Therapy for Childhood Trauma
Online trauma therapy for adults in California who are ready to understand what happened, feel safer in the present, and build a life that feels like their own.
You may know it was “in the past.” Your body may not.
What happened in childhood can continue to affect how you think, feel, relate to others, and move through the world today. You may already know this and are wanting to see and feel a change.
Maybe you notice that you:
Struggle to trust people or feel safe in relationships
Constantly second-guess yourself or assume the worst
Feel like you always have to be productive or “on”
Have a hard time relaxing, even when nothing is wrong
Become angry or overwhelmed more quickly than you'd like
Experience mood swings or reactions that seem bigger than the situation
Struggle with boundaries, self-worth, or people-pleasing
Feel disconnected from yourself or from the life you want
Have gaps in your memory around parts of your childhood
You may have spent years adapting to an environment you couldn't escape. Those adaptations can follow you into adulthood–creating negative beliefs about yourself and the world around you.
When the people who hurt you were the people you depended on
Childhood trauma can be especially complicated when it comes from someone you needed for safety and survival.
You may have learned to walk on eggshells, anticipate other people's moods, question your own perception, or take responsibility for things that weren't yours to carry.
For some people, this includes the lasting effects of narcissistic abuse—growing up around someone who needed control, shifted blame, or made love and approval feel conditional.
When you grow up being told, directly or indirectly, that everything is your fault, it can become difficult not to believe it. These negative beliefs are reinforced hundreds of times when caregivers are inconsistent, unloving, or abusive.
But those beliefs were learned. They aren't the truth about who you are. And, if they can be learned, they can be replaced with something healthier and true.
Healing is unfair work you never asked for.
You didn't choose the environment you grew up in. But you deserve the opportunity to choose what happens next.
In therapy, we'll work together to understand the ways your past may still be affecting your present—and gradually create more space for you to live differently.
I’ll use a variety of approaches to tailor our work to you rather than forcing you into a particular process.
I may use EMDR, talk therapy, cognitive therapy, narrative therapy, or other evidence-based trauma approaches.
At the heart of our work is to uncover what your past has caused you to believe about yourself and the world. It’s in that space where we find the fear, discomfort, and inability to move forward. In session, we’ll work side-by-side to help you confront those deeply-rooted beliefs.
What can change?
It's about having more choice in how you respond, more trust in yourself, and more room to actually enjoy your life.
Together, we may work toward:
Less Need to Brace Yourself for Pain: Feeling more grounded in the present instead of constantly bracing for what's next
Balancing Your Emotions: Managing anger, resentment, anxiety, depression and emotional overwhelm
Managing Negative Self-Talk: Quieting persistent negative self-talk and confronting negative labels
Building Confidence: Feeling more confident and in control of your choices
Rediscovering Your Interests: Reconnecting with your goals, interests, and sense of possibility
Understanding your strengths: And not just the ways you've learned to survive
Who You’ll Sit Across From
Hi, I’m Alison!
I'm a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with training and experience supporting survivors of:
Childhood abuse and neglect
Childhood sexual abuse
Emotional and verbal abuse
Narcissistic abuse
Domestic violence
Sexual assault
Children of alcoholics or addicts
Mass-shooting trauma
My approach is compassionate, empathetic and always respectful.
You don't need to convince me that what happened was difficult. You don't need to minimize it, either.
We'll look at what happened, how it shaped the way you see yourself and the world, and what you want your life to look like now.
You won't be pressured to talk about everything before you're ready.
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No. You decide what you're comfortable sharing and when. Trauma therapy doesn't require you to tell your entire story in detail before you can begin healing.
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Yes. You don't have to be currently experiencing the traumatic situation for its effects to still matter. Therapy can help you understand and process patterns that may have developed as a way of coping earlier in life.
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You don't need a particular label or diagnosis to deserve support. We can talk about what you've experienced and how it's affecting you now.
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Yes. I provide online therapy for clients located in California, allowing you to access trauma-focused support from a private space that feels comfortable for you.
Frequently Asked Questions about Trauma Therapy
You don't have to keep surviving what is already over.
What happened to you was not your fault. And you deserve a life that isn't organized around what happened. If you're ready to explore whether trauma therapy is right for you, schedule a free consultation.