You are not what’s happened to you.
Complex trauma therapy in Los Angeles
Telehealth throughout CA, WA and AL
Something keeps happening that you can't quite explain.
You've done enough self-reflection to know something is off.
Maybe you've even been in therapy before. But there's a persistent sense of being stuck — not in a dramatic way, just a steady pressure that doesn't fully lift regardless of how much work you do or how much time passes.
You might recognize some of this:
You have moments where your reaction to something feels bigger than the situation warrants — and afterward you're not sure where it came from
Certain interactions, tones of voice, or dynamics with people trigger something in you that feels old, even when the situation is new
You carry a low-grade sense of not being quite right, not quite enough, or not quite safe — even when nothing is actively wrong
There are feelings or sensations in your body that show up persistently and don't have an obvious explanation — tension, heaviness, a stomach that's always slightly braced
You find yourself replaying interactions, trying to figure out what you did wrong or what you should have said
You know intellectually that certain things are fine, but your body and emotions don't always get the message
You feel stuck in patterns you can see clearly but can't seem to change
This isn't about being too sensitive or unable to move on.
What you're experiencing has a shape and a logic to it — even if that shape isn't yet clear.
Here's what's happening underneath.
What we experience growing up doesn't just become memory. It becomes template.
When the people in our early lives were inconsistent, emotionally unpredictable, dismissive, or simply unable to meet us where we were — not necessarily in dramatic ways, but in the repeated, everyday ways that add up over time — our nervous systems adapted.
We learned to read the room. To manage our own emotions behind the scenes to avoid creating more tension. To shrink, perform, or over-function as a way of staying connected and staying safe.
Those adaptations were intelligent. They made sense in the environment they developed in. The problem is that the nervous system doesn't automatically update when the environment changes.
Patterns of perception, reaction, and self-protection that formed early tend to run in the background long into adulthood — shaping how we interpret interactions, how we feel in our bodies, and what we believe about ourselves, often without our awareness.
What you're noticing now — the disproportionate reactions, the body sensations, the feeling of being pulled back into something old — isn't a sign that something is permanently wrong with you.
It's a sign that part of your system is still operating from an earlier set of instructions.
So why hasn't it shifted?
Most people who recognize these patterns have tried to address them through insight and understanding. And insight matters — it's part of the picture.
But the patterns that formed through repeated relational experience don't fully resolve through thinking about them.
They live in the body, in the nervous system, in the reflexive responses that happen before conscious thought catches up.
Talking about them helps. But it often isn't enough on its own.
Here’s a bit about me and how I work:
I specialize in working with adults who are carrying the long-term effects of relational and developmental experiences — people who are functional, often highly self-aware, and still stuck in ways that don't respond to insight alone.
I use EMDR and somatic approaches that work directly with the nervous system, not just the thinking mind.
That means we're not just building understanding of where these patterns came from. We're helping your system learn, at a felt level, that those earlier instructions no longer apply.
Over time, reactions that once felt overwhelming become more manageable. The body starts to carry less of what it's been holding. And the steady pressure that's been running in the background begins, gradually, to ease.
What becomes possible:
Responding to present situations from the present — rather than from somewhere further back
Feeling emotions move through you rather than getting lodged
A body that feels less braced, less heavy, more like somewhere you can live
Relationships that feel less loaded, less like a test
A sense of yourself that feels more stable and more yours
Frequently asked questions about trauma therapy
FAQs
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Trauma doesn’t always look like what we expect. It’s more about how your nervous system responds to what’s happened in your life. Sometimes, trauma comes from a single event—like a car accident. Other times, it comes from repeated patterns or relationship dynamics.
Single-incident trauma might be something like a car crash, where the fear of driving or being in a car doesn’t fade. This trauma tends to get stuck in your body and mind, affecting the way you feel in similar situations.
Complex trauma, on the other hand, usually comes from years of experiences—like growing up in an environment where you were told to hide your feelings or put everyone else’s needs first. This type of trauma can lead you to feel unworthy or unloveable. Over time, these internal feelings can shape how you see yourself and how you connect with others. Learn more.
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It can be hard to know for oneself. My short answer is that trauma is anything that overwhelmed your nervous system in that moment or repeatedly. If anything you’ve read on this site resonates with you, there may be some trauma underneath. Learn more.
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Reach out today to schedule a free consultation. We can discuss your challenges and how I may be able to help. Click here to reach out.
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Yes, absolutely! I’ve been successfully using EMDR virtually with clients in SoCal, Seattle, and Huntsville. The process is just as effective online as it is in-person, and we can work together to create a comfortable, supportive virtual environment for healing.
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a unique therapy technique that helps reduce the emotional charge of past memories or experiences. It makes it easier to feel more present and less weighed down by the past, restoring peace and ease.
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There’s no set number of sessions—it really depends on the individual and the type of trauma being processed. We begin with a Preparation phase, where we get to know your history, current circumstances, and the areas where your nervous system is struggling. This helps guide the pace of therapy, and we’ll tailor the process to meet your unique needs.
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Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a type of therapy that sees each person as made up of different “parts,” each with its own role in your life. Sometimes these parts hold onto trauma. By helping these parts process their pain, we can restore balance and harmony to your whole self, allowing you to feel more aligned and at peace.