Trauma & Complex Trauma Therapy
Understanding your past. Reconnecting with yourself. Creating lasting change.
Sometimes, the past continues to shape how we feel in the present. You may find yourself reacting strongly to situations that seem relatively small, struggling to trust others, or feeling anxious even when everything in your life appears to be going well. You might understand where these patterns come from, yet still struggle to change them.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is often associated with life-threatening events, violence, or significant loss. While these experiences can certainly be traumatic, trauma is not always the result of one identifiable event. It can develop when an experience overwhelms our ability to cope, leaving lasting effects on how we perceive safety, regulate emotions, and respond to the world around us.
For some, trauma develops after a frightening or overwhelming event. For others, it emerges through repeated experiences of emotional neglect, rejection, criticism, instability, or relationships in which their needs were consistently unmet. We may come to believe that love must be earned, expressing our needs is unsafe, or we must constantly anticipate other people's reactions to maintain connection.
How Trauma Affects the Mind and Body
Trauma doesn't only influence our thoughts and memories. It can also affect how our nervous systems respond to stress, relationships, and perceived threats. You might notice your heart racing during conflict, your body becoming tense when someone raises their voice, or an urge to withdraw when emotional intimacy increases.
Your mind may understand that the past is over, while your nervous system is still learning that the present can be different. This is one reason why understanding what happened doesn't always resolve the emotional impact of trauma.
What Can Trauma Therapy Help With?
Childhood trauma, emotional neglect, or difficult family relationships
Complex trauma and attachment wounds
Post-traumatic stress and distressing memories
Anxiety, hypervigilance, and emotional dysregulation
Shame, low self-worth, and difficulty trusting others
Recurring relationship patterns connected to past experiences
Emotional numbness, disconnection, or difficulty feeling safe
Our Approach to Trauma Therapy
Beyond Understanding
We believe that healing involves more than understanding what happened. It also means exploring how past experiences continue to influence your emotional and physical responses in the present.
Body-Based and Relational
Our trauma-informed approach integrates body-based and relational perspectives. Depending on your needs and your therapist's training, treatment may incorporate Brainspotting, EMDR, somatic awareness, and attachment-informed psychotherapy.
At Your Own Pace
Healing doesn't mean forgetting the past or forcing yourself to revisit painful experiences before you're ready. It means developing a different relationship with your experiences so they no longer have the same influence over your life.
