Compassionate Care for Complex Trauma
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Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is a widespread issue that leaves a lasting impact on survivors. It entails patterns of power and control which may be exerted through different types of abuse including psychological, emotional, physical, spiritual, or financial abuse. Unfortunately, domestic violence is often misunderstood, leaving survivors feeling even more isolated. Whether you are currently in an abusive relationship, have experienced domestic violence in the past, or are questioning whether you are experiencing abuse, you are not alone. Therapy is place to receive support and find empowerment.
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Childhood Trauma
The impact of childhood trauma can’t be overstated. Experiences like abuse, neglect, loss, exposure to domestic violence, substance abuse, community violence, or household dysfunction shape how one experiences life and the world around them. Childhood trauma can leave survivors struggling to form healthy relationships and with a reduced sense of self-worth. But you don’t have to keep struggling; you deserve to feel worthy, experience safety, and find peace.
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Relational Trauma
When the people we trust most to provide care, love, and support cause harm, it can be devastating. Relational trauma makes it difficult to form healthy, trusting relationships because closeness has been a source of pain. Therapy is a path to healing through relationship with a safe and trusted other, and to work toward a greater sense of connection.
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Sexual Trauma
Sexual trauma encompasses a range of experiences including sexual assault, abuse, exploitation, and harassment. Survivors may struggle to feel safe in the world. Healing is a deeply personal journey, and one that requires a supportive, safe environment.
Therapy Modalities for Trauma
Traumatic experiences are frequently stored in sensory, emotional, and body-based ways that can be difficult to fully express through words alone. Sometimes, we may understand our experiences intellectually, but still feel their impact emotionally and physically. Somatic approaches to therapy help support healing by addressing the body and nervous system alongside thoughts and feelings, allowing for a more holistic healing process.
Drama therapy and other creative arts therapies offer experiential ways to process trauma that do not rely solely upon talking about painful experiences. Through creative expression, you can explore emotions, experiences, and parts of yourself in ways that often feel safer and more accessible than traditional talk therapy alone. By engaging imagination, creativity, and embodied expression, creative arts therapies can help you build emotional regulation, reconnect with a sense of safety and agency, and make meaning from painful experiences.
Creative Arts Therapies
EMDR Therapy
EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is one of the most evidence-based treatments for trauma. It works by helping the brain reprocess painful experiences so that they feel less distressing and no longer have the same emotional intensity.
Throughout the process, we pay attention to the ways experiences have been stored in the body. By using gentle bilateral stimulation, such as eye movement or tapping both sides of the body, we help the nervous system reprocess experiences that have become “stuck”. Many people notice shifts following reprocessing including feeling more grounded, calm, and safe in their bodies, as well as feeling less activated by painful memories.