Petrovnia McIntosh (LCSW)

Hello! My name is Petrovnia McIntosh. I am a a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in the state of Wisconsin and a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for Individuals (CCTS-I). I received my Masters in Social Work (MSW) at the University of Wisconsin- Madison- School of Social Work. I specialize in working with adults who have had long-term trauma in childhood. In my practice, I believe that all behaviors are fulfilling a purpose. My approach is based on psychodynamic theory, which means I look for patterns of thoughts and behaviors that have been influenced by the things we learned in childhood. Sometimes the behaviors result in consequences that may be negative or hurtful. During our sessions, I will help you explore those behaviors that you developed in order to adapted and survive the environment you grew up in. I strongly believe that this process needs to be non-judgmental. These behaviors, especially those we see as negative, played an important role of getting through difficult times. We will process what need the behavior was filling. Then we can begin to explore alternative behaviors to try and create a plan of action to try new behaviors. We will then process how those new actions helped or hinder you on your journey. In my practice, I focus on populations with multiple intersectionality- especially People of Color (POC), people in the LGBT*Q community (including those who are planning on gender affirming transitioning and/or surgery) and those who are diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). My focus includes learning about the different forms of oppression, how systemic oppression impacts your life, internalized oppression and historical /generational trauma. All these come into play in your present day life whether we are aware of it or not. During therapy we will explore this and how it impacts you today. I look forward to working with you and helping you reach your goals!