Cerena Matthaeus

LPC-IT

Therapist

About Cerena Matthaeus

After sexual violence or domestic violence, the world can feel like it belongs to someone else. Your body, your choices, your sense of safety, even your own thoughts can feel like they were taken from you. Getting them back is possible, and it doesn’t have to happen alone.

Hi, I’m Cerena Matthaeus. I’m a Master’s-level therapist at Ellie in Waukesha, and I work with adults navigating trauma, sexual and domestic violence, life transitions, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and mood and personality disorders. I have about four years in the field across residential, inpatient, and outpatient settings.

Sessions with me are collaborative, empathic, and free of judgment. My goal is a space where you feel safe, understood, and empowered to reclaim your own autonomy. We’ll build practical skills and work toward what you decide matters, not what anyone else has told you should.

You don’t need to be “ready.” You don’t need to have the words. We’ll meet wherever you are in your healing and go from there.
I ground my work in person-centered and existential therapy, CBT, DBT, and somatic processing, with Cognitive Processing Therapy, Internal Family Systems, art therapy, and breathwork available when they fit. I earned my Master of Science in Behavioral Health Psychology from Carroll University, with a concentration in adulthood, grief, and death and dying.

Outside of work, I enjoy getting lost in a good book (mystery, thriller, and fantasy), hiking and camping throughout Wisconsin, and taking mini trips to explore new places whenever I can.

If you’re ready to build a life that feels worth living, on your own terms, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.