A decorative lantern design featuring geometric patterns, with a vibrant color palette of red, yellow, and green.
A decorative lantern design featuring geometric patterns, with a vibrant color palette of red, yellow, and green.
A decorative lantern with a red frame, featuring floral patterns in yellow, green, and blue.

Relationship Work for a Changing World

Embodied. Trauma-Informed. Rooted in Agency and Interdependence.

Through depth-oriented coaching and experiential learning, I help people move from protection to connection and towards relationships you can feel in your body and rely on over time.

Close-up of dark, textured leaves with subtle veins and variations in shades, creating an intricate pattern.
Close-up of dark, textured leaves with subtle veins and variations in shades, creating an intricate pattern.
Close-up of dark, textured leaves with subtle veins and variations in shades, creating an intricate pattern.
A woman with short gray hair and tattoos sits on the floor, writing in a notebook while wearing loose pants.
A woman with short gray hair and tattoos sits on the floor, writing in a notebook while wearing loose pants.
A woman with short gray hair and tattoos sits on the floor, writing in a notebook while wearing loose pants.
A stylized illustration of a cluster of dried flowers or seed pods in warm tones against a solid background.
A smooth, light-colored rock fragment with a flat edge and subtle texture details.
A smooth, light-colored rock fragment with a flat edge and subtle texture details.
Three white candles of varying heights, two lit and one unlit, set against a plain background.

Relational capacity grows when safety and connection are strong enough to stay present.

This work supports the ability to remain engaged through discomfort - without collapsing, controlling or disappearing - so choice can replace reflex, and care can grow alongside honesty and steadiness.

Guided Alchemy supports the growth of relational capacity - within ourselves, our intimate relationships and in the wider systems we are part of.

A soft pink flower with tightly packed petals, standing on a slender stem against a solid background.
A soft pink flower with tightly packed petals, standing on a slender stem against a solid background.
A soft pink flower with tightly packed petals, standing on a slender stem against a solid background.
A soft pink flower with tightly packed petals, standing on a slender stem against a solid background.
A soft pink flower with tightly packed petals, standing on a slender stem against a solid background.
A soft pink flower with tightly packed petals, standing on a slender stem against a solid background.

If you feel ready to grow how you relate to yourself, to others, and to the collective, you’re in the right place.

Guided Alchemy is a trauma-informed, relational, and somatic approach to personal and partnership evolution - designed to be practiced, not just understood.

Drawing from psychological science, interpersonal neurobiology, and trauma-informed relationship models, this work centers embodied experience as the site of change. Through a relationship-centered framework called Relational Alchemy - I support individuals, couples, and groups in cultivating sovereign presence, relational capacity, and conscious leadership in relationship.

Guided Alchemy is a trauma-informed, relational, and somatic approach to personal and partnership evolution - designed to be practiced, not just understood.

Drawing from psychological science, interpersonal neurobiology, and trauma-informed relationship models, this work centers embodied experience as the site of change. Through a relationship-centered framework called Relational Alchemy - I support individuals, couples, and groups in cultivating sovereign presence, relational capacity, and conscious leadership in relationship.

Guided Alchemy is a trauma-informed, relational, and somatic approach to personal and partnership evolution - designed to be practiced, not just understood.

Drawing from psychological science, interpersonal neurobiology, and trauma-informed relationship models, this work centers embodied experience as the site of change. Through a relationship-centered framework called Relational Alchemy - I support individuals, couples, and groups in cultivating sovereign presence, relational capacity, and conscious leadership in relationship.

A hand adorned with flowers holds a delicate, decorative item, surrounded by vibrant petals and foliage.
A hand adorned with flowers holds a delicate, decorative item, surrounded by vibrant petals and foliage.
A hand adorned with flowers holds a delicate, decorative item, surrounded by vibrant petals and foliage.

This work integrates
four core elements

Earth

Purpose · Ground · Capacity

Earth is the foundation of any healthy system. It’s the shared purpose and inner ground we return to - again and again - when relationship is tested. Earth creates safety by giving us something solid to stand on, so we can hold stress, repair rupture, and stay oriented to what matters. Without earth, orientation dissolves. We lose our ground, our sense of purpose, and the ability to return.

Fire

Desire · Polarity · Agency

Fire is the animating force of relationship and the spark of agency within us. It’s the capacity to want, choose, and initiate, holding clear boundaries and standards without domination or retreat. Fire helps us stay with intensity, let old stories burn away, and choose interdependence in real time. Without fire, aliveness collapses into resentment or victimhood.

Air

Breath · Play · Spaciousness

Air is the breath of relationship. It invites play, curiosity, and shared presence, allowing tension to soften and stories to shift without force. Air supports quality time, lightness, and perspective - helping connection feel spacious, flexible, and alive rather than heavy or transactional. Without air, relationship tightens and grows effortful, losing its sense of joy and possibility.

