Trauma Therapy

Are You Struggling With Painful Emotions Around Past Events?

Have you ever wished you could rewrite the script, erase all the horrible things that have happened, and start over? Do you find yourself often preparing for the worst-case scenario? Are you always feeling tense and afraid to let your guard down? 

Maybe you’ve been experiencing unpredictable emotions of anxiety, depression, fear, or anger. Perhaps you’re having flashbacks to a real-life experience that feels like you are watching a terrible movie that has gone all wrong. Or maybe, you get emotionally flooded without warning, leading you to feel like parts of your life are completely out of your control?

Do you want to make a change but feel discouraged and overwhelmed? The thoughts and feelings attached to the traumatic event are very difficult to experience, maybe even more distressing than the event itself. And this has you questioning if making a change is possible.

It’s Not Easy To Overcome Trauma On Your Own

You may be feeling like you are just existing without any real and lasting joy. You’ve tried so many different ways to “get over it” and take back control. But it seems nothing works, or at least not for very long. Even when you think for a brief moment that maybe things will be okay, the memories pull you right back in and you feel like you’re being engulfed by the intense emotions that follow.

It’s devastating to keep falling back into the past when you’re trying so hard to be in the present. Therapy can help you find real, lasting relief from trauma so that you can move forward in life.

Wondering If You’ve Really Experienced A Traumatic Event?

Trauma is a lasting emotional response that often results from living through a distressing event. It can be a single incident or something that repeats over time.

Experiencing a traumatic event can harm a person’s sense of safety, sense of self, and ability to regulate emotions and navigate relationships. It affects the way you think, feel, and react. And it influences the way you process information and your connection with yourself and others. 

“Trauma” Can Refer To Many Different Circumstances

Maybe you have experienced a single incident that was a deeply disturbing, life-threatening event or situation, such as: 

• a natural disaster

• a violent crime

• a serious accident

• rape

• the death of a parent or child

Or perhaps you have endured an accumulation of traumatic life events, such as: 

• physical/sexual/emotional abuse

• neglect

• bullying

• medical trauma

• intimate partner violence

Any life event like those stated above is considered a traumatic life experience.

No matter what you have been through, trauma therapy can help you reclaim your life and create real, positive change. The past does not have to define the rest of your life. With support, you have the power to build a brighter future.

Trust And Connection Are The Foundations of Successful Trauma Therapy

The experience of building trust and connection in therapy is one of the most important pieces in healing from trauma. It starts with yourself and extends to the therapist you choose to work with. 

As a trauma counselor, I understand that healing is not as simple as it sounds. In fact, it can feel like an unbearable burden. I believe that control and choices are one of the most important parts of healing from an experience that was completely out of your control.

I also believe that the traumatic event you experienced and everything that has followed, is not your stopping point. But it is a temporary place in time that calls for your attention to find new ways of seeing yourself, new ways of coping, and the courage to work through all that has accumulated since the event. 

What To Expect In Trauma Therapy Sessions

After living through trauma, you may have kept your experiences secret out of fear of what others would think or say about you. If you did choose to share your story with family and friends, you might have been told to “get over it” or had your pain minimized. In sessions, I will create a safe, non-judgmental space where you can talk about anything and everything, shedding light on the darkness, as well as releasing the hold your trauma story has held over you.

Through therapy, you can begin to recognize your own strength.

It takes strength to tell your story, and nobody is stronger than you. You’ve been able to live with a painful experience(s) and find a way to survive! You get to re-write how trauma will play out in your life. You can change from being a victim of a traumatic life experience to a Survivor, Person of Great Strength, Encourager, Victor, Generation Changer, Hero - and this positive change in self-identity can be one that empowers you, instead of feeling stuck in fear and shame.

When you begin to talk about your trauma, you start to speak your truth that has been put away, hidden, or pushed down. This can unlock new perspectives, solutions, and coping skills, leading to a sense of hopefulness for a better day.

Treatment Approaches To Trauma Therapy

My role is to help you recognize your strengths and wholeness. You are not too much or too emotional. You are not flawed or unlovable. 

I will help you work through your pain from past events and learn effective coping strategies that are specifically geared towards trauma. In addition to talk therapy, I can integrate the following techniques to help you through your healing process:

• Narrative Therapy gives you an opportunity to reframe your experiences and rewrite your own story.

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) encourages flexible thinking and helps you feel safe in your relationships after trauma.

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can allow you to accept the past while committing to a new chapter of your life.

• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Tapping is one practice that can provide lasting relief from the embodied symptoms of trauma.

• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) empowers you to identify and fully process negative emotions related to trauma.

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) illustrates how different “parts” of you are working to protect you after trauma so that you can feel comfortable in your own skin again. 

• Somatic Therapy provides a pathway towards relieving the physical tension that can often accompany past trauma.

• Inner Child Work lets you give your inner child the care and compassion you needed if you experienced trauma at a young age.

• Grounding Techniques enable you to feel centered and connected to the present during stressful times.

We will work together on applying this affirmative mantra to self-identity:

         “I am Loveable”

         “I am Significant”

         “I Matter”

         “I am Enough”

I promise that you will be in control of your sessions as we slowly work through your trauma at a pace that you are comfortable with. You are in control and you will decide what you want to share. 

You are safe with me. I have deep respect for survivors of trauma, and I consider it an honor and a privilege to be a part of your healing journey if you choose to work with me.

You May Have Some Questions About Trauma Therapy…

What type of trauma counseling works best?

There are so many different types of treatments for trauma. I understand that it can be very confusing to decide which type of therapy is right for you. Especially since the thought of opening up to someone is already difficult enough. Trauma therapy is never a one-size-fits-all approach.

I use an eclectic approach combining different theories and techniques that are geared towards empowering an individual. Through personalized approaches, I help individuals learn how to manage and respond to stress, intrusive thoughts, and feelings in healthy ways.

I’ve struggled with trauma for so long - can I ever really heal?

Regardless of how long ago you experienced trauma, you have the ability to heal. For all this time, you’ve tried to overcome trauma on your own, but you don’t have to continue coping all by yourself. By working with a trauma therapist instead, you might be surprised by how much progress you’re able to make, and how much better you can feel.

Will I always have to keep talking about my trauma in session?

Most people come to therapy because they are done with hiding, keeping secrets, and having their trauma control their lives. In therapy, you will never be forced to talk or do anything you’re not comfortable with. I will meet you where you are on your journey, without judgment. 

Although starting counseling seems difficult, most people have told me that I am easy to talk with, they never feel judged or less than, and know that I really want all the best for them.

With Guidance, You Can Heal From Trauma

If you are ready to reclaim your life from trauma, I invite you to contact me at (631) 406-3139 to schedule your initial session or a free, 15-minute consultation. It would be my privilege to speak with you and discuss how I can help you.