Have you experienced abuse, neglect or other events that you think might be causing PTSD?
Do you go have trouble sleeping?
Do you have secrets that you are afraid to tell anyone because you are too ashamed? 
There are lots of different things that can cause trauma in our lives – sexual, emotional, verbal and physical abuse, loss of a loved one, experiencing a natural disaster, witnessing a horrible car accident, even going to a new school can cause trauma for some people.
Some people describe trauma as “too much, too fast”. It is an event or experience that exceeds our ability to cope, which means what is not a big deal for one person might be extremely traumatic for someone else.
Signs of trauma can include nightmares, depression, anxiety, being startled easily, low self-esteem, difficulty forming or maintain relationships, or addictions of all kinds. In short, living with unresolved trauma can cause havoc in our lives. The good news is therapy can help.
Healing is possible. Trauma is not just stored in your head, it is stored in your entire body, mind and spirit; that’s why just talking about abuse doesn’t make it go away. I work holistically with all parts of you to help you heal more fully from trauma, to truly be free from the bondage of your past. That means we talk, we can use artwork when there are no words, we can do work with sand, we can practice meditation, we can figure out which ways work for you to help you get to a better place.
If you have been living with the effects of trauma for a long time, it might feel like things will never change, like there is just no way to fix the past. While it is true there is no way to change the past, there are ways to change how it affects you now. It might feel like there is something wrong with you, like you are weak, or that you must be exaggerating and making things worse than they really are, but that is not true. It is not your fault that you are not able to heal from trauma on your own. You are not just trying to get attention, or making things up. The effects of trauma are real, and can make everyday life difficult, if not paralyzing at times. You are not alone, many people feel the way you do, and those same people have found healing.
Feeling guilty about spending money on yourself for therapy?
One of the hardest things to believe about ourselves when we have lived with trauma, is that we are worth spending time, money and energy on. I can pretty much guarantee that if you wait until you feel like you are worth it, you will never take the steps to heal. Sometimes you have to take the leap first, and then the feelings will come later of knowing that your healing is worth the time and money you invest in it.
Worried that trauma therapy will be too painful?
Yes, it is difficult, and yes, there will be many feelings that come up. But my goal is to help you feel safe, and to strengthen your resources before we dive into anything too difficult. We will take things as slowly as you need to. Getting overwhelmed and being re-traumatized is not healing. My goal is to help you heal, not to re-live your past over and over again. It is my experience that we are much stronger than we think we are, and with the support of a skilled, safe and compassionate counselor, what seems impossible becomes possible; what seems out of reach becomes reachable.
I have spent many years working with people on a professional and volunteer basis who have suffered abuse and trauma as children and adults. Some of the people I have worked with have struggled with dissociation, with ritual abuse, with sexual abuse, with eating disorders and other addictions. Many of the people I work with struggle with forming meaningful relationships because of the things they have gone through. I have been trained in Gestalt theory, which focuses on unfinished business that we bring with us into our current lives. I don’t go digging around in people’s past for no reason; together we look at past experiences that keep showing up in your life today that are causing suffering. We look at the things that you carry in your body and your head that keep haunting you in one way or another, and we help those things complete, we help them fade into the background so they no longer have unwanted power over you. I have seen way too much devastation created by abuse, and I am determined to help people get the lives they deserve, to have the life they were born to have, the life that was stolen from them.
Give me a call and we can talk about I can help you heal from the effects of unresolved experiences in your life. I offer a free 20 minute consultation so that we can meet and see if we are a good fit for each other. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you on your journey to healing!
For some tools to incorporate mindfulness into your healing journey, you might find this guided journal helpful.
