Trauma Therapy
When we carry trauma—especially for a long time—it can shape how we move through the world, often without our realizing it. It can live in our bodies, show up in our relationships, and color the way we interpret what’s happening around us.
Sometimes trauma comes from something obvious and life-altering. Other times, it stems from smaller but repeated experiences that left us feeling unsafe, unseen, or overwhelmed. And while the original event may be long past, the imprint can still be very present.
Triggers can sneak up in everyday moments—a certain tone of voice, a familiar phrase, a smell, a look, a flash of memory. Suddenly, your body might tense, your heart might race, or you find yourself reacting with fear or anger that feels disproportionate to what’s actually happening. That’s not because you're overreacting—it's because your nervous system is trying to protect you, based on past experiences.
These responses can be confusing, exhausting, and sometimes isolating. You might find yourself avoiding certain situations, feeling on edge, or struggling to trust—even with people who genuinely care about you. Physical symptoms like migraines, stomach issues, or chronic pain can also be part of how the body holds onto trauma.
In our work together, we’ll make space for your story—at your pace. We’ll pay attention to what your mind, body, and emotions are telling us, and begin to gently untangle the past from the present. You don’t have to relive everything in order to heal. But you do deserve the chance to feel more grounded, more whole, and more at home in your own skin.
Trauma can take many forms, but at its core, it’s a response to something that overwhelmed your ability to cope—something that left your body and mind going, “What just happened?” long after the moment has passed.
You’ve probably heard of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)—a mental health condition that can develop after a traumatic event like a car accident, war, assault, natural disaster, or medical emergency. PTSD isn’t just about what happened to you. It’s about how your nervous system reacted—and stayed reactive.
People with PTSD often experience flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, emotional distress, and physical symptoms when reminded of the trauma. Common signs include:
Avoiding reminders of the trauma
Negative shifts in thinking or mood—like guilt, shame, or detachment
Feeling constantly on edge, irritable, or hypervigilant
Trouble sleeping (or waking up already tired from the dreams)
PTSD can shake your sense of safety, disrupt relationships, and make everyday life feel exhausting. And that’s not because you’re “weak”—it’s because your body is still trying to protect you.
Then there’s Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)—a related but lesser-known form of trauma that arises from prolonged, repeated experiences that made you feel powerless or trapped. This can include childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, or systemic marginalization. Sometimes the source is obvious; other times, it’s the water you swam in for so long you didn’t realize you were drowning.
If you’ve lived in a larger-size body, identify as LGBTQ+, are part of a racial minority group, or have experienced sexism or other forms of oppression, you may have absorbed chronic trauma simply by existing in a world that didn’t treat you fairly. Becoming aware of this—often for the first time in adulthood—can be painful and deeply validating. It can be the first step toward reclaiming your voice, your value, and your sense of power.
C-PTSD includes many PTSD symptoms, with a few extra layers:
Difficulty regulating emotions or feeling like your emotions are “too much”
Chronic shame, guilt, or a sense of worthlessness
Struggles with trust, intimacy, or self-perception
Feeling disconnected—from yourself, your memories, or your environment
In short, it’s not “just in your head.” It’s also in your body.
Healing: Yes, It’s Possible
Let’s be honest: healing from PTSD or C-PTSD isn’t usually a straight line. It can be bumpy, slow, and sometimes weird (like suddenly feeling overwhelmed at a family dinner when someone raises their voice, or going completely numb when a friend hugs you unexpectedly). But it is possible—with the right support, tools, and a relationship where you feel safe to unravel things at your own pace.
I work with people using a combination of approaches—including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and polyvagal-informed somatic work. That last one might sound a bit science-y, but here’s the short version:
Your nervous system isn’t just a background system—it’s the main character in trauma. According to Polyvagal Theory (thank you, Dr. Stephen Porges), we move between three primary states:
Ventral Vagal (Safe & Social): You feel grounded, connected, and calm. You can think clearly and relate openly.
Sympathetic (Fight or Flight): Your body gets ready to do something—run, fight, freeze in place. This can look like anxiety, anger, racing thoughts, or restlessness.
Dorsal Vagal (Shutdown/Freeze): You feel numb, collapsed, or disconnected. Like you're underwater or floating outside your own body.
When you’ve experienced trauma, your nervous system can get “stuck” in one of the latter two states (or alternate between the two). Polyvagal-informed therapy helps you retrain your system to recognize safety again—through body awareness, gentle movement, breathing, co-regulation (yes, sometimes just sitting with someone calm can help), and growing your capacity for tolerating discomfort without going into panic or shut-down.
It’s not about forcing yourself to “just relax.” It’s about helping your whole system feel what safety actually is—and letting it be real.
So, What Does Healing Look Like?
It might look like:
Feeling a bit more connected to your body
Noticing that you’re kinder to yourself than you used to be
Handling a triggering situation with more grace (even if it still sucks a little)
Laughing—really laughing—without guilt
Trusting that not everyone will hurt you, and that you won’t abandon yourself either
Healing is about integration, not erasure. The trauma may always be part of your story—but it doesn’t have to be the whole story.
And you don’t have to do this alone.