Abuse

Abuse messes with our brains and can even re-wire them. Trauma is your body doing its best to cope with abnormal, stressful, or long-lasting negative events, like abuse. Symptoms may include hyper-vigilance, nightmares, guilt, self-blame, becoming easily startled, isolation, decreased interests in activities, difficulty sleeping, flashbacks, forgetfulness, and panic. Although the trauma symptoms can be overwhelming, there is hope for healing.

I specialize in those who have experienced religious and or spiritual abuse or have left a high control group or cult.

When the relationship with a caregiver represents trauma, lack of empathy and even cruelty, the implications last long past childhood. As an adult you may have dedicated yourself into work and/or your family in order to soothe that pain inside, yet something is still amiss. You struggle with self-worth and insecurity. In therapy, we can collaboratively work through that place of pain and loneliness towards a place of wholeness and connection. 

People with abusive and controlling behaviors can change when shown compassion and given a judgment-free space to examine their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We address the deep-seated beliefs, thought patterns, and historical traumas that cause people to become abusive, and learn how to shift towards an anti-abuse mentality.

I've worked in the field of abuse for over 26 years. I have seen first hand how complicated and intertwined abuse and failure in adulthood are. Thanks to neurobiology and psychology technique advancement you can unlock all of that history and put it to rest. Make it a memory instead of a problem you face every day and struggle to overcome. Learning to trust yourself and the world is possible. Don't let the past dictate your future. You can take control of it.

Whether it was at the hands of a narcissistic parent or abusive partner, I specialize in helping clients overcome trauma resulting from interpersonal relationships. Using a combination of EMDR and talk therapy, we work together to calm that ever-present sense of uneasiness, regain a feeling of safety, and learn to trust in your own judgement. I am living proof that you can overcome abuse and trauma to live a rich and fulfilling life on your own terms.

I hold a post graduate Specialization in Trauma, Abuse and Deprivation Assessment and Treatment under my Masters Degree in Professional Counseling. With this education and training, I have done successful Trauma, Abuse and Deprivation Recovery Work with men, women, adolescents, and couples in such topics as: Domestic Violence, Homelessness, Adult Consequences of Childhood Trauma such as feelings of shame and guilt, feeling disconnected and unable to relate to others, trouble controlling emotions

"Abuse" is an overused word. It does not begin to address the complexity of attachment wounds and lifelong suffering that comes in its wake.

It's important for me to know what my client means by "abuse". Abuse can be traumatic & it's equally important to understand what about the abuse may be traumatic for my client. From there we can work on resolving the abuse (trauma). This work may involve: decreasing the uncomfortable to distressing symptoms you're experiencing; increasing the ability to stay in your comfort zone (regulated) when "triggered"; helping your body process the experience (experience lives in the body) to resolve it.

I have a past working in child welfare in both a hospital setting and in the home. I attended multiple trainings through the GABI (Group Attached-Based Intervention) program.Through the program, I learned how to facilitate and promote healthy attachment between child and parent. Clients that participated in this program had difficulties with housing instability, mental illness, domestic violence, and other difficult life circumstances.

Abuse of any kind leaves lasting, and often invisible, wounds. When untreated, these wounds get passed through generations and spread through relationships despite our best attempts to stop the cycle on our own. If you are taking steps to actively heal your own wounds, you are not only healing yourself, but honoring the generations both before and after you, and protecting the relationships surrounding you now.

I regularly work with individuals who have endured various types of abuse (e.g., emotional, physical, sexual, and financial), along with other forms of trauma.

Are you in a relationship with someone where when it's good it's great but when it's bad it's painful? Has the person you love been conflictual, rigid, antagonistic, volatile, and entitled at times? Emotional abuse is real!! There is hope!

I work with individuals wanting to recover from Narcissistic abuse. This might stem from families with narcissism, spouse/partner, sibling, work environment or friendships. It creates patterns and beliefs about ourselves that impacts how we've moved through life. We address how we might have self abandoned to protect ourselves. What once worked, no longer serves us. "I can't take this anymore and I'm scared of change." I can help you.

Abuse can be extremely difficult to bring up to your therapist and that's okay. You have control on when and how you want to open about this issue. I believe in creating safe space and having a connection with my clients is the start of the process.

I work with clients who feel broken, unlovable, and stuck. This is often the result of hurtful messages they received growing up that they continue to believe. Abuse often takes away self-confidence and leaves shame, self-doubt and self-hatred in its place. This self-loathing leads us to continue to hurt ourselves through toxic relationships, unsafe sex, drugs and alcohol, and self-sabotage. I can help you reclaim yourself and help you get in touch with your inherent worthiness.