From Surviving to Thriving:
Healing Childhood & Relationship Wounds
Many of the clients I work with struggle to feel good—whether in their minds, their bodies, or their relationships. Sometimes, this unease stems from difficult life experiences, such as stressful childhoods, complicated family dynamics, or painful relationships. These experiences may leave lasting imprints, shaping how we see ourselves and interact with the world in ways we didn’t choose.
You’ve probably heard the term "trauma" before—it’s widely discussed these days. But rather than focusing on the label, let’s talk about what you might be feeling or experiencing. These are some of the symptoms that bring people to therapy with me:
Emotional & Mental Symptoms.
Trauma can deeply impact the way we think and feel. The emotional weight can make it difficult to feel grounded or at peace. These are some of the emotional and mental symptoms I see in my clients.
Panic attacks, anxiety
Feeling hypervigilant, unable to relax
General mistrust in others
Nightmares and flashbacks
Feelings of hopelessness
Feeling overwhelmed
Few or no memories of childhood
Difficulty trusting yourself (self-doubt)
Negative, critical thoughts
Loss of interest in life
Trouble finding joy
Physical & Relational Symptoms
Unresolved trauma also shows up in our bodies and relationships. Many clients notice physical symptoms that point to emotional distress or have difficulty navigating relationships. Example symptoms include:
Insomnia
Chronic pain, headaches, fatigue
Self-destructive behavior (usually to manage painful feelings)
Lost sense of identity and self
Difficulty within relationships
Repeating unhealthy patterns
Trouble forming trusting relationships
Physical tension or unexplained pain
Difficulty setting healthy boundaries
Feeling disconnected from your body
I can help you through these feelings and struggles.
If any of this resonates with you, you’re not alone—and healing is possible. Together, we’ll explore these experiences with compassion and curiosity, helping you make sense of what you’re feeling and finding ways to feel more connected, safe, and whole.
What Makes Me Different?
When it comes to healing from trauma, finding a therapist who creates a sense of safety, trust, and collaboration is essential. Trauma-informed therapy focuses on understanding how past experiences impact your present. I create a compassionate space where you can work through the effects of difficult relationships and life events with someone who truly understands. I use evidence-based approaches (like parts work and EMDR) to tailor our sessions to your needs, so we can move forward at a pace that feels right for you.
Healing After Trauma: Common Questions
What if I need to go slowly?
(Sometimes going slow is the bravest thing you can do.)
When I work with clients who are struggling with complex PTSD, there’s often an internal conflict between parts of themselves. Some parts of them—those that hold the urgency and the need for immediate relief—want to move quickly and feel better now. They may push the person to do more, be more, fix everything all at once. On the other hand, there are parts that are scared, hesitant, or overwhelmed by the idea of change.
This is why, in trauma-informed therapy, we talk a lot about pacing. Healing from trauma takes intention — and a pace your whole system can work with. Just like we were wounded over time, we also heal over time. But that doesn’t mean therapy has to take forever — just that we move in a way that supports lasting (not fleeting) change.
What if I Can’t Heal Like Others?
(You're not broken — healing just looks different for everyone.)
While everyone’s healing path is different, no one is incapable of healing. You are not broken. Many people who struggle with trauma fear they’ll never be able to heal or that they will always feel ‘stuck.’ This fear often stems from the trauma itself and the belief that we are different or ‘less than.’ Healing is not linear, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach. It just means that healing looks different for each person, and that’s okay. It’s about honoring where you are and taking it one step at a time.
Do I have to relive everything?
(You don’t.)
You don’t have to relive your trauma to heal from it.
In fact, doing so can sometimes be re-traumatizing. The good news is, therapy has come a long way. We now know that healing doesn’t require you to revisit every painful detail of what happened.
I focus on helping your nervous system process trauma in a way that feels safe and manageable. I use approaches like EMDR and parts work, which are designed to support healing without overwhelming you. We’ll go at your pace — gently, respectfully, and always with your sense of safety at the center.
Instead of forcing you to talk through the trauma over and over, we’ll pay attention to how it shows up in your body, emotions, and beliefs about yourself. We’ll work together to build trust with the parts of you that are still holding on to pain, fear, or shame — and help them find relief, not retraumatization.
Healing is possible. And it doesn’t have to mean going back to the worst moments. You get to move forward in a way that honors your story and your safety.