Trauma Recovery services:
- Individual Psychotherapy
- Professional Consultation
Common targets of trauma treatment:
- Safety
- Anxiety, panic, fearfulness
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Emotion regulation
- Impulsive behavior
- Stress management
- Relationship problems
- Body image and/or identity concerns
- Concentration and/or memory difficulties
I specialize in treating simple and complex posttraumatic stress (PTSD) and dissociative disorders, helping adult survivors heal from the effects of trauma. Trauma treatment can be helpful if you have experienced any type of extreme stress that has been overwhelming and difficult to cope with. Some examples include childhood abuse and neglect, rape, sexual assault, traumatic loss, interpersonal violence, betrayal, crime, accidents, and natural disasters.
From 2008-2013 I was an associate at Courtois & Associates, PC, where I worked with internationally renowned trauma expert Christine A. Courtois, PhD and received specialized training in the treatment of traumatic stress, dissociative conditions (including Dissociative Identity Disorder), and other issues stemming from childhood abuse (sexual, physical, & emotional), incest, neglect, abandonment, and interpersonal betrayal trauma. I continue this important work in my current practice.
I also offer support for family members of survivors, including spouses, partners, siblings, parents, and adult children, to help them understand and support a loved one suffering from the effects of traumatic stress, while taking care of themselves along the way.
Typically, trauma treatment involves three phases:
- Safety and stabilization
- Trauma processing
- Self-exploration and growth
Our work will generally begin with a focus on establishing safety and stabilization of symptoms through skill building and self-care, and we will likely spend the most time in this phase and return to it repeatedly throughout treatment. Trauma processing involves confronting, working through, and integrating memories of traumatic experiences and their associated feelings so that they become more a part of your past than your present, and therefore no longer feel in control of your life. We will do this work slowly, at a pace that feels safe and tolerable to you. Finally, to promote self-exploration and growth, we will address thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that may be interfering with your current life satisfaction and will work toward helping you improve the relationships you have with yourself and others.
It takes courage to confront the past and begin to heal. I am committed to building a therapeutic relationship with you that has a foundation of mutual trust and safety as you work to find meaning in your life and hope for the future.