Trauma Therapy
Heal from the past and start to live the life you were meant to.
Do You Feel Bound By Painful Emotions and Experiences From The Past?
Are you struggling to move on from a difficult experience?
Does pain from the past have a negative impact on how you live today?
Do self-limiting thoughts affect your outlook on life, creating fear that things may never work out?
You may have survived a distressing event—like assault, combat, a sudden loss, or an accident. Or maybe you’ve endured something more chronic, like a toxic relationship or growing up with emotionally abusive parents. Or perhaps you just went through a divorce, moved to a new city, or felt left out as a kid.
We usually think of trauma as a big, catastrophic event, but any situation that causes you to feel overwhelmed or alone can result in trauma—and leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, or anxiety that won’t go away.
This is because our body and mind are designed to remember painful or dangerous experiences, so we avoid them in the future.
Trauma Changes Your Brain and Can Affect You In Several Ways
When something happens that overwhelms your nervous system, trauma reactions can become “stuck” in the brain so you can’t integrate the emotions involved with the experience and move past it.
This can cause you to re-experience trauma reactions at different moments of your life and can take a toll on:
Your emotions: You may feel too much or too little emotion—such as feeling frequently overwhelmed, anxious, guilty, sad, or having difficulty feeling your feelings.
Your thoughts about yourself and the world: You may feel unsafe in certain situations, worry about falling short of expectations, or fear that normal life events you desire won’t occur.
Your relationships and habits: You may avoid situations and people that remind you of the trauma, repeat unwanted patterns, try to stay constantly busy, or self-medicate with alcohol, cigarettes, food, or coffee.
Your physical health: You may feel exhausted, have trouble sleeping, or be more inclined to develop health conditions later in life, like cancer, heart disease, or cognitive delays.
Over time, unresolved trauma can also lead to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—such as fear, flashbacks or nightmares related to the trauma—or more general symptoms—like depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, or failing to reach your potential.
If you’ve lived with the impact of trauma, you might believe that you will never overcome the effects of the past. However, we all have the capacity to heal from trauma and move forward with life.
In therapy with me, you have the chance to learn new skills and release trauma reactions from your brain and body so you can start to feel better and regain a sense of control and peace.
To find out more about trauma, read about different types of trauma below or contact me to discuss your unique needs and questions.
Most of Us Have To Cope With Trauma At Some Point In Our Lives
Painful experiences are a part of life, and many times we’re able to get through them without lingering emotional wounds.
However, if something happens that is intense, chronic, or we lack the support and resources to cope with or process, it can overwhelm our nervous system and result in trauma.
The best definition of trauma is any distressing event that our brain has not been able to fully process, integrate, and resolve. This can happen with big “T” traumas or small “t” traumas.
Big “T” traumas come from distressing events that are dangerous, shocking and scary—like wars, disasters, assault, accidents, or witnessing a crime—the kind that leads to PTSD.
Small “t” traumas come from less obvious, subtler forms of harm. They are caused by everyday events when we feel pain and hurt and are not sufficiently tended to, protected, cared for, or seen.
These experiences may seem less significant, but they accumulate over time and can leave lasting emotional scars.
Small “t” traumas occur throughout life—but especially in childhood when we lack the rational skills to soothe ourselves and understand the full context of what is happening. They shape who we are and are often the source of deeply-rooted negative emotions and beliefs, such as “I’m not good enough,” “I’m different,” and “I can’t succeed.”
Examples of small “t” traumas include emotional abuse or neglect, losing a loved one, bullying, coping with an illness, being criticized, or growing up in an overly strict household. We all have some degree of small “t” trauma—even if people in our lives were well-intentioned and cared for us.
Most people understand how big “T” traumas can negatively affect you, but research shows that repeated exposure to small “t” traumas can be just as impactful and cause even more emotional harm than exposure to a single big “T” traumatic event.
The key to understanding trauma is to examine how it affects you rather than focusing on the type of event itself.
No matter what kind of trauma you’ve experienced—whether it is big or small—counseling can help you heal from your painful experiences, emotions and beliefs.
