Recovering from painful past experiences
Therapy for Trauma
in Charlotte, NC & Statewide
You have it together, so why doesn’t it feel that way?
By all accounts, you are a hard-working, driven person who has built a successful life, so why do you feel so bad?
Your emotions can derail you, sometimes out of the blue. You struggle to sleep and concentrate. People talk about self-care and relaxing outside of work, but you can’t seem to find your off switch.
You can get things done, but it never really makes you feel better.
Weekends may be hard when you don’t have the structure of a workday to keep you on track. If you have kids, you struggle to relate to them and give them the patience and attention you know they deserve. Your partner may express finding it hard to connect with you or doesn’t know how to support you. Those self-help books you’ve read suggest finding hobbies, but where do you start when you’re barely keeping your head above water?
These are all normal responses to painful past experiences, even if that trauma was long ago.
Stop tripping over what’s behind you.
How therapy works
I can help.
We’re going to start with understanding where you’re at today. We’ll look at past experiences at your own pace; you never have to share anything you’re not ready for. We’ll notice the ways those difficult experiences impact you today. As difficult emotions come up, we will make sure you have the coping skills you need to remain in control. We will reduce or eliminate the emotional charge that painful memories still hold, allowing your brain to store them properly rather than keep them behind a wall where they can come out and ambush you.
Through real healing, not just using coping skills to muscle through it, you will find peace and confidence in yourself. You will no longer question if you are a loveable human being or if your life has value. Your emotions won’t feel out of control or scare you. You will find deeper connections in your relationships. You will sleep through the night and disengage from obligations so you can enjoy your free time. You will feel at ease.
See my EMDR methods page for more information on my specific approach to trauma therapy.
Therapy for trauma can help you…
Eliminate feelings of shame & guilt.
Control extreme emotions.
Improve relationships.
Access inner calm and confidence.
Identify root causes of current problems.
Leave the past in the past.
Frequently asked questions about Trauma therapy
FAQs
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Your memories of painful experiences will never disappear. However, your brain and body’s responses to trauma can be healed, so you are no longer affected on a day-to-day basis.
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Yes! Our brains work hard to protect us from emotional pain, which can include storing memories in hard to access places. Similarly, trauma that occurred in very early childhood, before memory storage began, has a lasting effect on a person if left untreated. With the right therapy, we may or may not unearth memories you thought you had forgotten.
This is different from the idea of repressed memories, the reality of which are still up for debate in the field of psychology.
The ability to recall your trauma has little bearing on the effectiveness of trauma-informed therapy.
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Therapy for painful past experiences depends on a variety of factors and is not one size fits all. I encourage my clients to be prepared to invest in therapy for a minimum of 6 months and often find that lasting results require a year or more of work. It is not my goal to keep you in therapy forever. Trauma has been affecting you for some time, perhaps since childhood. Your brain and body will need time to heal.
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The first step is easy, click here to set up a free consultation. If we both think we're a good fit, we will get you in for your first appointment as soon as possible.