Trauma
Counseling
The word trauma is commonly used in the media, internet, and self-help books, but people often have different perspectives on its meaning. In my practice, trauma refers to any experience or series of experiences that negatively change how a person views themselves, others, or the world. This includes single-event traumas like car accidents, robberies, or assaults as well as complex, ongoing experiences such as abuse, neglect, chronic illness, negative religious experiences, social exclusion, or cultural rejection. What counts as traumatic varies based on the individual’s experience and how their brain processes these events.
How Trauma Affects the Brain:
Memories, emotions, and lessons from trauma aren’t fully processed, causing the brain to remain “on guard” for future threats.
Triggers related to the trauma can activate emotional responses like fight, flight, freeze, submit/appease, or tend/befriend.
These trauma responses impact mood, behavior, relationships, daily interactions, and self-perception.
Because trauma deeply affects the nervous system, it’s nearly impossible to "think" your way out of its effects. Healing requires processing in therapy with a trauma-focused provider. This therapy helps reorganize the brain’s impressions of the trauma, emotions, and any related beliefs.
The goal is to teach your brain—including the unconscious parts—that you are safe now and no longer living in the trauma you’ve held onto for so long.
Mental Health Challenges
Some common mental health challenges facing people with trauma backgrounds include:
Anxiety
Depression
Panic
Self-Harm
Re-Triggering (distress when the brain is reminded of the trauma)
Dissociation (zoning out, losing time, feeling disconnected from self)
Somatic Symptoms (physical symptoms related to stress)
Nightmares and Other Sleep Difficulties
Difficulties Forming and Keeping Relationships
Relationship Enmeshment or Codependency
Intergenerational Mental Health Problems
Existential Dilemmas
Chronic Shame or Negative Views of Oneself
And more…
These challenges can feel overwhelming, especially if therapy hasn’t worked for you before. However, trauma therapy is different—many therapists are not trauma-informed or trauma-trained. I offer a range of evidence-based trauma approaches designed to help you heal from even the most difficult experiences.
How I Can Help
I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) with extensive post-graduate training and supervision focused on trauma. My primary approach is Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), which works deeply on traumatic experiences by helping clients process the core emotions from a secure attachment perspective.
If EFT isn’t the right fit, I also use Coherence Therapy, Written Exposure Therapy (WET), or aspects of Internal Family Systems (IFS) to meet individual needs. For clients who need help with emotion regulation before processing trauma, I integrate Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to teach practical regulation skills and mindfulness techniques.
Where to Begin
Starting Your Therapy Journey
Free 15-Minute Phone Consultation: Schedule a complimentary call to discuss your concerns and determine if my approach is right for you.
Multiple Contact Options: Reach out through phone, email, or text to have your questions answered or to schedule the first session.
Streamlined Paperwork: Easily consent to therapy and verify you insurance benefits using our online system.
First Session: An initial meeting to discuss your mental health history, explore current challenges, and set therapy goals.
Subsequent Sessions: Usually scheduled once a week or every other week, tailored to your goals and personalized treatment plan.
This process ensures a strong foundation and clear goals for your path to wellness.