What is trauma therapy?

Trauma therapy looks at how what happened is still shaping you now – your body, your reactions, and how you see yourself and other people. It doesn't have to mean going through events in detail. With me it means going slowly, building steadiness first, and working with your body and the protective parts of you.

Do I have to share specifics of what happened?

No. Retelling in detail is not required and not something I push toward. We work with how it lives in you now.

What if I don't have a "big" trauma?

Plenty of what shapes people isn't a single dramatic event. Chronic criticism, emotional neglect, growing up around unpredictability, being the responsible one from age eight – these leave real marks. You don't need to qualify for a category to deserve the work.

What is somatic therapy?

Somatic therapy pays attention to what happens in your body – tension, breath, sensation – as well as what you think and feel. With me that means grounding, noticing, and working in small pieces, never forcing anything.

Does online trauma therapy work?

Many people find it does, and some find it easier to begin from somewhere that already feels like theirs. It needs a private space, a steady connection, and for you to be in California during the session. If your home isn't private or isn't safe, tell me and we can talk it through before you decide.

Do you take insurance?

Yes, if you have Aetna or UnitedHealthcare (through Optum). I bill your plan and you pay your copay. For other plans I can give you a superbill to submit for out-of-network reimbursement.

How long does trauma therapy take?

It depends – on what happened, how long it went on, and what support you have now. Give yourself patience with the process; it isn't something to rush.

How often will we meet?

Most people start weekly, in 50-minute sessions. We adjust as we go. When the work is heavy, some people need more room between sessions, and that is fine.

I'm here to help

Trauma therapy in Orange County and across California

Trauma isn't just what happened to you – it's what your mind and body learned to do afterward to keep you safe. If you've told yourself your experience doesn't really count, or that other people have had it worse, that doesn't mean it didn't affect you. Trauma work helps you understand those responses and find a way through them, at a pace that feels manageable.

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What trauma does

Trauma can shape how we view ourselves, others, and the world. It teaches the nervous system that vigilance is necessary, and the nervous system is a fast learner and a slow forgetter. Long after the situation has ended, the body can keep bracing, scanning, or shutting down in situations that don't call for it anymore.

This is also why insight alone often isn't enough. You can understand your history completely and still find your body reacting as though it's happening now. The work is helping your system learn that the danger has passed, so it can find safety again in the present.

Signs trauma may still be running things

Feeling on edge, or startling easily, without a clear reason
Going numb or far away when things get hard
Trouble sleeping, or nightmares
Pulling away from people, or holding on too tightly
A harsh inner voice that gets there before anyone else does
Feeling responsible for everyone else's mood
Reacting to something small as though it were big
Tension in your body that doesn't ease with rest

Having some of these doesn't mean something is wrong with you. They are often how a body learned to stay safe.

How I work with trauma

Three things shape how I approach this.

You don't have to tell me everything. We can do meaningful work without telling me the details of the trauma, and we never go anywhere you haven't agreed to go. You are in control.
We work with the body, not around it. I incorporate somatic work – grounding, breath, tracking what you notice physically – because trauma is stored in the body and talking alone sometimes doesn't reach it. Connecting with the body can feel difficult when past trauma lingers, so we go slowly and in small pieces.
We get curious about your protections. Using Internal Family Systems, we look at the parts of you that formed to keep you safe – the one that stays hypervigilant, the one that goes numb, the one that criticizes you first. Those parts aren't the problem. Understanding what they're guarding usually loosens things faster than trying to override them.

If you're looking for EMDR specifically, I don't offer it, and I'm glad to refer you to someone who does. What I offer may suit you if you'd rather not retell what happened, or if you want to go more slowly than you have before.

Childhood trauma

Trauma that started in childhood doesn't stay in childhood. When the adults around you were frightening, or absent, or needed you to take care of them, you learned early what to expect from people. Those lessons keep running underneath adult life – in your relationships, your work, and how you speak to yourself.

Much of my work has been with adults carrying that kind of hurt. We work with the body, and with Internal Family Systems we get curious about the parts of you that formed back then. What I see most often is people making sense of why they react the way they do, and meeting those younger parts with compassion instead of criticism.

PTSD and complex trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can follow a single frightening event, or a stretch of time when you didn't feel safe. It often looks like flashbacks, nightmares, being easily startled, or avoiding anything that reminds you.

Complex PTSD describes what can follow hurt that went on for a long time – usually in childhood, or in a relationship that was hard to leave. Alongside those same symptoms, it tends to bring a harsh inner critic, trouble trusting people, and feelings that are hard to settle once they start.

