Maybe you found yourself feeling suddenly unsafe in the world or disconnected from your normal self.
Do you find yourself being uncontrollably pulled back into memories of distressing events?
Do you feel like you’re constantly on edge, expecting danger?
Do you often feel insecure in relationships and struggle to know when you can trust someone?
Perhaps you find yourself avoiding people, places, or activities that remind you of a painful moment(s) in your life.
"Trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body."
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a deeply distressing or dangerous event. This could be anything from a car accident, a natural disaster, physical or sexual assault, or even combat during war.
However, PTSD doesn’t always require a single traumatic event. It’s all about how it affected your sense of safety in your body. PTSD is a normal response to an abnormal situation, where your body stays in survival mode even when the danger has passed.
If you have PTSD, you might experience:
Reliving the traumatic event through flashbacks or nightmares
Avoiding people, places, or activities that remind you of the trauma
Feeling hyper-alert or “on edge” all the time
Easily startled, trouble sleeping, or irritability
In short, PTSD can make everyday life feel difficult because your mind and body remain in a constant state of “survival mode.”
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) goes deeper. It usually results from prolonged or repeated trauma rather than one single incident. This can include childhood abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking, or prolonged exposure to war or trauma. With C-PTSD, the trauma becomes woven into the very fabric of your life and your sense of self.
For example, imagine growing up in an environment where you never felt safe or supported, constantly walking on eggshells, unsure of when the next attack would come. This type of ongoing, relentless trauma can leave deep, lasting scars.
C-PTSD can cause symptoms such as:
Flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts
Difficulty regulating emotions, feeling overwhelmed by fear, shame, or despair
Trust issues and difficulties in relationships
Negative self-image, such as thinking “I’m damaged” or “I’ll never have a normal life”
Feeling numb or disconnected from the world around you
C-PTSD disrupts your life on a profound level, affecting how you think, feel, and interact with others.
Through my own trauma recovery and lessons learned from both personal and professional experiences, I’ve spent years digging into the latest evidence-based practices for effective trauma treatment. I’m here to help you heal, reclaim your sense of safety, and move forward.
During our work together, I’ll guide you through somatic (body-based) practices that will help you feel safe in your body again. Using trauma-informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), we’ll work on identifying and challenging unhelpful belief patterns that arose from your trauma. Internal Family Systems (IFS) will help you connect with your core Self, understand the different parts of you that stepped in during the trauma, and allow your Self to lead the healing process.
These methods will empower you to make sense of your trauma, challenge the negative beliefs you’ve adopted, heal the conflicting parts of you, and regain a sense of safety, control, self-worth, and connection in your life.
How do I know this will work for me?
That’s a great question, and it’s one you should be asking. Each of the therapeutic modalities I use has been shown to reduce the symptoms of PTSD and C-PTSD, and I can personally attest to how they can transform your life. These methods ground you in the present, help you feel safe in your body, and allow you to access the part of your brain that controls thinking, logic, and choice. You’ll also learn how to manage the conflicting voices in your head. Feel free to read more about these modalities below!
Will I be asked to relive my traumatic moments?
Trauma therapy requires compassion and sensitivity, both from you and from me. You will never be asked to share or relive anything that feels too overwhelming. If we decide that it would be helpful to work through the details of your trauma, we will first anchor ourselves in a sense of safety in the present moment. We often start with working with the body to address your nervous system’s needs before we access any difficult memories, if necessary.
What if I don’t know if I have trauma?
If you’ve come here seeking help, there’s a reason. You don’t need to worry about labeling what you’re experiencing. I often meet people who feel unsure about self-diagnosing, which is completely normal. If you know that you don’t feel okay in your body or your environment, that’s reason enough to reach out for help. We’ll figure out the rest together.
What if therapy makes things worse?
It’s true that leaning into your pain can be uncomfortable, especially if it’s the first time you’ve faced it. Choosing to delay therapy can make things worse, but starting therapy does mean that you’ll be addressing what’s been buried. Sometimes it’s painful before it gets better, but this is the path to healing. Through feeling and processing your emotions, you’ll realize your own strength and resilience, and space will open up for all the wonderful things inside you.
If you’re ready to explore trauma therapy or have any questions, I invite you to schedule a free 20-minute consultation. I’m here to help you take the next step in your healing journey.
"Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths." - Etty Hillesum
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