Trauma Therapy

I have completed Level 1 & 2 of the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM) via the Trauma Resource Institute and am working towards TRI Certification. Some info about TRM: Using a mind-body approach, TRM introduces a paradigm shift in the treatment of trauma, whereby symptoms are treated as normal biological responses rather than pathological or mental weaknesses. In this way, TRM can function as both a model for trauma reprocessing treatment as well as self-care.

As a certified clinical trauma professional and I use various evidence-based approaches to help individuals learn to feel more grounded/safe, process unresolved trauma and recognize how it shows up in their daily life and relationships in order to heal and move forward.

I am an eclectic therapist and draw on multiple approaches to provide therapy tailored to each patient's needs and priorities, with a focus on trauma healing, existential therapy, psychodynamic/attachment therapy, and liberation psychology. I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist and use body self connection, nervous system 'rewiring', and relationship attachment approaches to help people build internal security and distress tolerance.

I have extensive training in trauma informed and trauma centered therapy. In the words of Diana Fosha, my goal is "to help our patients and ourselves become stronger at the broken places. By working with trauma, and painful consequences, we discover places that have always been strong, places that were never broken."

Trauma therapy provides a safe, compassionate space to explore and heal from past experiences that continue to affect your well-being. Using trauma-informed techniques, I guide clients through understanding how their trauma impacts their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, while helping them develop healthy coping strategies. The goal is to restore a sense of safety, trust, and control, facilitating healing and growth at your pace.

Healing from trauma can be exhausting- reminders, flashbacks, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and fatigue. Trauma can be experienced physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually both individually and collectively. While we never "heal" 100% through anything, I do believe that through increased awareness, skill practice, desensitization, and rewriting, we can feel empowered over the trauma narrative.

I am trained in multiple trauma-focused treatments including EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Prolonged Exposure. All three of these therapies have been proven to help people feel better and live the lives they want to live.

"Anissa and I figured out how my past (traumatic) experience has really been getting in the way of me connecting with my partner and us moving forward in our relationship in the way that we would like. Now that I realize that and I am working through it, things with us are in a much better place." ---LB

I have over 20 years' experience working with clients who have experienced traumas, including sexual assaults and physical assaults as well as accidents and unexpected deaths of loved ones. I use scientifically supported approaches to treating the kinds of concerns that can result from trauma, including cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure therapy to treat post-traumatic stress and cognitive behavioral therapy to treat depression.

I provide a safe place to discuss traumatic events that may be affecting you in your day to day life. Safety and stabilization is the first step, I will never push you to discuss an event before you are ready. We first prepare by building up coping strategies to deal with anxiety and panic and depression that often accompanies these memories. Helping you feel more confident in yourself and empowering you to move forward in life.

Trauma is an experience where an individual has experienced a loss of power and control. I am a Certified Trauma Competent Practitioner through Lakeside Global Institute. Every interaction with my clients is an opportunity to for them to regain power and control over their lives. I also work with clients on being able to process their trauma through somatic work (yoga, breath work, and mediation). I have also assisted clients with moving forward with life after trauma.

In my trauma therapy approach, I provide a safe and compassionate space for clients to process difficult experiences at a pace that feels right for them. We work together to explore past events with care, focusing on emotional regulation, resilience, and reclaiming a sense of safety and empowerment. This trauma-informed approach prioritizes sensitivity and respect, supporting clients in finding healing and growth.

I integrate various other modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and body-based therapies, such as Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY) and Somatic Experiencing (SE) in supporting my clients to heal and re-discover their innate resilience and strengths.

Trauma therapy is effective when working with trauma because it's specifically designed to address the unique challenges and impacts that traumatic experiences can have on a person's mental, emotional, and even physical well-being. Traumatic experiences can get stuck in the mind and body, leading to flashbacks, nightmares, and intense emotions. Trauma therapy helps individuals process these experiences in a controlled and safe manner. This processing allows the brain to integrate the traumatic

When working with DID, I utilize trauma-informed and attachment-based treatment based on the structural dissociation model. The first focus is stabilization and improved system communication. CPT is an evidence-based treatment that is highly effective and has 30 years of use and studies behind it. This treatment is utilized for PTSD, does not require the person to disclose lots of details about their trauma, and is completed in about 12 sessions.

Effects of trauma can linger and negatively affect your life. They can be disguised as depression, anxiety, fears, negative beliefs about self. They can affect your relationships and how you connect with others. Therapy is a great place to process trauma and its effects. Working through trauma with EMDR therapy will remove the effects of trauma have on your life today. Think we might be a good fit? Contact me for a 15-minute consultation.

Trauma Systems Therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Neurosequential Model. All of these give us a framework for how trauma impacts us physically, mentally, and emotionally. They also provide interventions to address Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn, and Flop. This can be integrated with other interventions (such as IFS) to address all levels of impact in your system.

My training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Brainspotting equips me to address trauma at its core. IFS allows clients to explore and heal the different parts of themselves that are affected by traumatic experiences. Brainspotting helps to process trauma stored in the body by identifying specific eye positions that correlate with emotional pain. Together, these approaches create a safe and supportive environment for clients to work through trauma and move towards recovery.