CONDITIONS & CONCERNS
Trauma & Difficult Past Experiences
Sometimes the Experience Ends, but Its Effects Don’t
Sometimes the Experience Ends, but Its Effects Don’t
Trauma can show up in what you had to learn in order to survive it: staying alert to other people's moods, avoiding conflict, disconnecting from your own needs, keeping people happy, remaining in control, or expecting closeness to become unsafe.
How therapy can help
I work with people affected by interpersonal and relational trauma, including abuse, sexual trauma, relationship violence, difficult or unsafe family environments, and other experiences that continue to affect emotional well-being and relationships. Trauma-informed therapy may include grounding, distress-tolerance and emotion-regulation strategies—including DBT skills when useful. It does not require forcing you to retell your story. You remain in control of what you discuss and when.
Healing does not require pretending the past didn't happen. It means helping the past take up less space in the present.
Common questions
Do I have to tell the whole story?
No. Trauma-informed therapy does not require you to describe every detail of what happened. We can work with present-day reactions, patterns, emotions, relationships, and body responses while you remain in control of what you share and when.
Can trauma affect relationships years later?
Yes. Earlier experiences can shape trust, boundaries, conflict responses, closeness, self-protection, and expectations of other people long after the original situation has ended. These patterns can be understood and changed without blaming you for how they developed.
What if I do not identify with the word trauma?
You do not need to use the word “trauma” for therapy to be useful. We can focus on difficult past experiences and the ways they continue to affect you now, using language that feels accurate and comfortable for you.
Ready to begin?
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