AEDP - Not Just a Bunch of Letters!
- Korrenne Jensen
- Jun 1
- 3 min read
AEDP: A Deeper Way to Connect and Heal
What is AEDP?
Imagine for a moment, carrying around a heavy suitcase. You’ve filled it over the years and dragged it from place to place, but never quite opened it to look at what's inside. You just know it’s heavy, so heavy that it sometimes stops you in your tracks from exhaustion. That suitcase is like the emotional weight many of us carry: packed tight with old wounds, unspoken feelings, and lingering memories. In therapy, we often glance at the suitcase, talk about it, maybe briefly place it down someplace. But what if, instead of all of that, we dared to open it? That’s where Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) comes in.
AEDP isn’t just about talking; it’s about experiencing. Traditional talk therapy often asks you to tell the story, but AEDP invites you to feel it and heal it. Together, we don’t just walk around the suitcase. We gently lift each layer, letting the light touch what’s been hidden for so long. Sometimes there’s resistance; defenses spring up to keep things buried because that’s how we’ve survived. But underneath that layer is where the real work begins, where raw, authentic emotions live. This is where the heartache, the longing, the anger, and the grief sit quietly, waiting to be seen. It’s where you start to realize that the weight you’ve been carrying wasn’t just heavy...it was begging for your attention.
In our sessions, I’m right there with you, noticing the sighs, the shifts, the pauses. When you feel something come up, we don’t rush past it. We slow down and listen. We pay attention to where it sits in your body, how it feels, and what it’s trying to say. But this isn’t just about addressing and feeling. It’s about transformation and healing. Our heavy histories begin to shift and soften, making way for current truths. That’s the beauty of AEDP: we stay with what was real back then until what is real right now emerges.
While AEDP is a core part of my practice, I also draw from Coherence Therapy and other evidence-based approaches. Despite my love for AEDP, I believe it’s not about sticking to one method, but finding the right way forward for each unique moment. For example, while AEDP can help us dive deep into our emotions, Coherence Therapy gently uncovers why they took root. With both, we get to the heart of what was suffered, and what was learnt about the world from that suffering.
People often ask what it’s like in a session. I tell them it’s like opening up time, stretching each moment so we can explore what’s inside. The body whispers its truths and we follow its lead. We pause at the flicker of sadness in your eyes, the tightness in your chest. We don’t just talk about it; we stay with it as long as it needs. We explore it and listen to its story. And eventually, we allow it to transform and make way for the beauty underneath.
If you’ve been feeling weighed down, stuck, or disconnected, I want you to know that change is possible. Together, we can unzip that suitcase, one layer at a time, and find healing in the places you never thought possible. All it takes is the courage to show up. And I’ll be there, steady and sure, ready to help you unpack what’s inside.
Written by Maryam Mohamed, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Learn more about Maryam.
About Afterglow... Afterglow Psychotherapy is a group of therapists providing online therapy in Ontario. All Afterglow therapists have personal experience with neurodiversity and trauma, and are highly trained to help you in your journey towards more balance and emotional freedom. Please connect with us today to ask us about therapy for immigrants, religious trauma, ADHD, sexuality, and more!
