About Us
Why The Chrysalis?
As queer and trans people, we understand metamorphosis and transformation on an intimate level. We understand that evolution is our birthright—to maintain the status quo in a world that defaults to cisnormativity and heteronormativity would be to deny the very essence of who we are. Our queer and trans identities deserve to be explored, experienced, and actualized. To stay the same is to live a life thoroughly unexamined. Throughout the course of our lives, we evolve, engaging in a constant alchemical process of self-discovery and self-actualization.
A chrysalis is a safe place where a caterpillar turns into primordial goo before finally growing wings and emerging as a majestic flying butterfly. The Chrysalis is the place for you, too, to crack open, to have your soft parts witnessed, and finally to emerge triumphantly as the most magical, integrated, compassionate version of yourself. The self that has always been there…the one you’ve been waiting for.
Who Am I?
Call me Skye 🦋
I am a queer and nonbinary IFS and EMDR therapist based in Santa Cruz, California.
I have been doing personal IFS work since 2022, and completed my Level 1 with the IFS Institute in 2023. I will complete Level 2 in November of 2026. I was trained in EMDR directly through the training institute founded by the creator of EMDR.
I am a survivor of Intimate Partner Violence, religious trauma, and sexual assault. In 2018, after the Kavanaugh hearings, I committed my life in service to the LGBTQIA+ community. I have been a teacher, educator, or mentor for much of my life in one fashion or another.
I believe that at the heart of every human being is the desire to heal and to be fully integrated. I do this work because I am passionate about helping queer and trans clients access queer and trans affirming IFS and EMDR therapy in California for their own emotional, mental, and spiritual growth.
The Chrysalis is my love letter to our community.
I believe that none of us are free until all of us are free. While my work has a local focus, I stand with indigenous peoples the world over in the fight to end genocide and racial cleansing.
When I am not working, I love cooking, spending time with loved ones, crafting rituals to share in community, watching documentaries or drag, and enjoying nature near where I live.
professional
Trainings
Stepping Stones
IFSCA (completed December 2022)
Level 1
Internal Family Systems Institute of America (Completed December 2023)
Level 2
Internal Family Systems Institute of America (To be completed November 2026)
EMDR Level 1
EMDRIA (Completed March 2025)
Ready to rest your head, weary traveler?
Whether you’ve been in therapy before or this is your first time, lay your worries to rest by entering a space where your identity doesn’t need an explanation. The Chrysalis is a space that advocates for fewer assumptions, safer talks about intimacy and community, and an intricate grasp of hurdles such as family, coming out, discrimination, and microaggressions.