Trauma Therapy

I am trained in EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and use somatic approaches to treat trauma. I believe you have to develop safety and find ways to self-regulate in the body before being able to approach your thinking patterns and behaviors when trauma is impacting you. I also believe feeling safe in the therapeutic relationship is priority so we will take the time to build trust with one another. I will never push you to share anything until you feel ready.

I have worked as a trauma informed bodyworker since 2009, and have completed EMDR training. I am beginning my journey to become a somatic experiencing practitioner this year, as I beleive fully in mind body integration when it comes to trauma healing.

I have over a decade of working in trauma services as well as interacting with the overlapping service providers and systems that often come into play, including family and criminal court systems, and assisting client attaining reasonable accommodations or assistance at work, school, or other environments.

I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional after having received training from a trauma specialist. I also received a year of supervision and consultation with a trauma professional as I developed a therapeutic tool kit of interventions specifically geared towards trauma survivors.

The goal with trauma therapy is to process the trauma that you have survived through. Trauma has a way of teaching us coping skills and survival techniques that are incredibly helpful when the trauma is occurring. Unfortunately, those same skills and techniques can later become an obstacle once we are no longer living in the traumatic situation. My goal in trauma therapy is to help you process the trauma in such a way that it no longer affects you and is just another part of your story.

I will look at ways to understand how negative life experiences have shaped your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In trauma therapy, I look at loss of safety, inability to manage emotions, overwhelming losses, and experiences that have made you feel disconnected. Therapy will provide a validating, non-judgmental, authentic, and supportive place for you to navigate challenges you are experiencing.

I have spent most of my career - and some time before I became a therapist - focusing on the treatment of trauma. Pre-MSW, I volunteered for 5 years as a sexual assault advocate for my county providing emergency support for survivors. After I earned my license, I worked at the PHP/IOP level of care in an intensive women's trauma program for 6 years. I emphasize psychoeducation on the mind-body connection and how trauma is stored in the body. Symptoms are a normal reaction to abnormal events.

As a trauma-informed therapist, I can help you process your traumatic experiences, explore how the remnants of trauma show up in your life today, and how to make changes in your life to lessen the impact of trauma on your future self. We can start the healing process by doing inner child work, learning how to protect yourself emotionally from those that caused the harm, and creating a social support system to provide you with the care you need as an adult.

I find that mind-body modalities such as hypnosis, EFT tapping or bilateral tapping, and the latest and most advanced intervention coming in March Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy virtually in collaboration with Journey Clinical.

Our entire center is focused on providing high-quality trauma therapy. We have over 25 therapists and interns who specialize in various trauma therapies and we offer many alternatives to traditional talk therapy. Furthermore, we also offer trauma-focused therapy groups, all-day intensives, and some free support groups.

Peter Levine's "Somatic Experiencing" work is the core from which most of my interventions extend. I continue to assist these trainings around the country and have taken various master classes with Peter. (www.traumahealing.org) This work is trauma specific and teaches clinicians how to work with trauma on all levels and specifically how the body responds to it physiologically.

I utilize Trauma-Based-Cognitive Behavioral therapy to help someone healthily process their trauma and learn healthier coping strategies and techniques.

Being a trauma-informed therapist, I understand the overwhelming effects and aftermath of trauma. Whether trauma happened once or over a lifetime, the legacy left is profound and life-changing. I will help you reach a state of stability, control, and safety so that you can function and reclaim your life back, with the opportunity to process and resolve trauma(s). Trauma therapy aims to cultivate and realize your self-empowerment, control, and confidence within your life.

I am a Certified Trauma Professional and offer an integrative approach that includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing, coping skills, mindfulness, and trauma-informed yoga.

"I have spent 10 years working with children and families to process and recover from traumatic experiences in their lives. In reality, any experience that causes distress can be traumatic not just a major life event. These experiences can have a significant impact on a person's life and affect how they behave and interact with others. I work closely with my clients, taking them through the healing process step by step."

Trauma therapy can be difficult for many clients. It is important you find a therapist who can help you feel safe and understand the nuances of trauma treatment. We will go at your pace and help you increase relaxation skills and process further how you can move forward without the weight of the trauma. Give me a call today to discuss further how I can help.

My approach to therapy is trauma-informed; it means that when appropriate and when my client is ready, I work with symptoms of trauma. Working with trauma symptoms can include: creating safety, developing self-awareness, building tolerance of emotions or transforming traumatic experiences.

I have years of training in TF-CBT and apply a trauma-informed lens to every client I work with