Expertise
I have a passion for bringing attention to the importance of satisfying relationships, authentic living, self-acceptance, creativity, and joy.
Trauma-focused Therapy
Coping / Support / Resilience / Interpersonal / Safety / Trust / Hope / Impact / Minority Stress / Stigma / Shame / Numbness / Capability
Making sense of trauma, and the impact of trauma, can be accompanied by the fear that you will never be able to overcome the distress you feel when you remember the experience or when those intrusive nightmares, flashbacks, and negative thoughts come crashing into your awareness. Through trauma-focused therapy, we reclaim confidence, hopefulness, intimacy, safety, self-esteem, and trust. I have received expert level training and certification in the gold standard trauma-focused therapy called Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). I also have expertise in Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT).
I specialize in treating trauma symptoms related to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, childhood and complex sexual trauma, and emotional or physical abuse. These experiences often have lasting effects on both physical health and daily functioning.
In addition, I have years of focused experience providing trauma-informed care to members of the LGBTQIA+ community—individuals who are disproportionately impacted by both interpersonal and discrimination-based traumas due to their identities as sexual and gender minorities.
Trauma manifests in various ways, and its effects can be far-reaching. You may be experiencing some of the following symptoms:
Nightmares, flashbacks, or intrusive memories
Panic attacks or sudden bouts of rage
Feeling numb, detached, or “checked out” from your life
Difficulty with intimacy and relationships
Struggles with feeling different in different environments
Feeling stuck in the past or that your life is repeating itself
Emotional dysregulation and difficulty managing distressing emotions
If any of this sounds familiar, you may be struggling with the effects of trauma, including PTSD, C-PTSD, or unresolved attachment trauma. Trauma therapy can help you process these experiences and develop healthier coping strategies.
Many people will experience a form of trauma in their lives. Trauma can come with feelings of shame, anger, and confusion. Posttraumatic stress is a normal human reaction to traumatic events. However, for some individuals, this stress persists and interferes with their ability to live the life that they want. I work with complex cases that sometimes include dissociation, numbness, anger, risky behaviors, and years of avoidance. The treatments I provide are the most powerful and effective treatments available for these conditions. I have expertise in individual, as well as relationship (i.e., with a partner) based trauma-focused therapies. I have experienced many times how these treatments help people gain new perspectives about what happened to them, develop a sense of empowerment over their trauma, and improve their lives.
These treatments can also be helpful if you feel stuck following experiences of trauma, bullying, or discrimination even if you don’t have PTSD. If you’re unsure whether you want to discuss your trauma, or unsure which approach feels like a good fit for you, we can discuss your concerns. We will explore trauma-focused care that builds upon your current support, coping skills, and personal experience. We can begin at your pace, whatever that may be, and engage in therapies that can range from processing or supportive therapies, to modular skill-based interventions.
I primarily employ time-limited, evidence-based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBT) such as CPT, PE, and CBCT. In general, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapies (TF-CBTs) are short-term interventions that generally last anywhere from 8 to 25 sessions. (See Individual and Couples Therapy based Trauma-Focused Services.)
In general, I practice LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy that considers the impact of minority stress and chronic stress responses. Notably, aside from these stress processes, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and heterosexuals who report any same-sex sexual partners over their lifetime, have greater risk of childhood maltreatment, interpersonal violence, trauma to a close friend or relative, and unexpected death of someone close.
Making sense of trauma, and the impact of trauma, can be accompanied by the fear that you will never be able to overcome the distress you feel when you remember the experience or when those intrusive nightmares, flashbacks, and negative thoughts come crashing into your awareness. Through trauma-focused therapy, we reclaim confidence, hopefulness, intimacy, safety, self-esteem, and trust. I have received expert level training and certification in the gold standard trauma-focused therapy called Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). I also have expertise in Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy (CBCT).
I specialize in treating trauma symptoms related to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, childhood and complex sexual trauma, and emotional or physical abuse. These experiences often have lasting effects on both physical health and daily functioning.
In addition, I have years of focused experience providing trauma-informed care to members of the LGBTQIA+ community—individuals who are disproportionately impacted by both interpersonal and discrimination-based traumas due to their identities as sexual and gender minorities.
Trauma manifests in various ways, and its effects can be far-reaching. You may be experiencing some of the following symptoms:
If any of this sounds familiar, you may be struggling with the effects of trauma, including PTSD, C-PTSD, or unresolved attachment trauma. Trauma therapy can help you process these experiences and develop healthier coping strategies.
Many people will experience a form of trauma in their lives. Trauma can come with feelings of shame, anger, and confusion. Posttraumatic stress is a normal human reaction to traumatic events. However, for some individuals, this stress persists and interferes with their ability to live the life that they want. I work with complex cases that sometimes include dissociation, numbness, anger, risky behaviors, and years of avoidance. The treatments I provide are the most powerful and effective treatments available for these conditions. I have expertise in individual, as well as relationship (i.e., with a partner) based trauma-focused therapies. I have experienced many times how these treatments help people gain new perspectives about what happened to them, develop a sense of empowerment over their trauma, and improve their lives. These treatments can also be helpful if you feel stuck following experiences of trauma, bullying, or discrimination even if you don’t have PTSD. If you’re unsure whether you want to discuss your trauma, or unsure which approach feels like a good fit for you, we can discuss your concerns. We will explore trauma-focused care that builds upon your current support, coping skills, and personal experience. We can begin at your pace, whatever that may be, and engage in therapies that can range from processing or supportive therapies, to modular skill-based interventions.
I primarily employ time-limited, evidence-based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBT) such as CPT, PE, and CBCT. In general, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapies (TF-CBTs) are short-term interventions that generally last anywhere from 8 to 25 sessions. (See Individual and Couples Therapy based Trauma-Focused Services.)
Stress & Trauma:
In psychological literature, stressors are defined as events and conditions (e.g., losing a job, death of an intimate partner) that cause change and require that the individual adapt to the new situation or life circumstance. Stress processes can include the experience of prejudice and discrimination, expectations of rejection, hiding and concealing your authentic self for protective purposes, internalized homophobia, intimate partner violence, and ameliorative coping processes that have become bad, ineffective habits. These experiences can be particularly painful when there is social pressure to conceal your experiences, or stigma. In therapy, we will address what it’s like to have few people, or no one, to talk to about these experiences, and any distress that comes from having nowhere to do this work safely.In general, I practice LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy that considers the impact of minority stress and chronic stress responses. Notably, aside from these stress processes, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and heterosexuals who report any same-sex sexual partners over their lifetime, have greater risk of childhood maltreatment, interpersonal violence, trauma to a close friend or relative, and unexpected death of someone close.