Trauma therapy
Trauma is not just what happened to you, it is what happened inside you as a result. And that inner landscape can change, in the context of a relationship safe enough to let it.
Schedule a free consultation →Trauma lives in the body, in relationships, and in the parts of experience that could not be processed at the time they occurred. Whether your trauma was a single identifiable event or a slow accumulation of relational wounds across years, the kind that often goes unnamed because it was just how things were, it shapes how you see yourself and others, often in ways that feel like simply who you are rather than something that happened to you. That distinction matters, and it is one of the things therapy can help you see clearly.
A particular focus here is complex and relational trauma: the kind that develops in the context of early relationships, chronic difficult experiences, or environments where safety was not reliably available. This includes childhood emotional neglect and emotional abuse (often the hardest to name because the wounds are absences rather than events), early attachment disruptions, intergenerational patterns passed down through families, and the developmental trauma of growing up with a parent who was mentally ill, addicted, or simply not emotionally present. This form of trauma does not always produce the classic PTSD symptom cluster, but it shapes the architecture of a person’s inner life in profound ways.
The approach to trauma here is relationally grounded. The safety of the therapeutic relationship is itself a therapeutic tool, a corrective experience that makes it possible to approach material that previously had to be avoided or dissociated. This does not mean rushing toward traumatic content; it means carefully building a foundation from which the work can proceed at whatever pace the nervous system can tolerate. The relationship comes first.
Explore individual therapy →What people ask about this work
Do I have to recount what happened in detail?
No. This is one of the most common fears people bring to trauma therapy, and it is worth addressing directly. You are never required to describe traumatic events in detail. Effective trauma therapy does not depend on full narration of what happened. Much of the work involves attending to what is happening in your body and your relational patterns now, which often does not require detailed recounting of the past. The pace is always yours to set.
What is complex trauma, and how is it different from PTSD?
PTSD typically develops in response to a discrete traumatic event or series of events (an accident, assault, natural disaster, combat). Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) develops in response to prolonged, repeated trauma, often in childhood, often in relationships with caregivers or others in positions of power. C-PTSD involves not just the classic PTSD symptoms but also significant difficulty with emotional regulation, identity disturbance, and relational problems that trace back to the environment where the original trauma occurred.
How is relational trauma different from other forms?
Relational trauma occurs specifically within significant relationships, most often early caregiving relationships. What makes it particularly complex is that the same relationship that was the source of the wound is also the template you use for understanding all subsequent relationships. Healing relational trauma therefore happens in the context of a relationship: the therapeutic relationship becomes a place to experience something genuinely different.
Will trauma therapy make me feel worse before I feel better?
Possibly, and temporarily. Engaging with difficult material can activate distress that was previously managed by avoidance. This is normal and not a sign that something is wrong. A good trauma therapist will pace the work carefully, building capacity before moving into more difficult territory, and will be attentive to signs that the work is moving faster than your system can integrate.
If this resonated, let’s talk.
A free 15-minute consultation is the first step. It’s a chance to ask questions, share what you’re carrying, and see whether this practice feels like the right fit.
Schedule a free consultation →