Trauma Therapy in California

For survivors of violent crime, abuse, or assault

You are more than what’s happened to you.

As a trauma survivor, you have experienced things that those around you may struggle to understand, empathize with, and support you in.

Many survivors find that, as time goes on, the impacts of these events begin to affect them differently. Perhaps you are turning to substances more often than you used to, repeatedly finding yourself in poor dating or peer relationships, or feeling more and more out of control of your emotions. Maybe you feel unsafe, unworthy, or not good enough as a result of what you’ve gone through.

Despite this, you’ve done your best to move on: you want to push beyond your past, to not let it define the rest of your life. But these things are starting to feel too big to deal with on their own.

Trauma therapy can help.

When you’re overwhelmed by the kind of stress, anxiety, or depression you’re experiencing, it’s hard to see beyond these things on your own. Trauma therapy can help you process them in a completely safe environment: one where you are understood, seen, and supported.

I specialize in helping adults learn to stop living in their past, improve their relationships, regain their confidence, and conquer their fear of the unknown. I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, trained in supporting survivors of:

• Domestic violence

• Rape and sexual assault

• Mass shootings

• Child abuse or neglect

• Childhood sexual abuse

• Emotional and verbal abuse

• Children of alcoholics or addicts

• Narcissistic abuse

What is trauma?

Trauma is your body and mind’s response to a distressing event. Sometimes this is a single, large, significant event such as an act of domestic violence or abuse or a natural disaster. Other times, it’s a series of smaller events over time (often when we were a child or young person), such as the actions or inactions of our parents or caregivers, emotional or verbal abuse, or relational manipulation such as gaslighting.

Trauma can impact your sense of safety, security, and self. While it can sometimes be easy to discount what you’ve experienced as “not as bad as” something else, any experience where you are living “before” and “after” or is preventing you from living confidently in day-to-day life is one that’s worth taking a look at.

While each person’s response to trauma can be different, it often includes:

• Feelings of helplessness

• Flashbacks or nightmares

• Difficulty in relationships, particularly with trust

• Feelings of anger, guilt, or shame

• Anxiety or depression

• Feeling constantly “on edge”

Trauma can have physical symptoms as well, such as:

• Insomnia

• Difficulty concentrating or being easily distracted

• Body aches or fatigue

• Rapid heart rate

How does trauma therapy work?

Using EMDR, talk therapy, and other evidence-based methods, we will work together to address and process trauma and the feelings associated with it. Much of our work will also be focused on your thought patterns, confronting negative self-talk and self-esteem. Because while you cannot control your circumstances, you can control the way you view them. And that is where true freedom comes from.

I understand that you may have never shared what you’ve experienced with anyone else, and that going to therapy doesn’t suddenly mean you’re ready to do that. I am here to offer a safe space where you can begin to open up and share at your own pace. 

Please know that working with me does not require having to re-hash your past experiences—you can always decide how much or little you’d like to share. In fact, one of the best parts of the way I work is that you aren’t required to share any specifics with me if you don’t want to, but you’ll still get the benefits of it.

Through counseling, you can learn to:

• Become more grounded in the present day, rather than the past

• Enjoy healthier relationships, with better boundary-setting and communication

• Manage feelings of anger and resentment in a healthy way

• Feel more confident, in control, and hopeful for the future

• Gain insight into yourself and your innate strengths

• Process the impacts of your trauma and heal them at the source

  
  

And it can fit your busy schedule! All therapy is done online, from the comfort of your home or office. Learn more about online therapy in CA.

Are you ready to move beyond your past and find the relief you deserve?

Let’s do this work together.

Frequently Asked Questions about Trauma Therapy

How do I know if I have trauma?

A traumatic event (or series of events) is anything that has impacted your sense of safety, security, or self. You might have experienced something that, at the time, didn’t feel particularly harmful or damaging, but is now causing you to struggle in your life or relationships. Or perhaps you experienced something very significant—abuse, violence, or assault—whose impacts are showing up in almost every area of life.

All of these things are trauma, and each of them deserves a space where you can process their impacts and move forward from them.

Do I have to tell you everything about my past?

No. You are in full control of how much you choose to share and when you choose to share it. You will never be pushed to a place you don’t feel ready in therapy; this is about meeting you where you are with strategies and support that can help you start to create change in your life.

What is EMDR?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a proven psychotherapy method that allows you to reprocess life experiences, fears, and anxieties while, at the same time, addressing the underlying core beliefs that we hold about ourselves. It uses a three-pronged approach:

• Processing the past events that have laid the groundwork for the challenges you’re experiencing

• Addressing the current circumstances and triggers that hold you back

• Preparing for future events to develop healthy coping skills and strategies