Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD can be scary, uncomfortable, difficult to deal with, and effects every area of our lives. I personally suffered from PTSD most of my life and didn't even know it. I have since treated the majority of the trauma I suffered from and no longer experience the symptoms of PTSD. Along with my personal experience I have also had several trainings and have worked with this particular issue for years. I can help you experience the same relief I have.

I have worked with many clients that have different traumatic events that they have experienced. I use different approaches to help you understand your triggers. From here I am able to help you understand coping skills to help. There are two approaches that can be used to help you through your trauma including TFCT and EMDR.

We all carry around the scars of bumps and bruises from the past. It's part of what shapes who we are. But there are some wounds that never seem to heal. Their roots reach deep into the heart and cripple our ability to engage with life. Whether it's a single, terrifying event that's thrown you off balance or a long history of mistreatment that reaches into childhood, we can start loosening the knots now.

Certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma Focused- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Sometimes things happen in our lives that shift the way we exist in the world. Sometimes it’s a singular event or a collection of experiences that are really scary or overwhelm our sense of being safe. These events could be trauma—with a big T or a little t—and they have long lasting effects which ripple through your soul and impact how you feel safe within the world. When trauma occurs, your nervous system gets hijacked into the stress response and stuck in a moment that it cannot get out of.

I use an attachment/feminist framework when working with PTSD. We will learn grounding exercises and calming techniques, explore how early childhood attachments set you up to be hurt in particular ways later on in life, and discuss how to manage active and re-emergent symptoms.

Whether you have experienced a single traumatic event or have a sequence of relational events that have been traumatic, I am here for you. I have lived experience that keeps me honest and empathetic when we are facing symptoms and distress that keep us away from the life we want.

I am trained in the use of EMDR for the treatment of trauma, both single- and multi-incident traumas. EMDR is a powerful tool which helps the mind to heal itself in a gentle and kind way. I am especially equipped to work with people living with chronic health challenges, people dealing with alcoholism, addiction, or addictive behaviors, and people who experienced abuse and neglect during childhood.

When you experience trauma, you can become emotionally and physically overwhelmed. You may have trouble breathing when you find yourself in a similar setting as the one where your trauma occurred, feel penned in during social occasions, or be hyper-aware of your surroundings. You may have trouble sleeping and struggle in relationships because you can't express your feelings. You may not understand them yourself.

Many people may experience just one or a series of complex traumatic events that may or may not lead to fully disordered thinking and functioning. Seeking therapy can be a helpful tool in understanding trauma, PTSD-traits or symptoms and their impact on the body & mind as well as learning helpful skills in moving forward with these experiences. Trauma can be heavy and severe but your life doesn't have to start or end with your trauma either.

I use a Trauma-Informed Therapy to address the psychological, emotional, relational and physical problems that past trauma can create. My approach draws from numerous sources including Neuroscience, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and EMDR.

I am a Certified Trauma Professional (CTP) and continue to learn how trauma affects mind, body, and soul throughout the lifespan within individuals, families, relationships, and society. Helping folks heal from trauma is my passion. Currently, I am most inspired by my studies on Internal Family Systems and frequently incorporate this trauma-informed approach into my sessions.

If you're carrying the weight of past traumatic experiences, whether they are related to accidents, abuse, or any other distressing events, I'm here to provide support. Together, we'll navigate the complexities of trauma, working to understand its impact on your life and emotions. Through evidence-based techniques, we'll embark on a journey of healing, helping you process the trauma, develop coping skills, and ultimately find a path towards resilience and renewed well-being.

You can tell me whatever you need to let go of. Then I'll work with you to gradually release it. We'll figure out the transition of leaving your comfort zone. This part can be seriously turbulent but I promise it will be worth it. Once you stop fighting that, and give it some time, we can work on getting you to really fly.

I have experience treating both PTSD and complex PTSD through a range of orientations and interventions.

Trauma can make you want to avoid, or make you numb to the world. It effects relationships, performance at work, and can make us doubt who we are and what our purpose is. Treatment for trauma can look a lot of different ways. Sometimes the focus is on the here and now- learning how to manage symptoms that are tripping you up today. Sometimes the focus is on the beliefs that came out of the trauma, and how your current life is somehow continuing to foster them. Giving you control is the goal.

No, this isn't only for soldiers and assault survivors. So many more people are living with PTSD and/or CPTSD and don't have a clue it applies to them, often because they do not recognize that they are also a trauma survivor. Cult or religious abuse survivors may have PTSD. People who come from dysfunctional families or who have been bullied. Ever felt fear that your life may end? This could be you.

I have training in EMDR, IFS and certification in Somatic Strategies and have attended numerous trainings in trauma informed psychotherapy as well as ongoing supervision in trauma work.

The majority of my work has been with clients who have PTSD or have dealt with a trauma in their past. I use AIR Network and EMDR to inform my work with my clients.