Trauma Related Disorders

Understanding Trauma

Trauma isn't defined by the event itself—but by how your mind and body respond to what happened. Whether it was a single incident or a series of painful experiences over time, trauma can live on in the nervous system, influencing thoughts, emotions, relationships, and the way you move through the world. Sometimes, you may not even recognize that what you're carrying is trauma—it might just feel like anxiety, disconnection, exhaustion, or being stuck in patterns you can’t explain.

Your Story Doesn’t Have to be Loud to be True

Some experiences are clearly traumatic—events like accidents, assaults, natural disasters, or sudden losses. These moments can overwhelm the body and mind, leaving a lasting imprint.

But trauma can also come from less visible experiences: a childhood where emotional needs were unmet, a relationship where you felt consistently dismissed, or long-term stress that wore down your sense of safety. These kinds of experiences may not seem traumatic on the surface, but they can be just as impactful—shaping how you see yourself, how you relate to others, and how safe you feel in the world.

In therapy, we honor all experiences that left a mark. You don’t need to justify your pain or compare it to someone else’s.

Trauma-related disorders can take many forms, including:

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)

  • Childhood or developmental trauma

  • Attachment wounds

  • Relational trauma

  • Dissociation and emotional numbing

  • Hypervigilance or chronic anxiety

  • Sleep disturbances and intrusive memories

  • Shame, guilt, or self-blame that feels hard to shake

Many clients don’t come in with a clear diagnosis—they come with a lived experience of feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or like something inside just isn’t right. Trauma work offers a path toward clarity, emotional regulation, and meaningful healing

What Does Trauma Look Like?

    • Sleep disturbances (insomnia or excessive sleep)

    • Fatigue or low energy

    • Muscle tension or chronic pain

    • Headaches or stomach issues

    • Startle response or hypervigilance

What Trauma Can Feel Like

    • Anxiety or chronic fear

    • Depression or persistent sadness

    • Irritability or sudden mood swings

    • Shame, guilt, or self-blame

    • Emotional numbness or feeling detached

    • Feeling overwhelmed or easily triggered

    • Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks

    • Nightmares or distressing dreams

    • Difficulty concentrating or staying present

    • Memory lapses, especially around the trauma

    • Negative self-beliefs (“I’m not safe,” “I’m broken”)

    • Difficulty trusting others

    • Fear of abandonment or rejection

    • People-pleasing or conflict avoidance

    • Struggles with intimacy or emotional closeness

    • Reenacting past relationship dynamics

    • Avoidance of places, people, or memories

    • Compulsive behaviors or substance use

    • Isolation or withdrawal from others

    • Overworking or difficulty slowing down

How does therapy treat trauma?

Healing from trauma is not just about understanding what happened—it’s about restoring a sense of safety, connection, and agency. Lasting change begins when you feel seen, supported, and grounded enough to gently explore the past while reclaiming the present. My approach integrates evidence-based, trauma-informed therapies, each offering a distinct and meaningful pathway toward healing and integration.

Attachment Focused Therapy

When we’ve experienced inconsistent, neglectful, or harmful relationships—especially early in life—it can impact how we connect with others and view ourselves.

Attachment-focused therapy explores how these early relational patterns show up today, especially in your relationships, sense of self-worth, and capacity for trust.

Together, we create a therapeutic relationship that feels safe and attuned, offering a corrective emotional experience. Over time, this helps rebuild your sense of security, connection, and the ability to relate without fear or shame.

My approach:

Psychodynamic Therapy

Trauma often shapes our internal world in ways that aren’t fully conscious, often informed by our earliest experiences and relationships.

Psychodynamic therapy helps uncover the deeper emotional patterns, beliefs, and relational dynamics formed by past experiences. We explore how unprocessed pain might be influencing your current behaviors, self-image, or relationships—often without you realizing it.

This kind of therapy allows space for insight, self-reflection, and emotional integration, all within a safe and consistent relationship.

EMDR Therapy

Unresolved trauma often lingers in the body and nervous system—showing up as emotional overwhelm, intrusive thoughts, or physical symptoms that don’t always make sense.

EMDR is a research-supported approach that helps the brain reprocess these distressing experiences in a way that reduces their emotional intensity. Using gentle bilateral stimulation—EMDR supports healing without requiring you to relive every detail.

Many clients describe feeling more regulated, less reactive, and increasingly at ease in their own bodies after EMDR sessions. See the speciality services page for more information on this treatment approach.

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