“Trauma is not what happens to you, it’s what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you.”
– Dr. Gabor Maté
Trauma is a normal response to abnormal circumstances. Its imprints are wide-ranging, unpredictable, and often difficult to describe. That can be really scary. Intolerable, even.
Knowing what’s going on with us and why can make those difficult feelings easier to tolerate.
My approach in treating trauma and its correlatives of other names (CPTSD, PTSD, depression, anxiety, panic, insomnia, unshakable existential dread, etc.) is somatic, or body-based, and rooted in establishing safety in the body through central nervous system regulation, primarily via the lens of the Polyvagal Theory. This is a slow and rewarding process. You’re allowed to be frustrated with it along the way, that’s part of the process. You might be frustrated right now and have been for some time and you’re still here. You’re still showing up for yourself.
Overall, my approach is eclectic, client centered, educational, and direct. In short, that means I don’t adhere to any one specific therapeutic modality (i.e. EMDR, CBT, DBT, etc.). Instead, I incorporate various techniques and modalities tailored to meet your specific goals and needs.
Lastly, my approach addresses the presence of systemic inequities, the difficulties of holding anti-capitalist values in a capitalist world, what that means to you, and how we can disrupt its adverse, cumulative impacts on your well-being.
