about the face behind handcrafted
learn more
Rachel Camilo Harris LMHC-QS, LPCC
Bienvenidos [Welcome]! My name is Rachel Camilo Harris, LMHC-QS, LPCC, owner of Handcrafted Counseling & Consulting. I currently provide coast-to-coast telehealth therapy for your convenience, as I am licensed to provide clinical mental health counseling services in both Florida and California! My office is located in Lake Mary, FL, for in-person sessions. I have 15+ years of clinical experience working with diverse populations and ages, with the majority of my tenure primarily focused on working with survivors of trauma. My specialization is trauma recovery through EMDR.
I am down-to-earth, and my clinical intention is to normalize sentiments expressed by grief expert David Kessler: "Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional." Although we may not be able to prevent what happens to us, we do have the agency to take control of our recovery. Sometimes, we need a witness to our stories to help be a catalyst for our healing—this is where a qualified therapist may be a helpful resource. Therapy is not just about holding space for the tragedies, but also celebrating the victories.
As for knowing a little more about me, I graduated from Troy University with a Master of Science in Counseling & Psychology in 2010. Prior to attending my graduate program, I had the honor of managing group homes for children and teenagers in the foster care system for five years. My professional career has primarily focused on working in the non-profit sector, helping individuals who have survived sexual and physical abuse, involvement in the foster care system, and those affected by poverty and racial trauma.
Lastly, I have been on both sides of the chair—meaning that I am a therapist who believes in doing my own work to enhance the quality of both my personal life and the work we do together. When I'm not in session, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, staying active, being outdoors, making new recipes, and engaging my creativity. I believe advocacy for human rights is a way of life, and I stand in solidarity with social justice issues.
Hola!
Here, I want to share my handcrafted approach to therapy, designed to help you trust the process and achieve your goals.
If you’re wondering if a trauma-informed approach would be appropriate for you, I encourage you to understand that trauma is subjective and depends on an individual’s perception of their experiences and their capacity to navigate them. Many of my clients seek counseling to address specific events, while others believe they "haven't experienced any 'big trauma'" and don't perceive themselves as trauma survivors. A trauma-informed approach means that, as your therapist, I will consider events across your lifespan to understand the motivations and functions of the challenges or symptoms we address in therapy.
One way to identify trauma is by acknowledging any experience that overloaded the central nervous system, resulting in dysregulation in the body, which often manifests as emotional and behavioral “reactions,” also known as "symptoms." These reactions can include adrenal responses, where the body automatically fights, flights, freezes, or fawns during an event or subsequent trigger. Another indicator that a trauma-informed approach may be beneficial is if you recall memories that still elicit an emotional response or if you avoid thinking about them because the disturbance is too overwhelming. It's also important to note that sometimes significant life events occur, and you may feel ambivalence towards them, which can indicate emotional suppression to survive. Lastly, I often explain to my clients that trauma is not just about what happened to us but also about what didn't happen but should have.
Research supports the philosophy that our histories influence our current reality. These memories are stored not only in our brains but also in our bodies, altering our genetic makeup and influencing how we experience and navigate life. With this understanding, I believe that any memory you identify as traumatic deserves to be noticed with therapeutic curiosity. In the trauma world, we refer to negative life experiences as “big T” or “little t” traumas, but I am not the person who qualifies these for you—you do.
Surviving traumatic experiences can include, but are not limited to:
Sexual abuse or trafficking
Physical abuse
Racial trauma
Emotional or narcissistic abuse
Neglect
Abandonment
Involvement with the foster care system
Poverty & homelessness
Substance use exposure
Codependency
Intimate partner violence
Death, grief & loss
Divorce & parent alienation
Incarceration of a loved one
Trauma work is not reserved for major life events…
Everyday stressors can also be equally distressing. Other issues that may be worth addressing through a trauma-informed lens include:
Feeling defective & low self-esteem
Feeling powerless & out of control
Feeling unsafe/unprotected
And a myriad of other challenges