Water

Rupture · Repair · Renewal

Water is the flow of rupture, repair, and renewal. It invites emotional movement, bringing to the surface what wants attention so it can move through rather than get stuck. When water is allowed to flow, rupture becomes a doorway to deeper trust and reorganization. Without water, emotion stagnates and connection slowly erodes.

Alchemy

Holding · Becoming · Time

Alchemy is what emerges when Earth, Fire, Air and Water are held together over time - through rupture, integration, and renewal. Through repeated lived experience, these elements transform how safety, connection, and intimacy are felt, allowing something new to emerge. This is how relationships become resilient, alive, and capable of real intimacy.

Earth

Purpose · Ground · Capacity

Earth is the foundation of any healthy system. It’s the shared purpose and inner ground we return to - again and again - when relationship is tested. Earth creates safety by giving us something solid to stand on, so we can hold stress, repair rupture, and stay oriented to what matters. Without earth, orientation dissolves. We lose our ground, our sense of purpose, and the ability to return.

Fire

Desire · Polarity · Agency

Fire is the animating force of relationship and the spark of agency within us. It’s the capacity to want, choose, and initiate, holding clear boundaries and standards without domination or retreat. Fire helps us stay with intensity, let old stories burn away, and choose interdependence in real time. Without fire, aliveness collapses into resentment or victimhood.

Air

Breath · Play · Spaciousness

Air is the breath of relationship. It invites play, curiosity, and shared presence, allowing tension to soften and stories to shift without force. Air supports quality time, lightness, and perspective - helping connection feel spacious, flexible, and alive rather than heavy or transactional. Without air, relationship tightens and grows effortful, losing its sense of joy and possibility.

Water

Rupture · Repair · Renewal

Water is the flow of rupture, repair, and renewal. It invites emotional movement, bringing to the surface what wants attention so it can move through rather than get stuck. When water is allowed to flow, rupture becomes a doorway to deeper trust and reorganization. Without water, emotion stagnates and connection slowly erodes.

Alchemy

Holding · Becoming · Time

Alchemy is what emerges when Earth, Fire, Air and Water are held together over time - through rupture, integration, and renewal. Through repeated lived experience, these elements transform how safety, connection, and intimacy are felt, allowing something new to emerge. This is how relationships become resilient, alive, and capable of real intimacy.

Earth

Purpose · Ground · Capacity

Earth is the foundation of any healthy system. It’s the shared purpose and inner ground we return to - again and again - when relationship is tested. Earth creates safety by giving us something solid to stand on, so we can hold stress, repair rupture, and stay oriented to what matters. Without earth, orientation dissolves. We lose our ground, our sense of purpose, and the ability to return.

Fire

Desire · Polarity · Agency

Fire is the animating force of relationship and the spark of agency within us. It’s the capacity to want, choose, and initiate, holding clear boundaries and standards without domination or retreat. Fire helps us stay with intensity, let old stories burn away, and choose interdependence in real time. Without fire, aliveness collapses into resentment or victimhood.

Air

Breath · Play · Spaciousness

Air is the breath of relationship. It invites play, curiosity, and shared presence, allowing tension to soften and stories to shift without force. Air supports quality time, lightness, and perspective - helping connection feel spacious, flexible, and alive rather than heavy or transactional. Without air, relationship tightens and grows effortful, losing its sense of joy and possibility.

Water

Rupture · Repair · Renewal

Water is the flow of rupture, repair, and renewal. It invites emotional movement, bringing to the surface what wants attention so it can move through rather than get stuck. When water is allowed to flow, rupture becomes a doorway to deeper trust and reorganization. Without water, emotion stagnates and connection slowly erodes.

Alchemy

Holding · Becoming · Time

Alchemy is what emerges when Earth, Fire, Air and Water are held together over time - through rupture, integration, and renewal. Through repeated lived experience, these elements transform how safety, connection, and intimacy are felt, allowing something new to emerge. This is how relationships become resilient, alive, and capable of real intimacy.

Supporting people who sense that the way we relate is evolving and this moment calls for more than old patterns can offer.

This work is for those ready to grow relational capacity and presence and explore more integrated ways of relating - where different strengths, rhythms, and ways of knowing are welcomed rather than flattened.

Abstract illustration

Individual
Alchemy

Rebuilding capacity to re-enter connection

For people who haven’t given up on relationship but may have stepped back to protect themselves. This work supports the rebuilding of relational capacity from the inside out, strengthening presence, trust, and choice so re-entering connection feels possible again.

Especially resonant for those who are self-aware, independent, and tired of doing their growth alone.

Abstract illustration

Relational Alchemy
(Couples & Partnership Work)

Practicing connection, difference, and polarity

For those ready to practice relationship as a living process. This work builds relational capacity between people - learning how to stay present through difference, navigate rupture and repair, and remain connected without collapsing into sameness or polarizing into opposition.

