ask the real questions, but always with compassion, not judgment.
They describe feeling safe enough to go deep and challenged enough to grow.
They feel seen, never analyzed. Supported, but accountable.
Qualifications:
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) — California & New Jersey
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Certified Clinical Supervisor
SIFI Completion (Seminar in Field Instruction for MSW Students)
15+ years of clinical experience
14 years working with trauma survivors and people in active crisis
12 years working with high-performing professionals navigating perfectionism and burnout
Trauma-informed, evidence-based, relational approach integrating psychodynamic insight, motivational interviewing, and parts work