Our Roots
PRoudly & passionately providing THERAPY
in Madison since 1991
Psychology Associates is a locally, woman-owned psychotherapy practice in Madison, Wisconsin, serving individuals, couples, and families for more than 30 years. Since 1991, we have offered therapy rooted in depth, relationship, and respect for the whole person. Today, we are widely recognized as a longstanding provider of IFS therapy in Madison and trauma‑informed therapy in Wisconsin
From the beginning, our clinic was created to protect and center the client–therapist relationship—especially at a time when mental health care was becoming increasingly medicalized. That original vision continues to guide our work with clients seeking thoughtful, relational, and integrative psychotherapy.
A Different Kind of Therapy Practice—Then and Now
In the 1990s, our founding psychologists intentionally stepped away from hospital‑based and insurance‑driven models of care. They established an independent Madison psychotherapy clinic focused on depth, understanding, connection, and meaning.
What was once considered innovative is now recognized as essential. Many clients today seek therapy that is trauma‑informed, collaborative, identity‑aware, and attuned to the nervous system. Psychology Associates has been practicing in this way for decades.
Across generations of clinicians, we remain committed to therapy that is for you—your history, your parts, your relationships, your embodied experience, and your values.
Our core values include:
Collaboration and respect for client wisdom
Trauma‑informed, relational care
Social connectedness and community healing
Holistic, integrative, and spiritually (where desired) inclusive therapy
Creative innovation grounded in depth psychology
These values continue to attract clinicians and clients seeking IFS‑informed therapy in Madison and trauma‑informed psychotherapy across Wisconsin.
The Beginnings: Leaders in Client‑Centered and Depth Psychology
Psychology Associates was founded by four psychologists whose training and vision shaped the clinic’s enduring identity:
Harvey Honig, PhD, Jungian Analyst
Allyn Roberts, PhD, Rogerian Psychologist and student—and later colleague—of Carl Rogers
Elizabeth Lindner, PhD, Psychologist and Professor
John Black, PhD, Psychologist with a strong liberal arts and humanistic foundation
Together, they created one of the region’s first clinics explicitly devoted to client‑centered, depth‑oriented psychotherapy—including emotional, relational, creative, somatic, and spiritual dimensions of healing.
Notably, Allyn Roberts held the first independent practice psychologist license in the state of Wisconsin, marking a significant moment in the history of psychology in the state.
Early Adoption of Trauma‑Informed and Somatic Approaches
Long before “trauma‑informed care” became a widely used term, Psychology Associates was integrating approaches that honored the body, nervous system, and inner experience.
Rue Anne Hass joined the practice and worked directly with Gary Craig, becoming one of the world’s first EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Masters.
Harvey Honig introduced Hakomi, a mindfulness‑based, body‑centered psychotherapy that helped shape the clinic’s somatic and experiential orientation.
These approaches laid the foundation for the trauma‑informed therapy we continue to offer today.
In 1996, Suzan McVicker brought Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy to Psychology Associates—years before it became widely practiced. This marked the beginning of a deep and lasting relationship between the clinic and the IFS model.
Psychology Associates went on to host Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, the developer of IFS, bringing him to Wisconsin and helping to launch regional IFS training. This positioned the clinic as an early hub for IFS therapy in Madison and contributed to the growth of IFS‑informed practice throughout the Midwest.
Today, many of our clinicians continue to practice IFS‑informed and parts‑based therapy, integrating it with trauma‑informed, relational, and somatic approaches.
Honoring Lineage
At Psychology Associates, we hold a deep respect for lineage—the teachers, thinkers, clinicians, and clients whose wisdom has shaped our work across generations. We believe healing does not happen in isolation; it is carried forward through relationships, mentorship, and shared knowledge. Honoring lineage means staying rooted in the origins of the models we practice while being open to growth, acknowledging those who developed and stewarded our origins, and practicing with humility, integrity, and care as we bring this work into the present moment.
This value is especially alive in our relationship to Internal Family Systems (IFS) and other depth‑oriented, trauma‑informed approaches. We see ourselves not as owners of these models, but as responsible carriers—committed to preserving their spirit while responding thoughtfully to the needs of today’s clients.
Our Legacy Today:
Trauma‑Informed Therapy Across Wisconsin
Today, Psychology Associates offers trauma‑informed therapy in Wisconsin, serving clients in Madison and beyond. Our clinicians work with trauma, anxiety, depression, life transitions, identity exploration, and relational concerns using approaches grounded in safety, collaboration, and compassion.
Clients come to us seeking more than symptom management—they are looking for therapy that is thoughtful, integrative, and deeply respectful of their lived experience.
More than three decades later, Psychology Associates remains what it set out to be: a trusted Madison psychotherapy practice, a longstanding home for IFS therapy, and a place where trauma‑informed care, depth, and meaning still matter.
