California Based Clinical Psychologists Providing Therapy & Psychological Testing Services
Trauma Therapy
Do You Feel Weighed Down By Past Trauma?
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Have you been avoiding people, places, or situations that remind you of something painful from your past?
Do unwanted memories or flashbacks pop into your head when you least expect them, leaving you feeling panicked or on edge?
Are you pulling away from your loved ones or struggling at work because these distressing memories are sapping your emotional bandwidth?
Unprocessed trauma can have an impact on every part of your daily life. You might feel anxious in crowds, startle easily at sudden noises, or experience waves of shame or sadness that seem to come out of nowhere. You may turn to food, alcohol, or endless scrolling on your phone to cope with the constant stress.
Traumatic Memories Can Make It Hard To Move Forward
Sometimes, trauma shows up in very specific ways. Survivors of medical trauma might feel uneasy around doctors, while someone who has been in a car accident may avoid driving. Anniversaries or special dates tied to loss can bring up emotions that you’ve tried to forget.
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If you’ve always been a high-performer, you might assume that you can push past these feelings. The truth is, trauma doesn’t stay in the past. It influences how you live in the present.
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You do not have to carry the weight of past trauma by yourself. With the support of a compassionate therapist, you can find relief for your nervous system, process these hurtful memories, and cultivate a newfound sense of safety in your body and mind.
People Often Minimize The Impact Of Their Traumatic Experiences
Perhaps you’ve always felt that your trauma wasn’t serious enough to seek therapy, especially if you’re a high-performer at work or in school. However, any trauma, no matter how seemingly insignificant, can dramatically affect your quality of life.
“Big T” traumas involve intense situations like combat, assault, car accidents, or the loss of a loved one. “Little t” trauma can be characterized by emotional abuse during childhood, bullying in school, or toxic relationships. Both “Big T” and “Little t” traumas can cause acute suffering. It’s important not to brush off “little t” traumas as unimpactful, as the effects of these incidents can be profound.
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Sometimes, Trauma Re-Emerges After Difficult Life Transitions
When you’re juggling endless responsibilities, it may feel easier to push away complicated emotions and tell yourself that your past wasn’t “that bad” compared to other people’s experiences. Yet even if you’ve managed to ignore these feelings for years, your symptoms can suddenly manifest during major life transitions, like becoming a parent or retiring. Furthermore, as you move through your life, you might view your trauma through different lenses.
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Some people assume that their childhood was “fine” simply because they had their physical needs met, but in adulthood, they might realize that hyper-independence, difficult family events, or emotional neglect hurt them deeply in a way that they couldn’t articulate before.
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No matter what you’ve been through, you deserve the opportunity to heal. Through therapy, you can explore how your trauma or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is impacting you and begin moving toward a different chapter of your life.
Therapy Helps You Get “Unstuck” And Chart A New Course
After Trauma
We understand that the idea of sharing your trauma with a therapist can feel nerve-wracking, especially if you’ve tried to suppress these memories for a long time. Before scheduling your first session, we offer a free consultation to discuss where you are at, what your goals are, and to ensure that our practice is a good fit for you.
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We’ll never push you to talk about your trauma until you’re ready. Instead of rehashing every painful detail, our goal is to help you understand how the event is affecting your life in the here and now. We will identify how trauma might be keeping you “stuck” and create a path forward towards healing.
What To Expect In Trauma Therapy Sessions
During your initial sessions, your therapist will foster a warm, welcoming environment for you to delve into your background, your trauma or PTSD symptoms, and your personal goals. When you begin therapy, we’ll emphasize emotional safety, building grounding skills, and strengthening your ability to manage uncomfortable feelings so that you feel more stable in your daily life.
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Over time, we’ll also explore themes like trust, self-esteem, power/control, and intimacy, unpacking how trauma has shaped your thoughts, emotions, and relationships. Together, we will examine the roots of beliefs that might be contributing to your symptoms, like “It was my fault” or “I can’t trust anyone.” You’ll start practicing strategies like mindfulness and compassionate self-talk outside of sessions with helpful worksheets for guidance to reinforce what you’ve learned.
Treatment Approaches To Trauma and PTSD Therapy
One of our approaches to healing complex trauma is centered on Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Through CPT, you can hone in on “stuck points,” or harmful beliefs that keep you trapped in cycles of guilt, shame, and fear, and replace them with more balanced perspectives.
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Gradually, you can find relief from distressing memories while gaining newfound confidence and building deeper, more trusting relationships. Along the way, your psychologist will provide education on trauma, PTSD, and recovery, shining light on the many ways in which trauma can impact the brain and body.
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CPT has empowered countless trauma survivors to overcome painful symptoms and create a foundation of safety, agency, and hope. While counseling cannot erase the past, you can reduce the hold trauma or PTSD has over your mind and body to live with more confidence, connection, and peace.
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In addition to CPT, we can integrate other modalities depending on your unique needs, including:
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to reconnect with your values and honor your core truths, even when difficult feelings arise.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to better manage your moods and alleviate the stress that often accompanies trauma.
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Exposure-based strategies for step-by-step, safe ways to face reminders of trauma so that avoidance no longer controls your life.
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Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy (IBCT) and Gottman therapy to address trauma’s influence on relationships and foster healthier communication.
We’ll also equip you with practices for your daily life, including grounding and breathing techniques, keeping thought records to apply your cognitive skills, physical movement to release tension, sleep hygiene, and values-based activities to foster joy and purpose.
You May Still Have Questions About Trauma Therapy…
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I was interested in EMDR for trauma, but you offer CPT. What’s the difference?
Both EMDR and CPT can help you address issues with safety, trust, self-esteem, intimacy, and control after trauma. The approaches are slightly different, as EMDR incorporates bilateral simulation. Overall, CPT is a good fit for individuals who wish to unpack guilt, self-blame, and distressing or distorted beliefs they have picked up as a result of trauma.
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I’m nervous to start trauma therapy because I’m worried it will make me feel worse.
It’s normal to feel hesitant about starting trauma therapy. In our practice, we will always move at your pace. When you begin therapy, we’ll focus on cultivating emotional safety and trust, equipping you with coping tools so that you feel grounded before diving into deeper work.
Our approach to trauma therapy is somewhat like learning to swim—you don’t need to jump in at the deep end. We’ll start where you’re comfortable and move forward gradually.
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What if I’m not ready to talk about my trauma yet?
You do not have to open up about your trauma in your very first session. Trauma therapy doesn’t begin with diving into painful memories (ie: childhood memories, or memories of specific events). At every step of the way, your therapist will ensure you feel safe, supported, and in control.
Your Past Does Not Have To Define Your Future
If you’re ready to pursue therapy for trauma recovery, we’re here to support you. We invite you to call our office at (805) 507-7049 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free 30-minute consultation or book your first session.
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