What is AEDP Therapy
At first glance, therapy might seem like a tool to fix what’s broken. But what if therapy could unleash and heighten what’s already working inside you? Your creativity, your resilience, your drive?
That’s the idea behind Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), and it’s a game-changer, especially for founders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs.
AEDP therapy is a relational-focused modality designed to help people experience their internal emotional resilience. Through a securely attached relationship between therapist and client, the client is able to transform pain and suffering into relief and growth. AEDP was developed by clinical psychologist Dr. Diana Fosha in the late 1990s. AEDP blends attachment theory, affective neuroscience, and transformational studies to help individuals process difficult emotions experientially and relationally within the safety of a nurturing therapeutic relationship.
Unlike traditional talk therapy that focuses on analyzing problems from the past, AEDP works by processing and rewiring emotions in real-time to unlock deeper layers of healing, creativity, and authentic self-expression.
AEDP= Transformation-Based Therapy
Dr. Fosha noticed that many traditional therapies unintentionally reinforced feelings of isolation and stuckness. They make clients ruminate about the past, sometimes making you dig a deeper hole that you have a hard time getting out of. So, drawing on her research in attachment theory and trauma recovery, she created AEDP as a framework that is rooted in the belief that humans are wired for healing and growth through connection. Connection with themselves and all of their positive parts, and through connection with a human therapist.
Up, Up and Away!
AEDP therapists focus not only on what’s broken, but on what’s strong, adaptive, and resilient within each person. We focus on your superpowers.
Let’s Go!
What AEDP Touches Upon
AEDP touches several important layers:
Attachment patterns (early relationship blueprints)
Emotion regulation and processing
Neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to rewire itself)
Transformational experiences that lead to more wholeness
Therapists use gentle, experiential techniques to help clients move through defenses, access core emotions, and then process these emotions in the presence of a supportive other.
Who Can Benefit Most From AEDP?
AEDP is particularly powerful for people who:
Struggle with anxiety, depression, or trauma
Feel disconnected from their emotions and have intimacy blockages
Want deeper, more fulfilling relationships
Are seeking growth, not just symptom relief
It’s ideal for high-achievers and perfectionists who have learned to “perform” but find it hard to emotionally recharge or feel deeply safe being vulnerable.
Why AEDP is Gold for Founders, CEOs, and Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs and business leaders are often praised for their grit, but underneath that grit, many struggle with isolation, self-doubt, and emotional bottlenecks. AEDP helps high-performing individuals reconnect with their core self, process buried emotions like fear or grief, and unlock more authentic leadership.
For founders, working through emotional stuck points can lead to:
Better decision-making clarity
Greater emotional resilience under stress
Deeper, more trusting relationships with co-founders and teams
Less burnout and more sustainable energy
TLDR: AEDP Focuses On Your Positive Parts
AEDP doesn’t just help you heal. It deepens your connection with your positive parts, amplifying the positive voices in your head, helping you to lead a better and more fulfilled life.
Written by Alaina Malik, LMHC
