About Bailey
“The power of story is to heal and to sustain. And if we are brave enough to tell our own story, we realize we're not alone, again and again.”
- Suleika Jaouad
Let Me Introduce Myself
Hi, I’m Bailey Frederking, a former Clarke County educator with a Master’s in English Education and a current graduate student and clinical intern pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health. I specialize in working with adolescents, young adults, individuals navigating chronic illness, caregivers of youth with chronic illness, and women of all ages navigating grief and their healing journey. I am heavily passionate about individual and community mental health advocacy and empowerment, especially regarding supporting those living with a chronic illness, adolescent boys and young men battling mental health challenges and stigmas, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
My approach to counseling is grounded in the therapeutic relationship, purposeful empathy, evidence-based practices, and a posture of curiosity and non-judgment. Theoretically, I align with a trauma-informed psychodynamic approach that emphasizes attachment theory and Internal Family Systems. At the heart of this theoretical approach is prioritizing a gentle process of learning more self-regulation tools, processing the past to move toward what is ahead, and ultimately stepping into healing in our relationship with ourselves and others. I am here to provide you with a relaxed and collaborative space for you to move towards more well-being in your life with the goals you have for therapy!
Oh, and I love all things poetry and art—I am always happy to integrate creative work as a means of processing and healing into our time together in sessions! Soccer, sports, and yoga are also my jam; with that being said, I am passionate about integrating somatic work into the therapy room to respond to the body alongside the mind and spirit.
“Sometimes resilience arrives in the moment you discover your own unshakeable goodness.” - Gregory Boyle
My Journey To Becoming A Therapist
For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn toward people, stories, and authentic connections; it is what has drawn me toward teaching and now the field of counseling. In 2021, I was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease that flipped my world upside down. I had already been well-acquainted with grief and trauma, but chronic illness has a way of disrupting every aspect of life in a way that I had not yet experienced. Five months after my diagnosis, I had to step down from teaching, a job I loved a lot. My friends threw me a “grief” party so I could honor my time in the classroom, I went back to counseling, joined a support group, and began adapting to my new normal.
Though I know I couldn’t continue to teach with the ebbs and flows of health needs, I knew I still needed to work alongside people in a relational manner connected to supporting, advocating, and empowering others through story and connection. So, I quickly returned to the classroom, just this time as a full-time student again, to pursue my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health—committed to integrating what I learned as a teacher into the counseling field. In his book Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer wrote, “Teaching, I was coming to understand, is my native way of being in the world… Teaching is at the heart of my vocation and will manifest itself in any role I play.” In that way, Parker Palmer and I are kindred spirits. My " classroom " walls look different now, but the heart of the work I engage in daily remains the same.
“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
- Mary Oliver
What You Can Expect
In sessions, you can expect me to be relationally responsive to you and your interests, needs, strengths, and goals for growth through trauma-informed approaches. The therapeutic environment is ours to co-create; you are the expert of you and I feel honored to be invited to come alongside individuals as they bravely step into healing and greater wellness. Therapy is hard and rich work; with that in mind, I want to do everything I can to ensure you feel comfortable, supported, and empowered.
I believe heavily in holding room for the “both/and” of life. My approaches within sessions will reflect that. As humans, we are beautifully complex. When you walk into a session, you may be feeling joy, fear, anger, and grief all at the same time. It’s all welcome. I am committed to honoring all of who you are and all that you bring with you into each session. You are not too much nor not enough.
