Trauma Therapy in San Francisco, CA
“That’s the thing! I had a great childhood. There’s no reason for me to feel this way.”
This is one of the most common things I hear from clients who often end up having had a lot of trauma in childhood, or in young adult relationships. Often, it doesn’t look like the trauma we think of, which is why it can remain hidden.
Trauma doesn’t always come from one dramatic event — it can come from years of tense, uneasy relationships with people you loved or feared. Maybe you were told who you should be or what you can or can’t feel, or how you should love. Sometimes it’s parents. Just as often it can be siblings, friends, or teachers.
Many of my clients carry wounds from family, faith, or relationships that taught them their feelings weren’t safe or their needs were too much. Therapy can be a safe space to explore what happened, how you became who you are today, and how to move forward with more flexibility and freedom
How trauma shows up in the present
Having a trauma history tends to lead to extremes on either end:
Constant self-criticism or perfectionism; alternatively feeling entirely unfocused and unmotivated
Having a hard time controlling your emotions: either feeling way too much or oppositely feeling numb or burnt out
Tendency to people-please or have a lot of discomfort and avoidance around conflict
Cycles of shame, anxiety, depression, and isolation
My approach to Trauma
I use relational, somatic, and emotionally focused approaches to help you understand your body’s responses, reclaim your story, and feel grounded again.
Some theories I pull from that have been researched and found to help folks processing trauma are: Internal Family Systems (IFS), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Trauma therapy is often portrayed in popular media as requiring someone to break down and share every detail of their most overwhelming moments. This is not how I treat trauma. We will start by looking at how your trauma shows up in the present, how to learn skills to better regulate your emotions and decisions, and improve your relationships to others and your self first.
Once you are feeling more grounded, we can go back and re-integrate your painful memories from a place of strength and agency.
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Healing on Your Terms
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You don’t have to relive the pain to heal from it. We move at your pace, balancing depth and relief… with some laughter included.
If you’re ready to stop just surviving and start thriving, reach out today for a free consultation.
Learn more about my general approach to therapy here.