Therapy for trauma in DC, VA & TN

 

  • Do you find yourself stuck due to past traumatic experiences?

  • Do you wish you could “get past” betrayal from a close relationship, and yet feel stuck?

  • Do you notice you get triggered by the same thing over and over with your partner, your kids, and/or work?

  • Do you tell yourself that you should just “get over” something that happened to you or someone you care about and yet nothing you’ve tried has worked?

  • Do you find that certain people, places lead to horrible memories and feelings?

 

You often feel alone, like no one gets it.

You try hard to push through. Maybe some days are better than others and you find yourself able to grit and bear it, but it’s catching up. Maybe hope creeps in that things will get better, only to be met with disappointment that the physical and emotional overwhelm remains.

Trauma is draining.

Sometimes you feel like a burden to others, because of what challenges you go through. Maybe no one even knows how much you struggle. You worry other people can’t handle it or you don’t want them to think differently of you, so you keep it to yourself.

Sometimes you get so drained that it’s hard to keep it together. Sometimes you might even harbor anger or resentment for someone. You turn to some unhealthy habits, like emotional eating, not taking care of yourself or your home, substances, risky behavior, and/or self-sabotage.

You start to turn on yourself, convincing yourself that you can’t trust your own assessment of your feelings or what you’ve been through. Asking things like, did I really even go through anything?…other people have it way worse.

Sometimes you even blame yourself.

You are not alone.

You don’t have to be held hostage to the trauma any longer.

Relief is possible.

Moving our of survival to living is possible.

FAQs

 

What if I don’t know what to say when I get to the appointment? I don’t want to feel stupid or waste anyone’s time.

First just know, you are never wasting my time! I’m passionate about helping my clients and if you give me a chance, you will experience this first hand. It’s totally normal to feel uneasy about this. It can even feel a little intimidating if you’re new to therapy, or even just new to me! I’m going to review your intake paperwork with you briefly, and through this, we will begin a conversation about what’s you’d like help with. Most often, once we start reviewing this, it feels less intimidating.

How can you help if I don’t even know what’s wrong?

Sometimes the best thing we can do is just show up. It’s OK that you don’t know, that’s why you’re reaching out, so I can help. I’m here to help support you, validate that your struggles are real. I will help guide you on a path where we’ll discover the things in life that have contributed to your current experience. We will figure this out….together.

I don’t know if I would call this trauma…I’ve had some bad things happen in my life that I’ve struggled with…can you help with that?

Sometimes there are situational things in life that lead to symptoms of anxiety, depression or other problems. If we discover trauma(s) in your life that you’d like to work through, I am here for you. I bring expertise in trauma specific treatment to help. If you’re interested in this, please talk to me at any time. In order to best serve you, I may bring this up as well if clinically appropriate.

How long will therapy take?

The short answer is, it depends. You can expect therapy to be like an onion. There are layers, it’s potent and sometimes makes you tear up, but in the end it’s worth it because it adds life to our plate. We will develop a specific plan for you and your needs. I’m always here to answer questions along the way.