Counseling for Trauma or Abuse

If you’ve experienced trauma or abuse, you may be struggling with frightening memories, upsetting emotions, or a constant sense of fear and danger. Or you may feel numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. You may have gaps in your memory. You may feel depressed or anxious, have difficulty sleeping, or be engaging in destructive activities in order to escape.

Many trauma survivors experience symptoms such as:

  • Anxiety and depression
  • Flashbacks or nightmares
  • Trouble sleeping or concentrating
  • Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
  • Emotional detachment from others
  • Risky or self-destructive behaviors
  • Feeling helpless, overwhelmed, or unsafe
What Is Emotional and Psychological Trauma?

Trauma is a psychological response to deeply distressing or disturbing events that overwhelm your ability to cope. While trauma often involves physical danger, any experience that makes you feel intensely frightened, helpless, or isolated can be traumatic—even if there’s no physical harm.

Your individual response to the event – not the event itself – determines whether you experience trauma. Common causes include:

  • Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
  • Accidents, natural disasters, or violent crime
  • Neglect or abandonment
  • Childhood trauma or repeated exposure to high-stress environments
  • Life-threatening or terminal medical diagnosis
PTSD and Complex PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing trauma. Common symptoms of PTSD include:

  • Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks
  • Heightened alertness or hypervigilance
  • Emotional numbness
  • Avoidance of trauma-related triggers

Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), also called developmental trauma, often results from prolonged or repeated trauma—especially in childhood. Survivors of childhood abuse or neglect may struggle with:

  • Chronic feelings of fear or shame
  • Difficulty regulating emotions
  • Trouble forming healthy relationships
  • Low self-worth and persistent anxiety
When to Seek Help

You might benefit from trauma-informed therapy if you are:

  • Feeling emotionally disconnected or numb
  • Experiencing ongoing anxiety, fear, or depression
  • Having trouble functioning in daily life
  • Struggling to trust others or form close relationships
  • Dealing with flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories
  • Using substances or unhealthy behaviors to cope
Healing Is Possible

Whether your trauma occurred recently or many years ago, recovery is possible. Working with a compassionate, trained therapist can help you process your experiences, rebuild trust, and restore a sense of safety and self-worth.

My Approach to Trauma Counseling

I specialize in counseling for survivors of trauma, abuse, and neglect, using an integrated, evidence-based treatment approach. A key part of my work includes Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) for Complex PTSD, a research-supported method that helps clients:

  • Understand and process painful emotions
  • Develop healthier coping strategies
  • Rebuild relationships and emotional resilience
  • Create a stronger sense of self and empowerment

When we have experienced something traumatic, it can take time to heal and feel safe again. But whether the traumatic experience happened many years ago or yesterday, you can heal and move forward.