When the hurt came from the people who were supposed to keep you safe, it can shape how you attach to others as an adult. I draw on attachment-based work for that, along with the body and parts work described below. You don't need a diagnosis to begin, and if you have one, or suspect you do, we can talk about it on the consultation call.

Intimate partner trauma

Intimate partner violence doesn't have to involve physical abuse to be trauma. Emotional, financial, and psychological abuse count too. Common effects include hypervigilance, difficulty trusting your own judgment, or carrying blame that was never yours to carry.

Many survivors carry shame and judgment from other people around staying. You may have been asked "why do you stay?" – and may have asked yourself that too. It's never a simple answer, and it is never your fault.

I completed California's 40-hour domestic violence counselor training and did my graduate practicum at Laura's House, a domestic violence agency in Orange County. That work taught me to go slowly, and to let you set the pace. Safety comes first, and trust takes much longer to come back than it takes to break.

What the first few sessions look like

We start with stability before we go near anything difficult. I want you to have reliable ways to come back to the present, and I want to know what actually works for you. We practice grounding and deep breathing, and pay attention to what you notice in your body as you share. From there, we move at whatever pace feels comfortable. Therapy isn't a race against a timeline. We check in often about whether the work is helping, and if a week is too much, we slow down.

Sessions are 50 minutes, in person in Anaheim Hills or by secure video, and most people start weekly.

How online therapy works

What the work is for

I can't promise how it will go for you, and it moves at your pace. What we work toward is:

Having ways to settle your body when something stirs you up
Knowing "that was then" in your body, and not only in your head
Meeting the parts of you that formed to protect you with more understanding
Sleeping, working and being around people with less bracing
Making choices from what you want, not from what you fear
Trusting your own read of a situation again

Is this a fit

This is likely a fit if you're carrying trauma that still shapes your present, or if you've done therapy before and want an approach that goes beyond talking about it. It can also be a fit if you want to work on the effects of what happened without going into detail about the events themselves.

It's likely not a fit right now if you need a higher level of care than weekly outpatient therapy, or if there's active substance use that needs its own treatment first. Tell me on the consultation call, and I'll help you find the right level of support.

Common questions

What is trauma therapy?: Trauma therapy looks at how what happened is still shaping you now – your body, your reactions, and how you see yourself and other people. It doesn't have to mean going through events in detail. With me it means going slowly, building steadiness first, and working with your body and the protective parts of you.
Do I have to share specifics of what happened?: No. Retelling in detail is not required and not something I push toward. We work with how it lives in you now.
What if I don't have a "big" trauma?: Plenty of what shapes people isn't a single dramatic event. Chronic criticism, emotional neglect, growing up around unpredictability, being the responsible one from age eight – these leave real marks. You don't need to qualify for a category to deserve the work.
What's the difference between PTSD and complex PTSD?: PTSD can follow a single frightening event or a short stretch of time. Complex PTSD describes what can follow hurt that went on for a long time, often in childhood or in a relationship that was hard to leave. It tends to bring a harsh inner critic and trouble trusting people on top of the usual symptoms. You don't need a diagnosis to start therapy with me.
Do you offer EMDR?: I don't offer EMDR. If that's specifically what you're looking for, I'm glad to refer you to someone who does. What I offer may suit you if you don't want to retell what happened, or if you want to go more slowly than you have before.
What is somatic therapy?: Somatic therapy pays attention to what happens in your body – tension, breath, sensation – as well as what you think and feel. With me that means grounding, noticing, and working in small pieces, never forcing anything. Read more about somatic therapy
Does online trauma therapy work?: Many people find it does, and some find it easier to begin from somewhere that already feels like theirs. It needs a private space, a steady connection, and for you to be in California during the session. If your home isn't private or isn't safe, tell me and we can talk it through before you decide. How online therapy works
Do you take insurance?: Yes, if you have Aetna or UnitedHealthcare (through Optum). I bill your plan and you pay your copay. For other plans I can give you a superbill to submit for out-of-network reimbursement. See how insurance works
How long does trauma therapy take?: It depends – on what happened, how long it went on, and what support you have now. Give yourself patience with the process; it isn't something to rush.
How often will we meet?: Most people start weekly, in 50-minute sessions. We adjust as we go. When the work is heavy, some people need more room between sessions, and that is fine.

If you are in danger right now

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, 24 hours a day. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. And if the person you live with can see your devices, consider looking at this from a phone or computer they don't have access to – or clear your browsing history afterward.

Not sure which fits?

Most people don't arrive with a clean label, and the thing you came in for is often not the whole story. You don't need to decide now. The other places people start:

Childhood trauma therapy Parents who couldn't be there for you Anxiety and depression Grief and loss Couples and family therapy

Or ask me on a free 15-minute call