We will draw from a variety of techniques to help you soothe and regulate your feelings, shift negative thoughts, resolve trauma reactions, and focus on moving forward with a newfound sense of peace.
You can learn more about my approach to trauma treatment below or contact me to ask questions about your needs or schedule a free consultation.
My Online Trauma Counseling Services Can Guide You Toward The Path Of True, Sustainable Healing
My approach to trauma therapy is research-based, healing-oriented, and comprehensive. I draw from a wide range of proven strategies to address trauma while helping you feel safe and in control. These methods include:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) helps your brain resolve painful memories so that you can find lasting peace and freedom in the present—EMDR is one of the most researched and effective forms of treatment for people with trauma or PTSD.
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) is a highly effective form of therapy that harnesses the safety and power of the therapeutic relationship to help you heal from trauma and make the most out of opportunities for growth and transformation.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches you skills to manage painful emotions, decrease conflict in relationships, and make life more manageable.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help you identify how your thoughts and feelings are interconnected so you can engage in intentional behaviors rather than responding reactively to situations that trouble you.
I also use various brain-based strategies that draw from neurobiology, ADHD literature, attachment theory, and somatic approaches. Together, we can explore which approaches work best for you so you can get the most out of therapy.
I have a profound passion for counseling people through their trauma. And since 2014, I’ve helped countless clients recover a sense of safety, clarity, and ease in their lives.
Working together, I believe that we can help you build new skills and heal from trauma so that you can let go of the past and feel empowered to live the life you were meant to.
If you have questions or are ready to get started, don’t hesitate to reach out! I’d be happy to answer your questions or we can schedule a free phone consultation so you tell me about your needs and get a sense if we’re a good fit to work together.
Perhaps You’re Interested In Working With A Trauma Therapist, But Still Have Some Concerns…
I’ve tried therapy before, but it didn’t help.
Healing from symptoms of trauma requires many things, such as:
Highly specialized therapeutic methods and tools: This is why it is vital to collaborate with a therapist who has specialized training and knowledge in trauma and how to help you heal.
Safety and resources first: Since trauma affects your sense of safety and control, sometimes you may need to focus on building resilience and agency in the present first before you move on to resolving traumatic memories. This can make the healing process go more effectively and smoothly.
Medication: If therapy isn’t enough to control your symptoms, your brain may need a chemical boost to ease symptoms of anxiety, depression, irritability, and hopelessness to the point that recovery and healing can take place.
Time and consistency: It takes time to heal and make real changes. Going into therapy with this in mind can help engage in the healing journey long enough to see results. How quickly you recover from trauma will depend on your goals, the origin and depth of your challenges, the work you do in and out of each session, and the unique way your brain works.
Together, we will determine which methods best support your goals and how to pace our work in therapy. I offer a range of treatment options and a collaborative approach that puts you in control of the healing process so that you can build the confidence and resilience to move forward and enjoy life.
I’m busy and therapy is an extra expense.
It’s true therapy is a both a time commitment and financial investment. I regularly hear from current and past clients that they got a lot out of it, and it was definitely worth it!
Many people invest in their education, career, home, and physical health in hopes of improving their future success and quality of life. Therapy with a professional who is a good fit for your needs and goals is an equally important investment, and it has the potential to create long-term positive impacts for your future relationships, work, health, and even finances.
Some of the benefits my clients report experiencing from therapy are:
Greater self-confidence and trust in their abilities.
Relief from prolonged suffering and emotional pain.
The ability to see and take advantage of new opportunities.
Deeper intimacy and connection in relationships, even ones they thought were permanently damaged by conflict and hurt.
My practice offers online trauma therapy services so that it is easy to fit any lifestyle. I conduct my sessions via teleconference, so you don’t have to worry about scheduling extra time to commute or fight traffic.
Let Me Help You Find Peace So That You Can Live On Your Own Terms
If you’re ready to heal from the pain that trauma has caused, I would love to guide you on your path to true healing. We will work together to help you move forward and obtain the life you’ve always envisioned for yourself.
If you’re interested in trauma therapy and want to learn more, ask me a question or set up a free consultation call by visiting my contact page. I look forward to speaking with you!