Trauma & PTSD

Trauma doesn’t just come from what happened—it comes from what your system had to do to survive it.

If you were in environments where you weren’t believed, were blamed, or didn’t feel safe, it makes sense that something in you adapted.

Those adaptations may now show up as:

• intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
• emotional overwhelm or reactivity
• overthinking,  self-doubt, or negative beliefs about yourself
• hypervigilance or feeling constantly “on edge”
• anger, shutdown, or withdrawal from others
• difficulty concentrating or feeling present
• physical responses in your body that feel hard to control

These are not signs that something is wrong with you.  They are signs that your nervous system learned how to protect you.

My Approach to Trauma Therapy

I offer trauma-informed therapy that is both compassionate, including:

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
• attachment-based therapy
• practical strategies to help regulate your nervous system and reduce overwhelm

Together, we work to:

• understand the patterns that formed in response to your experiences
• process trauma at the level of the brain and body
• help you respond differently in the present—not just cope

What Matters in Trauma Therapy

Healing doesn’t happen through pressure—it happens through safety and trust.

In our work together, this means:

• being believed and taken seriously
• having a therapist who is attuned and responsive
• not feeling rushed, pushed, or overwhelmed
• working at a pace that respects your readiness
• feeling safe enough to be honest about your experience
• having space to give feedback about what is or isn’t working

Phases of Trauma Therapy

Trauma therapy often unfolds in phases. This isn’t rigid—we move at your pace—but it can help to understand the process.

1. Safety and Stabilization
We build tools to help you feel more grounded, regulate emotions, and create a sense of safety in your body and daily life.

2. Processing Trauma
When you feel ready, we begin to work through past experiences in a supported and contained way.

3. Integration and Growth
 

We focus on strengthening your sense of self, improving relationships, and helping you move forward with more clarity and confidence.

Types of Trauma

While trauma can take many forms, much of my work focuses on the impact of unsafe or invalidating relationships.

Betrayal trauma
When someone you trusted breaks that trust, leaving you questioning your safety, judgment, or ability to trust again.

Single-event trauma
A specific experience that overwhelmed your system, such as an accident, sudden loss, or assault.

Complex trauma
Repeated or ongoing experiences that shaped how you learned to cope, relate, and stay safe over time.

Developmental (childhood) trauma
Growing up in environments where your needs were not consistently met—emotionally or physically—such as neglect, instability, or abuse.

Relational (adult) trauma ⭐
Relationships where you were manipulated, blamed, controlled, or made to feel like the problem. This can include gaslighting, coercion, chronic invalidation, and trauma bonds—where you feel pulled toward relationships that are harmful, confusing, or difficult to leave.

Traumatic grief
Grief that feels overwhelming, prolonged, or disruptive to your ability to function and move forward.