for Attachment, Relational, & Childhood Trauma
Trauma Therapy in St. Louis
Trauma can take many shapes, often in ways we can’t always see, name, or make sense of.
The impact shows up in everyday life — like, feeling stuck in your head, questioning yourself, bracing for something to go wrong, or constantly replaying conversations.
My role is to help you name it, understand it, and heal from it.
What is Trauma?
Trauma isn’t just about what happened, it’s about how what happened has impacted you — how your brain and body learned to survive. Those survival responses can keep you in a protective state, maintaining the confusion, fear, or anxiety long after the moment has passed…even when you’re no longer in danger.
Instead of recognizing that things are safe, your brain stays on high alert, shut down, or reacts quickly to protect you
Sometimes it comes from a single event, something “obvious,” like an accident. Other times, it comes from things that seem “silent” and develops overtime, like through earlier experiences where our needs were invalidated, unacceptable, or dismissed.
Most of the time, you might just notice a lingering feeling, like “something’s off.” Your reactions may leave you confused and feeling out-of-control. You can’t explain it, and nothing seems to change it.
How “My Approach” Helps
I specialize in treating trauma and utilize a trauma-certified approach that helps individuals and couples uncover, process, and heal from the wounds trauma leaves behind.
In therapy, we work to understand what’s actually happening beneath the surface and make sense of how past experiences may still be affecting your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and sense of self today.
We’ll work together to identify trauma responses and the patterns that once helped you survive, but no longer feel helpful. In therapy, you’ll be given the space to process difficult emotions, develop tools to feel more grounded and regulated, and create new habits that allow you to feel more connected and present in your every-day life.
Some ways I treat trauma include:
Identifying patterns of fight/flight (anxiety, always being on alert, people-pleasing, perfectionism, withdrawal, emotional shutdown, etc.)
Processing difficult emotions and experiences in a safe, supportive environment
Learning to regulate overwhelming emotions and calm your nervous system
Building a stronger sense of self-worth, self-compassion, and confidence
Strengthening your ability to respond, instead of react, and feel present, grounded, and connected
Developing healthier boundaries and communication skills
Exploring attachment patterns and how they affect your relationships
Reducing feelings of shame, guilt, fear, or self-blame
Developing habits and patterns that help you build a secure relationship to yourself and others
Is Trauma Impacting You?
Many people seek trauma therapy when they feel stuck in patterns that don’t fully make sense or continue repeating despite their best efforts to change them.
If you’ve experienced trauma, you may:
Constantly feel emotionally exhausted by situations that seem manageable to others
Overthink and struggle to turn your mind off
Put others’ needs before your own to “keep the peace”
Find relationships to feel confusing or difficult to navigate
Long for closeness and connection while simultaneously feeling guarded or distant
Feel caught reacting in ways that don't align with who you want to be
Shut down or avoid conflict, difficult conversations, or stressful situations
Notice yourself struggling to feel at ease or find it difficult to truly relax
You don’t need to have a formal diagnosis to benefit from trauma therapy, what matters most is if past experiences are continuously showing up in your life now.
Many clients I work with have experienced things like:
Childhood trauma, or emotional neglect
Difficult or unpredictable family environments
Relationship trauma or broken trust
Emotionally unsafe relationships
Long-term stress or instability during childhood
Experiences that left you feeling unsafe, unsupported, unseen, or overwhelmed
Frequently Asked Questions
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Many people who benefit from trauma therapy do not initially think of their experiences as trauma. Instead, they notice patterns such as persistent anxiety, emotional overwhelm, difficulty trusting others, or repeating similar relationship struggles.
If past experiences continue to influence how you feel, react, or relate to others today, trauma therapy may help you better understand those patterns and develop healthier ways of responding.
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When someone experiences trauma, the nervous system can become stuck in survival responses such as fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown. This can lead to symptoms like anxiety, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, or feeling constantly on edge.
Trauma therapy often focuses on helping the nervous system learn that it is safe again, which can reduce these responses and create greater emotional stability.
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Yes. Many forms of anxiety are closely connected to how the nervous system responds to stress and perceived threat.
Trauma-informed therapy can help you understand the underlying patterns behind anxiety and develop tools that support both emotional regulation and nervous system balance.
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Being trauma certified means a therapist has completed specialized training in understanding how difficult or overwhelming experiences can affect the brain, nervous system, emotions, and relationships. This training focuses on recognizing trauma responses and supporting clients in ways that feel safe, supportive, and appropriately paced.
This training can also be helpful when working with concerns beyond trauma, such as anxiety or relationship stress, because many of these challenges are connected to how the nervous system responds to stress and perceived threat.
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Yes. Past experiences can sometimes influence how partners respond to conflict, closeness, trust, and emotional safety within a relationship. Couples counseling can help partners better understand these patterns and how they may be affecting communication, reactions, and connection with each other.
In our work together, we focus on increasing understanding between partners, improving communication, and creating a sense of emotional safety within the relationship. We may also explore how each partner’s individual experiences shape their responses to stress, vulnerability, and connection.
The goal of couples counseling is not to assign blame, but to help both partners better understand each other’s experiences and develop healthier ways of responding and relating to one another.
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The length of therapy varies depending on each person’s goals, experiences, and the patterns they want to work on.
Some clients focus on short-term goals such as reducing anxiety or improving coping skills, while others choose to work more deeply on long-standing patterns connected to childhood experiences or relationships.
Trauma Therapy in St. Louis
If you’re looking for trauma therapy in St. Louis for anxiety, relationship stress, or past traumatic experiences…I offer free phone consultations to help you determine whether working together would be a good fit.