My Approach to Trauma Therapy
Maryland | Nevada | South Carolina
If you’re looking for trauma therapy that goes deeper than venting each week and rehashing the same stories, you’re in the right place.
Healing from trauma doesn’t have to be dramatic.
It doesn’t have to mean retelling every painful detail.
And it definitely doesn’t mean forcing a one-size-fits-all method.
I offer trauma therapy that meets you where you are.
My 4-step trauma therapy process is designed to move at your pace and help you reconnect with yourself not just cope but truly heal.
Step 1: Building Stability & Trust in Trauma Therapy
Before diving into the deep stuff, we focus on helping you feel emotionally stable and resourced. So you’re not just surviving, but ready to heal. Because healing can’t happen when your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.
This phase might include:
- Getting consistent in your routines
- Building supportive habits (think nervous system regulation)
- Learning to recognize your triggers
- Exploring boundaries and how to set them
- Finding your voice again, gently
- Feeling safe enough to say, “Yeah, my childhood wasn’t great.”
This is the foundation to start trauma therapy. And for many clients, it’s where they start feeling relief for the first time in a long time.
There is no rushing, no pushing. We move at your pace. We start with a deep breath, not a deep dive.
Step 2: Exploring the Roots of Trauma (Without Blame)
Once you feel steady, we’ll gently begin to explore where these feelings, beliefs and relationship patterns come from.
This isn’t about blaming your parents.
We explore your story, not to blame or relive the past, but to understand it.
It’s about understanding how your early experiences shaped how you see yourself and others.
Together, we gently examine:
- The emotional messages you received growing up
- The patterns you repeat in adult relationships
- The beliefs that keep you stuck (e.g. “I’m not good enough,” “I’m not lovable,” “I don’t matter”)
There’s a moment in this process when you realize:
“It wasn’t me. I wasn’t broken. I was just doing what I had to do to survive.”
and
“Yeah. What I went through actually wasn’t okay.”
By understanding the roots of these beliefs, you begin to reclaim your story and your power.
That moment changes everything.
We name what wasn’t named.
We validate what got brushed off.
We release the responsibility that was never yours to carry.
This stage of trauma therapy helps us understand how and where these beliefs were formed.
Step 3: Processing Trauma with EMDR or Other Approaches
This is where deeper healing starts to take shape.
Once you feel ready, we explore the moments and messages from your past that still carry emotional weight today.
As part of trauma therapy, I offer EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) a powerful, evidence-based method that helps your brain reprocess painful or disturbing experiences, so they no longer hold the same emotional charge.
Yes, EMDR can be intense.
Some clients feel strong emotional reactions. Others experience catharsis. You may briefly revisit painful memories.
But you are never alone in that. We stay connected, grounded and always move at a pace that feels right for you.
Prince Harry during an EMDR therapy session
You don’t have to tell every detail.
You don’t have to do it all at once.
But you do get to face what’s been hurting you with support.
Through this process, we shift internal beliefs like:
- “I’m not enough” → “I’m good enough.”
- “It was my fault” → “I did the best I could.”
- “I’m not lovable” → “I deserve love.”
- “I’m not safe” → “I can protect myself.”
- “I don’t matter” → “I’m worthy and enough.”
- “I have to be perfect” → “I can be myself.”
EMDR helps your brain reprocess distressing memories and beliefs so they stop holding power over you.
But EMDR isn’t the only path to healing.
Some clients process microtraumas and relational wounds through:
- Reflective conversation
- Boundary setting and real time skill building
- Guided imagery or visualization
- Inner child and parts work
- Mind body connection and nervous system regulation
Microtraumas don’t always need high intensity work to heal.
Sometimes, they just need to be seen, honored and gently integrated.
Together, we’ll choose the tools that feel right for you. No pressure and no rush. Just space for real, lasting change.
Step 4: Living Differently After Trauma Therapy
Real healing isn’t just internal, it changes how you show up in your life. We also work on the now so your present doesn’t keep repeating your past.
We’ll work on:
- Navigating conversations with confidence
- Handling difficult family dynamics without melting down or shutting down
- Setting boundaries that protect your peace
- Finding relationships that actually feel safe and mutual
- Ending conversations before they go off the rails
This is where the “work” becomes your new way of being.
Boundaries aren’t punishments, they’re protection for your healing.
Healing isn’t just about insight. It’s about living differently.
This is where you begin to:
- Speak up with confidence
- Say no without guilt
- Show up in your relationships without shrinking
- Let go of the fear, the pressure and the emotional labor that was never yours to carry
You don’t just “cope” anymore. You live. You trust yourself. You feel free.
That’s the arc of the work and the heart of my approach to trauma therapy.
Whether we use EMDR, deep reflection, nervous system tools or all of the above, this is your space to heal in a way that finally feels like it fits.
If you’re feeling heavy from relationships that never felt quite safe, it’s okay to want more. It’s okay to begin. Let’s talk.
You’re not too late. And you’re not alone.
You don’t have to keep carrying what was never yours to hold.
Whether you’re seeking trauma therapy in Bethesda, Maryland, working through EMDR in Las Vegas, Nevada or looking for online trauma support in Charleston, South Carolina, we provide trauma therapy that fits your experience and your pace. Let’s talk.
If you’re interested in rapid processing of traumas, please check out my EMDR Intensives.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Big T” trauma includes overwhelming events like abuse, violence or accidents, while “little t” trauma can come from ongoing experiences such as criticism, emotional neglect or gaslighting. Both types can affect your nervous system and relationships and trauma therapy can help with both.”
Yes. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based trauma treatment that helps reprocess distressing childhood memories so they lose their intensity. Clients in Maryland, Nevada and South Carolina can access EMDR therapy through online sessions.”
If you feel anxious, triggered or disconnected in relationships without fully knowing why, trauma therapy may help. It provides a safe, supportive space to understand how past experiences shape your present. We offer trauma therapy tailored to clients across Maryland, Nevada, and South Carolina.”
Yes. We provide online trauma therapy in Maryland, Nevada and South Carolina. This allows you to receive trauma-informed treatment, including EMDR, from the comfort of your home while working with a licensed therapist.