Petrovnia McIntosh , LCSW

Petrovnia McIntosh is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Wisconsin with advanced training in trauma work. She holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work and is a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for Individuals (CCTS-I), credentials that reflect focused experience with complex trauma and long-term recovery.

She specializes in supporting adults who carry the effects of chronic childhood trauma, approaching care from a psychodynamic perspective that seeks patterns shaped by early experiences. Petrovnia views behaviors as adaptive responses that served a purpose in difficult circumstances, and she helps clients explore the needs those behaviors met before identifying new options and practical steps to try alternative ways of coping.

Her practice centers on non-judgmental, collaborative exploration, attending to how systemic and historical forms of oppression, internalized stigma, and family of origin dynamics influence present-day life. She works with people across a range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, relationship and parenting challenges, self-esteem, and compassion fatigue. Petrovnia has experience with issues such as attachment and abandonment, dissociation, domestic violence, gender dysphoria, HIV, and kink and alternative sexuality, and she offers services with attention to multicultural and intersectional identities.

Petrovnia provides therapy in English and American Sign Language and focuses on helping clients build awareness, test new behaviors, and pursue meaningful goals with practical, trauma-informed support.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Petrovnia integrates several evidence-informed approaches to guide online therapy. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current ways of connecting - it helps people understand patterns in closeness, trust, and fear of abandonment and supports healing of relational wounds through insight and new relational experiences.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a collaborative, empathetic partnership in which the therapist follows the client's priorities, offering acceptance and reflection to help people find their own solutions and build self-directed growth. This approach is often helpful for issues like self-esteem, identity, and relationship concerns.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and teaches practical strategies to test and change them. CBT can be useful for anxiety, mood challenges, and developing concrete coping skills.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Petrovnia works collaboratively with clients to assess needs, goals, and preferences and to tailor techniques that fit each person’s situation rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model.

Online therapy offers flexibility to access sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to fit care into busy lives, manage energy or mobility limits, and maintain continuity of treatment across locations. These options support ongoing therapeutic work in ways that suit different communication styles and practical needs.