Trauma Therapy

ONLINE THERAPY FOR CA & HI

 

“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.”

— Peter A. Levine

Your past informs your present but it doesn’t have to control it.

We are all shaped by our experiences – they color the way that we perceive people in our lives, the world, and ourselves. Most of us can recall experiences that have changed our lives. Trauma comes in many forms; it occurs when our ability to cope is overwhelmed and outweighed by the stress of the experience. Please try to refrain from judging if your trauma “counts”; if it’s impacting you, it matters. Trauma is about our reaction to a situation, not the situation itself.

Some people have a clear and distinct understanding they’ve experienced trauma, while others may notice the impacts of their trauma in more insidious ways.

Maybe you’re noticing:

  • You’re feeling detached and numb, or conversely, extremely sensitive and reactive

  • Recurring patterns in your relationships that contribute to conflict or dissatisfaction

  • Feeling easily triggered by negative feedback, criticism, or judgment

  • You put a lot of energy into overanalyzing or trying to anticipate people’s reactions

  • You have a hard time developing trust or feeling safe in relationships

My mission is to create a safe space for you to explore, heal, and grow.

 

SIGNS OF UNRESOLVED TRAUMA

  • Inability to self-sooth or self-regulate emotions

  • Intrusive memories or thoughts of the trauma

  • Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior

  • Loss of pleasure or lack of interest in activities you used to enjoy

  • Misperceiving gestures as threatening

  • Nausea, muscle tension, headaches or other chronic pain

  • Overpowering feelings of guilt or shame

  • Self-destructive behavior such as turning to drugs or alcohol or overeating to cope with feelings

  • Social withdrawal or isolation

  • Trouble concentrating

  • Anxiety or worrying

  • Avoidance of situations that remind you of the past

  • Being easily startled or frightened

  • Crying spells

  • Developmental regression

  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep

  • Easily upset or overwhelmed

  • Efforts to make yourself seem small or invisible

  • Feeling as if you’re reliving the trauma experience(s)

  • Feeling emotionally numb or detached

  • Frequent nightmares or waking up terrified

  • Hypervigilance or always anticipating danger

Therapy for trauma can help you:

  • Gain insight into how your past is informing your present

  • Reclaim your power and strengthen your self-esteem

  • Stop repeating old patterns and self-destructive behavior

  • Feel safe, calm, and rested

  • Improve your relationships with yourself and others

MY APPROACH TO WORKING WITH TRAUMA

A trauma-informed approach means recognizing how your past is impacting your present as well as processing and integrating past experiences. There is no one uniform path to healing; in our work together, we will always move at your speed. All of the therapeutic techniques and coping skills used in your therapy will be tailored specifically to you and what resonates with your path. Together, we will fortify your resilience and help you restore balance and connection.

I also work with clients to help them understand and improve the nervous system dysregulation that occurs with trauma. This allows them to feel more in control in their lives and sets the stage for healthy connections in relationships.

“Trauma creates change you don’t choose. Healing is about creating change you do choose.”

— Michele Rosenthal

I’m here to support you in your journey to healing.

Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with me to learn more about how we can work together.

Common trauma terms

  • Big “T” trauma is characterized by a distinct major event that is typically threatening to personal safety and leaves the person feeling helpless or powerless in the situation. Some common examples are experiences of natural disasters, sexual assault, violent attack, car accident, and military combat. Big “T” trauma is more closely associated with the development of formal PTSD.

  • Don’t be deceived by the name Little “t,” this form of trauma does not mean that it’s less important than Big “T.” Little “t” trauma results from experiences that overwhelm our capacity to cope and typically are not life-threatening in nature. For example, experiences of divorce or family separation, emotional abuse, bullying, financial crisis, and betrayal by a loved one can result in little “t” trauma.

  • Relational trauma comes from repeated ruptures in your relationship with someone significant in your life. Ruptures can look like any shade of neglect or abuse, violations of your boundaries, abandonment, and betrayals of trust.

  • Complex trauma results from prolonged exposure to multiple traumatic events over a significant period of time (as opposed to a single event). Growing up in a dangerous environment and experiences of child abuse are a common causes of complex trauma.

  • PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder) is a clinical diagnosis used to describe a mental health disorder that can result from exposure to a traumatic experience. Common symptoms of the disorder include intrusive memories or reliving the traumatic event (flashbacks), negative changes in mood such as depressed mood, feeling detached or numb, being easily startled and always on edge, and avoidance of things that remind them of the trauma. While not all trauma results in PTSD, it still may be clinically significant to address with a mental health professional.