Community Highlights: Meet Lindsay Tree of Desert Tree Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Tree.

Hi Lindsay, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I earned my Master’s degree in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago in 2011, graduating with honors. Initially, I stepped away from the mental health field to explore my passion for writing, which led me to a role as Director of Content for a startup backed by the same venture capital firm that funded Groupon. It was an exciting time—full of creativity and entrepreneurial energy—but I eventually felt the pull back to my roots: helping people.

I returned to mental health, working for several years as a therapist in community settings, primarily with individuals navigating complex trauma, substance use, and mental illness. Over time, I found myself especially drawn to clients dealing with narcissistic abuse, childhood trauma, and attachment wounds.

While the term “narcissist” is thrown around casually on social media, true narcissistic abuse is a specific experience that affects only a small portion of the population—around 1 to 5%. Victims of narcissistic abuse are often misunderstood or overly pathologized due to lack of resources around treatment. This is what led me to pursue specialized training in narcissistic abuse recovery and eventually open my own private practice. My combination of clinical expertise and lived experience helped create a connection with clients they weren’t able to find in other places.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Honestly, I started with very little capital. I built my own website, handled all the marketing myself, and just leaned into the skills I’d picked up from my time in the startup world. Thankfully, my specialization really resonated with people, and word spread quickly. The business grew faster than I expected, which has been exciting.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We’re a private psychotherapy practice that specializes in narcissistic abuse, childhood trauma, and attachment wounds. What really sets us apart is the depth of connection we build with our clients. People often come to us asking, “Why am I this way?”—and that’s where our work begins. We help clients explore how early experiences, particularly around attachment and trauma, are influencing their current relationships, behaviors, and overall sense of self.

Our goal is to help clients make connections they may have never seen before—those powerful “aha” moments when something finally clicks and they begin to understand themselves on a deeper level. From there, we work on shifting the negative patterns and behaviors that trauma often leaves behind, guiding them toward a healthier, more grounded self-perception

Right now, we primarily offer individual, couples, and group therapy, all virtually. But we also recognize that healing trauma isn’t just about talk therapy—it’s about engaging the whole body. That’s why in the near future we’re expanding into somatic-based workshops, such as yoga therapy, which offer clients a way to process trauma physiologically, not just emotionally. We’re also preparing to offer EMDR, a trauma-focused modality that’s incredibly effective in helping clients work through painful experiences at both the body and brain level.

Another project we’re excited about is the possibility of creating a private social network for survivors of narcissistic abuse. So many people feel isolated in their healing process, and we know that emotional connection and community can be a powerful force in trauma recovery. Building a safe space for survivors to connect, share, and support one another feels like a natural next step for us.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Finding a mentor and building a professional network has been incredibly valuable in my journey, especially as a private practice owner where it can sometimes feel isolating. One piece of advice I’d offer is to be intentional about reaching out—don’t wait for the ‘perfect’ mentor to appear. Early on, I made a point of attending local clinical consultation groups and professional association events. Just showing up consistently helped me form real relationships with more experienced clinicians, some of whom became informal mentors.

For networking in general, I’ve found that the best connections come from offering something of value as well—sharing resources, making introductions, or even just being a consistent, reliable peer in group settings. Relationships grow from mutual support, not just asking for help.

Pricing:

• Insurance accepted: Aeta, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare
• self pay individual for Lindsay Tree, LCSW- $160 with a sliding scale option
• Groups: $30-50/session self pay
• Our associate Carley Cope, LAC is self pay starting at $125 with a sliding scale option

Contact Info:

• Website: https://deserttreetherapy.com
• Instagram: deserttreetherapy
• Facebook: Desert Tree Therapy

Image Credits
Western Soul Photos
Ashley – ​Owner/Photographer
​ashley@westernsoulphotos.com
850-672-9536