A Holistic Approach to Healing Mind, Body and Spirit

Trauma-Focused Therapy for Teens and Adults in California

“There is no timestamp on trauma. There isn’t a formula that you can insert yourself into to get from horror to healed. Be patient. Take up space. Let your journey be the balm.”

– DAWN SERRA

Are you feeling trapped by the past, unable to move forward?

Do intense anger, anxiety, or fear seem to control too much of your life?

Are you exhausted from always feeling like you’re in survival mode or waiting for the next crisis?

Trauma can leave deep emotional scars, but trauma-focused therapy in California can help you break free and rediscover more inner-peace.

The Emotional Impact of Trauma

I understand how frustrating and exhausting it can be to try your best to cope and yet still feel stuck. You’re doing your best, but sometimes it feels like nothing works, and you’re not sure what the next step should be. The reality is, trauma can hold you back in ways that aren’t always obvious. However, complex trauma therapy in California offers a pathway to healing and empowerment.

Understanding Trauma: Why Healing Takes Time

Trauma can be so confusing and disruptive. Even if something painful happened, you might find yourself questioning its significance: Was it really that bad? Shouldn’t I be over it by now? Am I imagining it?

The truth is trauma doesn’t follow a timeline or rulebook—it’s deeply personal and validating, no matter when or how it happened. Your emotions about it matter and you don’t need to live with shame, secrecy and/or confusion. Holistic trauma treatment in California helps you understand your experiences and start the process of healing the wounded parts and free you from the suffering and pain, on your own terms.

Childhood Trauma

Childhood trauma may be physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological harm you endured during childhood. It can be subtle and easily dismissed. Unfortunately, this type of trauma tends to be chronic or long lasting.

You might find yourself thinking, it wasn’t that bad or comparing your experiences to others and think they had it much worse. Well-meaning people might say things like, your parents did their best, but the lasting effects of childhood trauma are real and can shape your adult life. Childhood trauma therapy in California helps you unpack those hidden wounds to begin your healing.

Symptoms of Childhood Trauma

The reality is parts of your life may be very challenging, and maybe your traumatic experiences really hurt you deeply. This kind of trauma can show up in your adult life by:

  • excessive people-pleasing and prioritizing others at your own expense

  • identity confusion (no real sense of who you are)

  • anger outbursts or difficulty regulating emotions

  • substance use, eating disorders, or other compulsive and addictive tendencies

  • chronic dissociation (disconnecting from your thoughts and feelings)

  • avoidance behaviors

  • intimacy difficulties

  • drive toward perfectionism 

  • constant restlessness 

  • low self-worth or a lack of confidence

Relationship Trauma

Relationship trauma is a term for traumatic experiences that affect your interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, this trauma can occur at any age, and it comes in many forms, including intimate partner violence, sexual and psychological abuse, emotional neglect, betrayal, and more. 

You may be struggling with relationship trauma if you:

  • don't know how to set boundaries with others (or avoid doing so)

  • have a pattern of unstable or abusive relationships

  • feel like you're overly dependent on others for emotional support

  • tend to withdraw from or avoid intimacy altogether

  • persistently feel anxiety in your relationships

Religious Trauma

Some people gain deep fulfillment and meaning from their religion. But sometimes religion can become a source of identity confusion and fear. Trauma may happen if you decide to leave a certain religious community and feel guilty and afraid. It may also occur when you no longer align with your religion’s belief system.

A recently released study in the Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry Journal found that 1 in 3 Americans suffer some form of trauma related to religion at some point in their life. 

Some main symptoms of religious trauma include:

  • a deep sense of shame, guilt or self-hatred

  • a profound sense of loss of community

  • social alienation from family or friends associated with your former religion

  • delayed social milestones (possibly associated with purity culture)

  • sexual dysfunction and shame around sexual behaviors or desires

  • confusion and uncertainty about your life

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A trauma-focused therapist puts trauma at the forefront of your treatment to address how it impacts your mental, emotional and physical health. This approach focuses on healing trauma’s deep effects and creating space for emotional healing. This means we holistically look at how trauma has affected your life and might be affecting other mental health issues. From there, we seek to resolve the trauma’s impact to improve your overall well-being.

  • A traumatic event is experiencing or witnessing an incident(s) that may have been horrifying or profoundly unsafe and scary. You may have felt helpless and in danger. All of these feelings may have affected you emotionally and physically. 

    Trauma is subjective. Two people may experience the same event but internalize what happened much differently. Rather than labeling what is (or isn't) trauma, it's far more important for us to focus on how the event impacted you emotionally, logistically or both.

  • Research shows a strong link between traumatic experiences and mental health. Unresolved trauma can affect your well-being and may lead to conditions like anxiety, depression, addiction, or PTSD. The good news is that trauma-focused therapy can be integrative and multifaceted - which means it can also improve other mental health symptoms. If you're not sure exactly what you need, we'll collaborate to figure it out together.

  • Safety and connection come first - these are some of the most important aspects within therapy. My trauma treatment is rooted in compassion, empathy, and authenticity. My overarching goal is to empower you with practical coping skills and resilience. This can help you heal from emotional pain and feel better about yourself and in your everyday life.

    Whether you’ve experienced childhood trauma, dating abuse or any other types of trauma, I’m here to help you understand and cope with your trauma responses and honor your story. Together, we can:

    • Explore how your past is informing your present day perceptions and behaviors

    • Understand and appreciate the function of your survival responses

    • Identify and shift internalized beliefs and thoughts that may get in the way of your healing

    • Build your ability to practice self-compassion and move through shame

    • Work towards having new relational experiences that allow for a more positive view of yourself and others

  • Absolutely not. You can but trauma-focused therapy isn't about forcing you to share or do anything that doesn't feel comfortable. This is your time and space, and I completely value your autonomy and pace in this process.

  • We work at your pace which varies for everyone. Complex trauma therapy often requires more long-term treatment than single, standalone traumatic events, but every client is different. If you're concerned about the length of treatment, together we can discuss.

  • I integrate psychodynamic work, cognitive-behavioral therapy, internal family systems therapy, and strength-based approaches to help my clients. In basic terms, this means I focus on exploring how past experiences connect to present feelings and needs. We will also explore how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors intersect. 

    With my approach, I truly honor and respect all the parts of you. If you have any other specific questions about my treatment methods or the various types of trauma therapies, I'm more than happy to discuss them!