Trauma THERAPY in Warren, nj | Serving all of nj and ny
It’s time to take back control
You feel so stuck in your past that you can barely feel the present.
Perhaps you can point clearly to a past event that split your life into “before” and “after”. Maybe you can’t pinpoint one defining moment because it accumulated over years of painful experiences that collectively left an open wound. Either way, you feel stuck in the aftermath.
Maybe you experience:
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You are making coffee, waiting at the subway stop, or answering work emails when flashes of what happened play in your mind, and tidal waves of emotions like anxiety, shame and anger to accompany it. Sometimes those memories seem so real that it feels like you are transported back to the exact moment it happened. Sleep isn’t restful, as nightmares replay the event, or jolts you awake at 3am in a sweaty panic.
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You know what routes do not go past a certain area of town, which social gatherings to decline, and what topics to steer conversations away from. Certain places, people, and activities are off-limits, because encountering a reminder means a flood of emotion that you’re too tired to fight through. You even work hard to avoid thinking, like scrolling until your eyes burn, or keeping music, podcasts or tv shows on endlessly. You stay occupied because if there’s any space for your mind to wander, your thoughts lead you straight back to what you’ve been desperately trying to escape.
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You’ve become your own harshest critic, and you often wonder if what happened to you was justified, because you somehow deserved it or didn’t do enough to stop it from happening. You fear others would judge you if they found out what happened, and even worse - you judge yourself for how much the past still affects you. Something feels fundamentally “wrong” about who you are, or like you don't belong. Trust feels impossible, so you keep people at arm's length even when they've done nothing to earn suspicion. The world doesn’t feel safe, so you never let your guard down.
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You constantly feel jittery and on edge, like you’re expecting something bad to happen. You startle easily at sounds that don’t seem to affect anyone else around you. It’s almost always hard to keep your focus and your mind is so occupied with scanning for potential threats that there is little mental bandwidth left for anything else.
All of this takes a toll on your relationships, your parenting, your work, and most of all your sense of self.
You fear this is just part of who you are now, and this is what life will look like for you.
You didn’t come this far to stay stuck.
Trauma therapy can help you move forward.
In our therapy, we’ll process what happened in a way that allows you to live fully in the present, rather than your life feeling controlled by the past. You’ll notice having “bad days” but not permeating your entire existence. You’ll notice yourself laughing again, feeling more at ease and safe in your relationships, and feeling more compassionate, trusting, and confident with yourself. You become your own proof that you are not defined by what happened to you, and you can rebuild a life worth living.
I specialize in several trauma treatments that have frameworks designed to provide a clear, effective direction for relief and healing. What’s more important is - the “how” of getting there will be expertly customized to your needs and context without sacrificing precision. We’ll be a team in setting the pacing, specific strategies, and focus within your therapy. I am an expert on how to help, but you’re the expert on you.
what we’ll do in therapy:
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I’ll help you safely and gradually approach the memories in a way that is not retraumatizing so that you can begin processing what you’ve been through and lower the intensity of the emotions that go along with it
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We’ll examine what beliefs came from the trauma that are keeping you stuck, like how you see yourself, others, and the world. I’ll help you work through these beliefs: Perhaps reframing them in a more balanced way, re-evaluating unhelpful thoughts, or gently challenging self-critical thinking - all in a way that resonates with you and your unique context, background, and values. I’ll also help you slowly but fully experience the range of emotions that are tied to the trauma so you can process what your body has been carrying
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We’ll work on approaching people, places, situations, or experiences that you have been avoiding. This will also be at a gradual and safe pace, so you can help rewire your brain and learn, “yes, I can handle this”
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I’ll teach you skills to help you deal with triggers, like calm your body down, turn down the volume on intense emotions, and slow down racing thoughts
Therapy for trauma can help you:
Reduce the grip of memories and reminders: They may still surface occasionally, but they no longer hijack your entire day. You can acknowledge "that was hard" without being pulled under by it.
Shift negative beliefs and emotions: The judgmental, critical self-commentary is replaced with validating, compassionate and constructive ways of thinking that feel more balanced. The ebb and flow of emotions feel manageable and you have confidence in how to cope with them when they arise.
Reclaim your freedom: You can move through life without fear dictating what you do. If you come across something that reminds you of what happened, you’ll feel confident knowing how to handle any emotions that come up.
Break cycles you don’t want to repeat: You respond to your children in ways that align with your values with intention not reactivity. Triggers don’t overwhelm you so you can be intentional in your parenting.
Calm your nervous system: The volume of daily panic, tension, jitteriness, and jumpiness is turned down. You start to feel safe and peaceful in your body
Cultivate self-esteem: The weight of shame lifts. You begin to feel confident in you, trust your gut, and believe in your worth. You make plans for the future that extend beyond just getting through the day.
FAQS
What others have wondered about trauma therapy
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Not if you don’t want to. There are methods we can use to explore the overall impact of what happened on your life, process the aftermath of it, and work on strategies to shift how you move forward. On the other hand, there are many benefits to developing a narrative of your trauma, guided by a trained professional in a safe and paced structure. Either way, talking about your trauma can begin when you’re ready.
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While general therapy can be helpful, a trauma-focused approach means your therapist is trained in the science underlying how trauma develops, the impact of trauma on thoughts, emotions and behaviors, why avoidance makes sense even when it's keeping you stuck and most importantly - how to help you process what happened in a productive way. Trauma focused therapy uses specific frameworks designed to move you through trauma safely and effectively.
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Trauma is a broad term and isn’t defined by the size of the event, but by the impact on you. Trauma can be from a singular event, like a sexual, physical, or identity-based assault, or can be from repeated and prolonged experiences over time like childhood abuse or neglect. If something happened — or kept happening — that left you feeling unsafe, powerless, or deeply changed, it counts. You don't need to prove what you’ve been through was “bad enough” to deserve support.
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The timeline looks different for everyone and depends on factors like the nature and duration of your trauma, what kind of support you've had, what you're hoping to feel differently about, and what your specific goals are. Regardless of the exact endpoint, we’ll frequently revisit your progress to make sure you’re moving forward - and troubleshoot any challenges that are preventing success.
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Yes, healing is genuinely possible. All modalities that I use in therapy are backed by extensive research, which not only shows a high success rate during therapy, but also shows continued improvements even after trauma therapy ends.
More questions? Check out my FAQs page.
