Trauma doesn’t just come from one catastrophic event. It can, of course, come from things like accidents, abuse, combat, or natural disasters. That’s often called “big T trauma.” But there’s also “little t trauma,” which can be just as impactful. Sometimes it looks like too much happening too fast — conflict, chaos, or pressure you couldn’t keep up with. Other times, it’s not enough of what you needed: not enough safety, attention, affection, or support. And often, it’s both: too much to handle while being under-resourced to cope.

Repeated experiences of criticism, neglect, betrayal, or growing up in an environment where you had to perform, keep the peace, or stay invisible to feel safe leave lasting imprints too. Trauma isn’t always about what happened once. More often it’s about what happened over and over again until your nervous system adapted to survive.

For many of my clients, realizing this is a moment of deep clarity. They begin to understand that the patterns they’ve lived with for years weren’t character flaws, but trauma responses.

You’re not expected to know that before starting therapy. In fact, that’s part of what we figure out together. Many of my clients come to me saying things like, “Other people had it worse” or “I don’t know if this is really trauma, but something feels off.”

Trauma isn’t about fitting into a box or meeting a threshold of “bad enough.” It’s about how your nervous system responded to what happened. Sometimes trauma is obvious, like a car accident or abuse. Other times it’s more subtle: growing up without enough emotional support, living with constant criticism, or always having to perform and keep it together. Those experiences may not look dramatic from the outside, but they can leave deep imprints that affect your relationships, your confidence, and your ability to feel safe and at ease today.

If you’re wondering whether what you’ve lived through counts, that’s often a sign it’s worth exploring. My role is to help you connect the dots, understand how your past may still be showing up in your present, and find a way forward that brings real relief.

So many of my clients come to me after they’ve already tried talk therapy, read self-help books, listened to podcasts, taken courses, and practiced all the coping skills. Insight helps, but when trauma is stored in the nervous system, insight alone doesn’t create relief. That’s why you might understand why you feel the way you do and still feel stuck living it. Therapy with me goes deeper than talking it through. Using ART and other trauma-focused methods, we’ll help your brain and body recognize that the past is actually over so the constant self-criticism, hypervigilance, or exhaustion can finally let up. Many people who have done both EMDR and ART tell me ART felt gentler, faster, and more effective.

No. This is one of the biggest reliefs for my clients. With Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), you don’t have to tell me all the details of what you’ve been through for it to work. You stay fully in control the entire time. We’ll use a process that allows your brain to reprocess and store the memory differently, so you keep the facts of what happened but lose the pain and triggers attached to it. That means no endless rehashing, no retraumatizing “digging,” and no pressure to share more than you want to. For many people who’ve already done years of talk therapy, this feels like finally being able to move forward without reliving the hardest parts.

No. Trauma therapy with me isn’t about poking at wounds just for the sake of it. We don’t need to relive your pain to heal it. ART in particular is designed to be gentle, effective, and non-invasive. You’ll stay grounded and aware throughout the process, while your brain does the work of updating how it stores the painful memory. Many clients are surprised at how calm and safe they feel during the process, especially those who worried therapy would mean opening floodgates they couldn’t control. This isn’t about flooding you; it’s about resolution.

Not at all, though talking has real value, and sometimes that’s exactly what a session looks like. We might spend time connecting the dots, processing what’s happening in your life, or uncovering patterns you haven’t noticed yet. More insight often creates more opportunities for healing, and I’ll help you see things from angles you may not be able to see on your own.

Other times, we’ll go deeper with evidence-based approaches like Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). ART uses eye movements and imagery to help your brain process what’s been stuck, so you don’t have to stay trapped in the same loop of thoughts, memories, or emotions. Some clients use ART for one specific memory or issue and move on, while others weave it into ongoing therapy for broader growth and healing.

Therapy with me is always flexible and customized. Sometimes it’s about insight and clarity, sometimes it’s about working directly with the nervous system, and often it’s both.

The first step is simple: Click this link to schedule a free consultation. I will email you back to set up the phone call consultation.

This isn’t a commitment; it’s a chance for us to talk, answer your questions, and see if this feels like the right fit for you. If we work together, sessions are personalized to your needs. Some people come weekly, while others space sessions out every other week or even every three weeks. Because ART works quickly (often within 3 sessions for a specific issue), therapy with me doesn’t have to be open-ended. My goal is to give you clarity, real relief, and the confidence that healing is possible. If I’m not the right person for you, I’ll always connect you with someone who might be a better fit.