Finding Your Path to Healing
When past experiences continue to shape your present in painful ways, trauma therapy offers a pathway toward healing and reclaiming your life. I understand that seeking support for trauma takes tremendous courage, and I'm here to provide compassionate, evidence-based care tailored specifically to your unique needs and nervous system. Through secure online therapy sessions, I work with clients throughout Arizona, Connecticut, and across multiple states through my PSYPACT credentials.
Understanding Trauma Through a Neurodivergent-Affirming Lens
Trauma affects each person differently, and what feels overwhelming to one individual might be manageable for another. In my online practice, I recognize that trauma responses aren't signs of weakness or dysfunction—they're your nervous system's intelligent attempts to protect you. This understanding becomes especially important when working with neurodivergent individuals, whose sensory processing and emotional regulation systems may respond to traumatic experiences in unique ways.
I approach trauma therapy through both a trauma-informed and neurodivergent lens, which means I pay careful attention to how your brain and nervous system process information and experiences. This allows me to adapt my therapeutic approach to match your individual processing style, ensuring that healing happens at a pace and in a manner that feels sustainable for you. Whether you're joining me from bustling Washington DC, the mountains of Colorado, or anywhere across my licensed states, this personalized approach remains consistent.
How Trauma Impacts High-Functioning Adults
Many of my clients are successful professionals who appear to have everything together on the outside. Whether you're navigating the corporate world in New Jersey, working in healthcare in Maryland, or managing a business in Virginia, you might excel in your career, maintain meaningful relationships, and meet your responsibilities consistently. Yet internally, you may struggle with persistent anxiety, emotional numbness, or a sense of disconnection from yourself and others. This disconnect between external achievement and internal struggle is more common than you might think.
Trauma can manifest in subtle ways that aren't always immediately recognizable. You might notice patterns of burnout that seem to cycle no matter how much rest you get. Perhaps you find yourself feeling emotionally distant in relationships despite desperately wanting connection. Or maybe you experience anxiety that seems disproportionate to your current circumstances, leaving you confused about why you can't simply "logic" your way out of these feelings. The convenience of online therapy means you can address these challenges from the privacy and comfort of your own space, without the added stress of commuting to an office.
My Integrated Approach to Trauma Healing
In our work together, I draw from multiple evidence-based therapeutic modalities to create a treatment approach that's uniquely suited to your needs. Rather than applying a rigid, one-size-fits-all protocol, I carefully observe your responses and adjust our approach based on what resonates with your nervous system.
Cognitive and Mindfulness-Based Approaches
I integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to help you understand the connections between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Through Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), we can specifically address how trauma has shaped your beliefs about yourself, others, and the world. These approaches work particularly well when you're ready to examine and reshape thought patterns that no longer serve you.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) adds another dimension to our work, helping you develop psychological flexibility and connect with your values even while processing difficult experiences. This becomes especially powerful when combined with Mindful Self-Compassion practices, allowing you to treat yourself with the same kindness you'd offer a dear friend.
Body-Based and Nervous System Approaches
Trauma lives in the body as much as in the mind, which is why I incorporate Somatic Therapy and Polyvagal Theory into our sessions. These approaches help us understand how your nervous system responds to perceived threats and how we can gently guide it back toward regulation and safety. By paying attention to bodily sensations and nervous system states, we can process trauma in ways that purely cognitive approaches might miss.
This somatic awareness becomes particularly important when working with clients who find traditional talk therapy helpful but incomplete. Sometimes, the body holds wisdom and memories that words cannot fully capture, and honoring this embodied experience can unlock profound healing.
Parts Work and Relational Healing
Through Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, we explore how different parts of you may hold traumatic experiences or protective strategies. This approach recognizes that what might seem like self-sabotage or resistance is often a protective part trying to keep you safe based on past experiences. By developing compassion for all parts of yourself, healing becomes more gentle and sustainable.
For those navigating trauma's impact on relationships, I incorporate elements of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy. Trauma often affects our ability to trust and connect with others, and addressing these relational wounds is crucial for comprehensive healing.
What Makes My Approach Different
Throughout our work together, I maintain a careful balance between supporting you where you are and gently encouraging forward movement. I've developed a refined ability to notice subtle changes in non-verbal communication and emotional states, allowing me to adjust our session in real-time to match what your nervous system can integrate in that moment.
This attunement means I can present therapeutic interventions and insights at times and in ways that you can actually absorb them. There's no point in offering the "perfect" intervention if your nervous system isn't ready to receive it. Instead, I focus on creating conditions where healing can naturally unfold at your pace.
I also believe in making evidence-based information accessible and understandable. The latest neuroscience research on trauma is fascinating and helpful, but only if it's presented in a way that makes sense to you. I take complex concepts and translate them into practical understanding that you can apply in your daily life.
Beginning Your Trauma Therapy Journey
Starting trauma therapy can feel overwhelming, which is why I've structured my intake process to be as supportive as possible. We begin with a complimentary 15-minute consultation where you can ask any questions and share what brings you to therapy. This conversation helps us both assess whether we'd be a good therapeutic match before you invest your time and energy in a full evaluation.
If we decide to move forward, our initial 90-minute intake session allows us to explore your history and current concerns in depth. I'll have you complete some assessment measures beforehand through my secure client portal, which helps me tailor our session to your specific needs rather than spending time on generic questions. After our intake, we'll have a feedback session where I'll share my initial impressions and we'll collaborate on creating a detailed treatment plan that aligns with your goals.
Tailoring Treatment to Your Needs
Your trauma therapy journey is uniquely yours, and I honor that by adapting our approach to match your preferences and life circumstances. Some clients prefer brief, focused work on specific trauma-related symptoms, while others seek more in-depth exploration over a longer period. Both approaches are valid, and we'll determine together what feels right for you.
I may suggest exercises or practices to try between sessions, as this can accelerate your progress. However, I also understand that life gets busy and that not everyone has the bandwidth for extensive homework. I meet you where you are, supporting you whether you're able to practice daily or can barely make it to our sessions. You remain the driver of your treatment, and my role is to support and guide you toward your goals using all the therapeutic tools at my disposal.
Moving Forward with Hope
Healing from trauma is possible. While the past cannot be changed, your relationship with those experiences can transform profoundly. Through our work together, you can develop a new understanding of your responses, build effective coping strategies, and reconnect with parts of yourself that trauma may have disconnected you from.
If you're ready to begin this journey, I invite you to reach out for more information about scheduling and how we can work together. Whether you're in Arizona or Connecticut, I offer online sessions to accommodate your preferences and needs. Your courage in seeking support is the first step toward reclaiming your life from trauma's grip, and I'm honored to walk alongside you on this path to healing.