When painful or overwhelming experiences occur, they can exceed our ability to cope, leaving lasting effects in the body, mind, and emotions. Trauma isn’t only about what happened but about how it was experienced and what remains unresolved. You might notice that reminders of the event still trigger distress, or that you feel on edge, shut down, or disconnected from yourself or others.

Common trauma responses include:
• Flashbacks or intrusive memories
• Unpleasant body sensations or tension
• Feelings of fear, shame, or hopelessness
• Negative beliefs about yourself or others
• Difficulty trusting, relaxing, or feeling present

Trauma can result from many kinds of experiences, including:
• Abuse in childhood or adulthood (physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal)
• Assault or violence
• Accidents or medical trauma (surgery, diagnosis, hospitalization)
• Neglect or abandonment
• Birth trauma
• Bullying or harassment
• Loss or grief
• Witnessing traumatic events
• An accumulation of smaller, repeated stresses

What feels traumatic for one person may not be for another. Prior trauma can also make you more vulnerable to future stress. It’s common to minimize your experiences by thinking, “others have had it worse,” but if you’re suffering, your pain is valid and you deserve support.

Treatment and Recovery

Healing from trauma doesn’t mean reliving what happened. It involves helping your nervous system and emotional responses find balance again. My trauma-informed approach combines safety, compassion, and effective methods such as EMDR Therapy, mindfulness, and body based regulation strategies to help you process what has been overwhelming and move toward greater calm and resilience.