Differentiated capacities like leading and yielding, structure and flow, initiative and receptivity are explored as dynamic movements between people, creating relationships that are both alive and steady. 

Abstract illustration

Collective
Alchemy

Growing relational capacity in community.

For those ready to grow relational capacity in community rather than isolation.

This work supports relational practice within shared containers, where connection is explored together through support, witnessing, and lived experience.

Groups may gather around specific relational capacities, archetypal themes, or embodied practices such as movement, as well as couples practicing alongside others. These spaces support conscious exploration of polarity and interdependence without fixed roles or identities.

A simple illustration of a dried flower stem with two flowers and leaves, displayed against a plain background.
A simple illustration of a dried flower stem with two flowers and leaves, displayed against a plain background.

Rooted in Science. Guided by the Body. Informed by Archetype. Designed for Real Relationships.

Guided Alchemy is offered through Relational Alchemy - a trauma-informed, relationship-centered, embodied framework for working with relationship as it unfolds. Rather than focusing on strategy or insight alone, the work attends to how safety, intimacy, power, and connection are shaped between people in real time.

At its core, this work restores relationship as a place of meaning, presence, and reverence - not just function or skill - integrating scientific insight with lived experience over time.

A small, abstract sculpture resembling a torso, with a marbled texture in shades of purple and gray.
A small, abstract sculpture resembling a torso, with a marbled texture in shades of purple and gray.
A small, abstract sculpture resembling a torso, with a marbled texture in shades of purple and gray.
A simple illustration of a dried flower stem with two flowers and leaves, displayed against a plain background.
A simple illustration of a dried flower stem with two flowers and leaves, displayed against a plain background.
Close-up of soft pink roses against a dark background, showcasing their delicate petals and rich textures.

An invitation: Embodied Integrity

12 week men's group

Embodied Integrity is a 12-week men's group and the first group offering within Guided Alchemy.

It's for men who care about how they show up in relationship and want their actions to match their values under pressure. The focus is on strengthening alignment between values, nervous system, body, and action, so integrity holds when it matter most.

This is about becoming trustworthy to yourself, to others, and to the relationships you are part of.

This is where the work begins.

Close-up of polished wooden surface showing intricate, swirling grain patterns and rich, warm tones.
Close-up of polished wooden surface showing intricate, swirling grain patterns and rich, warm tones.
Close-up of polished wooden surface showing intricate, swirling grain patterns and rich, warm tones.

Welcome. I'm Adena
Altschul, Ph.D.

Welcome. I'm Adena
Altschul, Ph.D.

I am a licensed psychologist and relational alchemist. My work brings trauma-informed relationship models out of theory and into lived, embodied practice through a framework I call Relational Alchemy.

My work integrates trauma science and somatic intelligence to support deeper connection, presence, and embodied truth - creating real relational change.

Welcome. I'm Adena
Altschul, Ph.D.

I am a licensed psychologist and relational alchemist. My work brings trauma-informed relationship models out of theory and into lived, embodied practice through a framework I call Relational Alchemy.

My work integrates trauma science and somatic intelligence to support deeper connection, presence, and embodied truth - creating real relational change.

A smiling person sits cross-legged outdoors, surrounded by greenery, wearing a bright yellow top.
A smiling person sits cross-legged outdoors, surrounded by greenery, wearing a bright yellow top.
A smiling person sits cross-legged outdoors, surrounded by greenery, wearing a bright yellow top.

 A Different Kind of Work

While I am a licensed psychologist, this work is not psychotherapy.

Guided Alchemy is a relational, embodiment-centered coaching model grounded in psychological science and oriented toward growth, sovereignty, and conscious partnership.

This work is for individuals and couples who are seeking deep relational change through lived practice - not clinical treatment or diagnosis.

A small bowl containing pieces of wood and herbs, possibly for burning or incense, against a plain background.
A small bowl containing pieces of wood and herbs, possibly for burning or incense, against a plain background.
A small bowl containing pieces of wood and herbs, possibly for burning or incense, against a plain background.
A simple, elongated wooden spoon with a smooth surface and rounded end, displayed against a solid background.
A simple, elongated wooden spoon with a smooth surface and rounded end, displayed against a solid background.
A simple, elongated wooden spoon with a smooth surface and rounded end, displayed against a solid background.

 A New Way Forward
Begins Here

We are living in a moment when old models of relationship are falling away and something deeper, truer, and more sovereign is calling us forward.

Your longing for emotional honesty, embodied connection, and conscious partnership is not too much.

It’s evolution.

If you are ready to shift old patterns, honor your inner wisdom, and step into a way of loving that reflects who you are becoming, I would be honored to walk with you.

You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Your body knows the way.
Your relationships are ready for what’s next.

A tranquil sunset over calm waters, with the sun glowing softly against a pink sky.
A tranquil sunset over calm waters, with the sun glowing softly against a pink sky.
A tranquil sunset over calm waters, with the sun glowing softly against a pink sky.