Trauma & PTSD

Trauma Lives in the Body

Trauma isn't just a memory. It's an embodied response. Long after the event has passed, your body-mind may perceive the threat as still present: hypervigilance, tension, startle responses, difficulty sleeping, emotional reactivity, and, often, chronic pain.

Traditional talk therapy can help you understand your trauma. But understanding alone doesn't always resolve the body's response. That's why I use approaches that work directly with the nervous system to help resolve the trauma at its foundation: its felt sense.

The Connection Between Trauma and Pain

Trauma and chronic pain are deeply intertwined. Research shows that people with trauma histories are significantly more likely to develop chronic pain conditions. This isn't coincidence. It's neuroscience. Trauma sensitizes the nervous system, making it more reactive to pain signals. The same brain pathways that maintain a trauma response can also maintain chronic pain.

Many of my clients come in for chronic pain and discover that unprocessed trauma is a significant contributor. Others come in for trauma and find that their physical symptoms begin to resolve as the trauma is processed. The body doesn't separate these experiences the way our diagnostic categories do.

How I Work With Trauma

• Brainspotting. A powerful, body-based approach that accesses deep brain processing to release stored trauma. Particularly effective for experiences that feel "stuck" or that words can't fully capture.
• ACT. Building psychological flexibility so that trauma memories and responses don't control your life. Learning to be present with difficulty while moving toward what matters.
• Clinical Hypnosis. Calming the nervous system and creating a felt sense of safety that supports deeper processing.
• Somatic awareness. Drawing on 25+ years of meditation and Tai Chi practice, I help you develop a relationship with your body that supports healing rather than avoidance.

What I Treat

• Traumatic stress and PTSD
• Early childhood and developmental traumas (neglect, abuse)
• Acute stressors (motor vehicle accidents, workplace incidents)
• Trauma-related chronic pain
• First responder and military-related trauma
• Hypervigilance and anxiety related to past experiences
• Emotional numbing and disconnection
• Relationship difficulties rooted in trauma history

A Safe, Gradual Process

Trauma therapy doesn't mean reliving your worst experiences. I work at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you. We build resources and stability first, then approach difficult material gradually, with your nervous system's capacity as the guide.

You don't need to share every detail of what happened. The approaches I use, particularly Brainspotting, can process trauma without requiring you to narrate the full story. Your brain knows what it needs to process; my job is to create the conditions for that processing to happen safely.