Trauma Recovery

You’ve experienced significant depression and anxiety throughout the years. Therapy and medication have helped a little, but it feels as if there is something that pulls you back into overwhelming emotional reactions that are disproportionate to the current experience you’re facing. You feel as if a conversation, arguments, locations, or even noise activates an overwhelming, uncontrollable response within you.

You’ve experienced a significant accident, abusive situation, or terrifying medical experiences.

Maybe you’re finding yourself trapped in an unhealthy family system or relationship that leaves you feeling powerless, voiceless, unable to enjoy your life or feel safe in relationships. You might have been part of a high-control religion or are now recognizing that what you thought was “normal” was actually a cult.

Trauma isn’t necessarily what happened to you; it’s the impact of an overwhelming emotional experience in which you felt alone. Trauma can also leave you feeling completely alone and confused in your relationships and normal daily life.

You don’t have to be alone in the daily difficulties of living with trauma. It’s time to find a safe place for deep healing.

Trauma Impacts Your Life and Relationships

It feels like other people have experienced something “much worse” or are living lives that are harder and more painful than yours. But the reality is that no one can compare their experience with others; in fact, we need to honor that what happened to you impacts your life and your relationships. It’s time to understand that your story matters and you deserve to heal in a safe place.

Some clients aren’t sure what to name what happened. It can be helpful to know that there are different types of trauma:

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)  

PTSD usually develops after a single traumatic event, such as a car accident, natural disaster, or sexual assault. It can occur regardless of age. Sometimes we call this “Big T trauma”. Spotting the signs and symptoms of PTSD can be difficult. Research suggests that only 2-11% of people experiencing trauma symptoms are diagnosed.

Complex Trauma

Complex Trauma results from repeated or prolonged exposure to trauma over time, such as childhood trauma, domestic violence, or a situation that involves daily exposure to traumatic experiences. This type of trauma can also be caused by the harmful effects of racism, oppression, or involvement with the justice system. Complex Trauma isn’t always what happened to you, but what didn’t happen that should have. It can seem like you had what was necessary in your childhood, but now realize that there was no emotional safety, predictability or the kind of connection that people need to thrive. We call this “Little T trauma” although there is nothing little about the impact of this type of trauma in your life.

I specialize in the following:

• PTSD – a significant event that has impacted your life for a minimum of one (1) month
• Developmental trauma – neglect, food and shelter insecurity
• Narcissistic abuse – traumatic relationship patterns with a parent, family member or partner
• Religious trauma – high control religious experiences, purity culture, cult recovery
• Medical trauma (child, adolescent, adult)
• Sexual trauma

The good news is that there is post-trauma growth. Healing and recovery from any traumatic experience and the impact in your life are possible through caring and compassionate therapy.

Healing is Available for You

It can feel overwhelming to begin the healing process for the trauma you’ve experienced. The most important first step in your journey is to feel safe and connected with your therapist. Together we will build that safety and connection starting with your first appointment. We won’t rush into talking about the details of your trauma story; I pace therapy to your readiness and emotional safety.

As we identify the events of your trauma, you will begin to use tools and strategies to regulate your nervous system. This means that when you feel overwhelmed, you’ll know how to ground yourself and come back to your current experience. We know that trauma impacts our body, our nervous system, our emotions and our mind. Trauma-informed therapy focuses on healing the distress you experience in your body, your life, your relationships so that your health and emotional wellbeing allows you to live a life that is grounded in your here-and-now adult self.

Based on your trauma story and the impact on your life right now, I offer powerful therapeutic experiences to process the trauma and return your nervous system to a sense of safety and new connections to what happened. We will talk about your treatment and the therapies we’ll use in your recovery. Some of the most effective therapies include: EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS) and IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback. As we begin to understand your story and the impact of trauma on your life, we’ll discuss the best therapeutic experience for you.

What I know is that clients who thought there was no hope have found deep healing and growth because of the work we’ve done together using these therapeutic approaches. I’m deeply honored to be part of so many lives changed because of the courageous work in therapy.

Trauma Doesn’t Determine Your Life

Clients starting therapy for trauma recovery often ask, “Is it possible for me to feel better?” and “Will I ever be able to feel free of this trauma?” The answer is YES. It will take time and hard work. And you will begin to see how the healing you are experiencing is improving your life right now.

During our sessions, you will experience safety and connection, which are often two of the basic needs we lose when living with trauma. You will also be able to recognize what happened “back then” no longer impacts your health, your beliefs about yourself or others, or the way you live your life.

Effective therapy processes the trauma you have experienced as well as the effects. The therapy you need will provide you a safe and supported processing experience as well as tools to encourage and nourish after trauma growth.

Personalized Therapy for Trauma Recovery

When I first started enCOURAGE Counseling, I focused on a particular age group experiencing the challenges of life. Repeatedly, I began to see that clients who came in with long term anxiety, depression and self-harm/suicidal symptoms were expressing the pain of trauma held in their bodies. I began to understand the truth: “the body doesn’t lie”. Trauma is held in our bodies and expressed in repetitive (often painful) behaviors. Many clients I’ve worked with have found that treatment focused on symptoms missed the actual cause: trauma.

My practice now focuses on trauma-informed therapy that has witnessed tremendous healing and recovery with clients over several years. I hold the deepest belief that there IS healing and recovery from trauma, in all its expressions. You will experience personalized healing in a treatment plan that incorporates EMDR, Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) and Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). I also use Microcurrent Neurofeedback when clients need to relax their brain and nervous system to do our best work together.

It’s Time to Start

Therapy is hard work. And because it’s hard work to heal your trauma, I want you to feel safe and comfortable before we ever start together. That’s why I ask that each prospective client have a free, no obligation 20-minute consultation appointment with me. This appointment can be in my office or virtually.

During our brief but essential 20-minute consultation appointment, you can ask questions that you need to understand about therapy or my experience with your unique trauma story and symptoms. It’s also an opportunity to share what you need from therapy right now. Please note - I want you to stay safe and regulated during our brief time together, so you will not be sharing the details of your trauma story. I want you to be cared for and stay safe while we talk.

Please use the Contact Form on my website to ask for a free, no obligation 20-minute consultation. I will respond within 24 hours to your request and we can schedule that appointment typically within 1 – 2 weeks.