YOu’re not overreacting— you’re remembering.
Therapy for trauma in Seattle and WA State
Are painful past experiences holding you back? You’re not broken, you’re carrying unprocessed pain.
Do you feel emotionally numb— checked out, worn down, and like the things that brought you joy just aren’t doing it anymore? Or maybe you find yourself having intense reactions followed by feelings of regret, shame, or confusion. Perhaps relationships feel difficult because, deep down, it’s hard to truly trust people.
Sometimes, trauma shows up as a disconnection from the here and now. You might suddenly feel overwhelmed by an image, emotion, or body sensation that makes you feel like you’re back in the traumatic experience even though it happened in the past. These "flashbacks" can make it hard to focus, connect with others, or complete everyday tasks—and they may lead to patterns of avoidance as a way to cope.
Not all trauma looks the same. Sometimes it's a single overwhelming event—like an accident, loss, or medical emergency. Other times, trauma builds over time through experiences like ongoing abuse or neglect. Even if there was no obvious "event," growing up feeling unseen, unheard, or like you didn’t matter can leave deep emotional impacts.
No matter what kind of trauma you’ve experienced, it can shape how your mind and body respond to the world. In moments of threat, we go “offline” to protect ourselves—it’s a natural survival response. Your nervous system did exactly what it needed to do to help you cope with overwhelming or painful experiences. But when those experiences go unprocessed, they can get stuck in your nervous system and show up as anxiety, reactivity, emotional disconnection, or a sense of not feeling safe—even when the original threat is long gone.
Therapy can help you reconnect, process, and heal. Together, we'll gently and safely explore and process the trauma stored in your body and mind, so that you can feel more grounded, more in control of your responses, and more connected in your relationships. We’ll also focus on building up positive emotions, sensations, and experiences — so that you feel more alive, more resilient, and more like yourself again
You can heal the past and live more fully in the present.
your reactions make sense—let’s understand them together .
Specialized EMDR Trauma Therapy.
Using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), we’ll help your brain and body reprocess traumatic memories in a way that’s safe and manageable—so they no longer feel overwhelming. As these memories are reprocessed, the emotional charge they once carried begins to fade, allowing you to respond to life with more clarity and calm. You may notice fewer triggers, a greater ability to cope with challenges, and a renewed sense of control over your thoughts and reactions.
With Parts Work/IFS, we’ll explore the different “parts” of you that hold pain, protect you, or carry shame or fear. These parts aren’t bad—they formed for good reasons. By getting to know them from a nonjudgmental and curious place, we can reduce reactivity, and increase clarity and self-compassion.
I also integrate principles from Polyvagal Theory, which helps us understand how your nervous system responds to stress, threat, and safety. We’ll work with your body’s natural responses—fight, flight, shutdown— to help you build greater emotional regulation and resilience.
Healing is possible. Together, we’ll gently work through what’s keeping you stuck, so you can feel more grounded, present, and empowered in your life and relationships. The past doesn’t have to control the present.
Therapy for trauma can help you…
Reduce triggers and feel safer in your body
Feel more in control of your emotions and reactions
Heal the root causes of anxiety, shame, or disconnection
Rebuild trust in your own perceptions and feelings
Decrease/eliminate intrusive flashbacks and nightmares
Frequently asked questions about trauma therapy
FAQs
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We’ll begin with an initial assessment and take time to get to know each other. I want to understand not only your symptoms and challenges, but also your strengths, values, and what has helped you cope so far.
From there, we’ll collaborate on setting goals for therapy that feel meaningful and achievable for you. Our work may include EMDR to help process and reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories, as well as tools from Polyvagal Theory to support nervous system regulation and a greater sense of safety in your body. We may also explore IFS/parts work to gently connect with the different inner parts of you—especially those that hold pain, protection, or wisdom.
This is a gentle, client-centered process. We’ll move at your pace and make space for both healing and building resilience.
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Some common signs of trauma are:
Feeling anxious, irritable, angry, overwhelmed
Feeling emotionally numb, disconnected from yourself and others
Having intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or nightmares
Difficulty trusting others
Feeling stuck in patterns that you can’t seem to shift
Persistant negative beliefs about yourself and the world
Parts of your past still feel present, in your body, thoughts, or emotions
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy used to help people process and heal from traumatic memories and distressing experiences.
It follows a structured approach where you briefly focus on a specific traumatic memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation—typically through guided eye movements, tapping, or sounds. This process helps the brain reprocess the memory, reducing its emotional intensity and vividness over time.
Many people find EMDR helpful for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and other challenges rooted in past experiences. It can support deep healing by allowing the brain and body to integrate what happened in a more adaptive and less distressing way.
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Click the button below to schedule a free 15 minute consultation with me. I look forward to talking with you!