Recovering from trauma can feel daunting….

• Do you find yourself freezing up and unable to speak or take action when stressed?

• Do you feel powerless or even unsafe, even though your head tells you that you should feel ok?

• Do you sometimes have strong emotions that don’t seem related to the present?

• Do you struggle to take care of yourself, tending to throw yourself into distractions or work?

• Do you find it hard to relax or have chronic tension in your body or stomach?

You aren’t “crazy”….symptoms of trauma can stick around and impact us in surprising ways…

There are two types of trauma, known as “Big T” traumas and “Little t” traumas.  There is some overlap between them… and these are different for each person.  But, in general, “Big T” traumas are larger events that most people associate with the word “Trauma.” These events could include: a sexual assault/rape, assaults, physical abuse, war, direct violent acts of racism/homophobia, accidents, natural disasters, or other major/clearly identifiable events that cause shock/inability to process the event fully. When people receive the support they need, trauma symptoms often reduce after about 6 months. Other times, when people don’t receive the support they need, symptoms can linger and even be diagnosed as PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder). The second type of trauma, “Little t” traumas, are usually smaller events that accumulate over time. These can include: chronic low level bullying, neglectful parenting, emotional abuse that is hard to identify, micro-aggressions, racist/homophobic/ablest behaviors that are less direct, toxic relationships, religious abuse, or a combination of many oppressive or harmful events. Often, clients have experienced a mixture of both. The combination can leave impacts on our nervous systems, beliefs, emotions, and physical health.

These experiences can overwhelm our nervous system (or body) with stress responses that include shallow breathing, tight shoulders/neck/stomach, racing thoughts, high anxiety, fear, freezing or disconnecting from our emotions, feeling numb, depression, self-critical thoughts, intestinal problems/difficulty eating, sleep disturbances, and finding it hard to unwind. Relaxing can even be scary sometimes because we feel out of control or uncomfortable emotions/memories start to come up. Many folks try to stay busy, work more, perform well, or stay “in their heads” in order to cope with the body discomfort or emotions left cycling. Trauma is a natural response to an overwhelming event (or events) that sometimes gets stuck in our minds & bodies. Though this can feel frustrating or hopeless at times, there is good news. Trauma-informed, or trauma focused, therapy has advanced significantly to include approaches to therapy that are much more effective for clients who have experienced trauma or have been diagnosed with PTSD.

The past doesn’t need to keep you caged or stuck forever….

Finding relief, a sense of safety, and seeing a way forward is possible. We understand trauma, how it impacts you, and also how to recover. You may be so used to feeling bad that it is hard to even imagine what it is like to feel good, safe, connected, and confident. With trauma informed therapy, this can be a reality.

Trauma is often an incredibly disempowering experience so we work to collaborate with you each step of the way so that you feel empowered within your therapy. We listen to you, believe you, collaborate on goals, provide psychoeducation when needed so you know what to expect, track how you/your body is doing, and move at a pace that is right for you. 

After completing a personalized intake, learning about you, and collaborating on the next few steps forward, we begin the process. Our trauma-informed approach integrates traditional evidence-based practices (such as DBT/CBT) with newer or cutting edge approaches to trauma therapy (such as EMDR, Somatic/Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Art/Creative Therapies). We also take into account your culture, any oppressive dynamics you have experienced, or existing strengths or skills you have learned. We integrate modalities as needed or best works for you.

Trauma-informed somatic based therapies can ease recovery…

We understand how to pay attention to your body cues, track what is happening in your nervous system, teach you how to notice & work with your physiology, build a sense of internal safety & confidence, utilize art-based or cognitive interventions to help integrate learning, and use somatic or art processing to learn how to ride emotional or physiological waves that get blocked during traumatic event(s). This can ultimately help you feel more capable and less overwhelmed. Through this gentle, guided, holistic approach to therapy, we are able to help you find a greater sense of trust, safety, confidence, and flexibility in your body & life.

You might be worried about getting overwhelmed or have other concerns about trauma-informed therapy….

• Are you worried about feeling overwhelmed by your past or repeating the same story over and over?

Talking about your past is never required in the type of therapy we do. Some people find this helpful, but others feel tired of repeating the same story repeatedly with many people (or past therapists). We may ask you about your history, but you can always decide what to share/not to share. We are mostly interested in how you are doing now, what is happening in your nervous system now, and how to support you in the present. Most of our approaches are present-focused, begin slowly with building safety/comfort, and may sometimes feel uncomfortable but shouldn’t be too overwhelming.

• Do creative (somatic or art) interventions sound new or unknown and you aren’t sure if you can do them?

Many of our clients have never heard of art or somatic therapy before. And, it isn’t required to have any creative experience. We introduce concepts, materials, language for body sensations/emotions, and help you use them to best serve you. We are also trained in traditional “talk therapy”, so we can pivot how we work to best meet your needs & goals. We usually hear feedback from clients trying art or somatic therapies for the first time that they find the somatic & art therapy portions the most useful to them.

We can help address root impacts of trauma, beyond what traditional talk therapy alone can address…

We know that trauma memories and impacts live in parts of our brain & body that can’t be reached by talk therapy alone. We also know that having choice, collaboration, and building a safe therapy environment is pivotal to having a successful experience in therapy. Our clients have told us how good it has felt to have a sense of being deeply listened to, given education about their nervous system, feel safe & gently guided, and be able to practice experientially applying their learning.

Our unique approach blends both advanced and traditional approaches to therapy with the aim of providing an integrated, holistic, person-centered, and empowered counseling experience aimed at best meeting your needs. Our licensed, master’s level therapists bring their extensive education, life experience, ongoing training, and professional experience to best serve you. 

Please reach out with any questions, to learn more, or to schedule a consultation. We are more than happy to connect with you!