Trauma Therapy
Healing from trauma is possible.
I offer trauma-informed therapy for children, teens, and adults experiencing the impact of painful or overwhelming experiences.
My approach prioritizes safety, regulation, and connection.
Whom can I help?
I work with children (3+) and teenagers who have experienced abuse, neglect, loss, medical trauma, bullying, anxiety or family changes; or adults processing childhood wounds, PTSD, or life stressors; and families rebuilding attachment after trauma.
What is trauma?
Trauma affects the whole person.
Trauma is not only what happens to us, but how those experiences live on in our body, nervous system, emotions, and relationships. It can shape how we feel safe, connect with others, and respond to stress long after the event.
Trauma may come from one overwhelming event or repeated stress, neglect, loss, or relational wounds. The result is often a sense of disconnection from self or others.
"Trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you." — Gabor Maté
“Children can be wounded in multiple ways: by bad things happening, but also by good things not happening, such as their emotional needs for attunement not being met, or the experience of not being seen and accepted, even by loving parents. — Gabor Maté
"We have learned that trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body." — Bessel van der Kolk
My approach
Integrative trauma therapy tailored to each person.
I combine evidence-informed methods paced for safety and regulation:
EMDR & EMDR Sandtray Therapy (Ana Gómez approach)
I was trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and am an EMDR Sandtray Specialist. Traumatic memories can get "stuck in time," continuing to cause distress in the present even though the event is over. EMDR uses gentle eye movements (like REM sleep) to help the brain process and integrate these memories, so they no longer trigger overwhelming symptoms today. EMDR sandtray adds symbolic miniatures in sand—perfect when words fail, or memories feel too overwhelming. Clients build "worlds" that externalize internal experiences, making processing gentler and more contained.
Somatic Experiencing®
I was trained in SE, and I integrated SE into EMDR and play therapy. Trauma gets "stuck" in our nervous system like a car crash, where your body stays braced for impact. SE helps release that flight/fight/freeze energy through tiny, safe body awareness steps. Your body learns it can relax and feel safe again.
Play Therapy
Children communicate best through play. They create worlds in sandtrays, direct doll families, or move figures to express what words cannot. Their bodies express their need to complete the traumatic responses. As they play out trauma narratives, healing happens naturally at their developmental pace.
Systemic support
Healing happens in connection.
Trauma affects relationships and systems. I collaborate with families, schools, and community supports to create a therapeutic web around the client.
This may include:
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Parent/caregivers' support for attachment repair
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School collaboration for safety plans
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Community resource coordination
No one heals alone.
