Serving Culver City, West LA, and surrounding areas
On-line therapy in California
Call or Text: 323-393-3135
Trauma Therapy
Trauma results from deeply distressing experiences that can throw us off balance and make it hard to cope. It might be a one-time event like a car accident, or something persistent and ongoing, like constant mistreatment or childhood neglect. Either way, these experiences leave a lasting mark, shaping how we feel, think, and even how our bodies respond to the world around us.
Beyond the initial shock, trauma often triggers a range of responses that can show up as symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): intrusive memories, nightmares, heightened anxiety, and difficulty concentrating. And yet, no two people experience trauma the same way. Even when two people go through identical events, their reactions can look completely different, shaped by their history, personality, and the ways their brain learned to protect them.
Our minds are remarkably adaptive. In the face of overwhelming experiences, we develop strategies to keep ourselves safe. While these responses make sense in the moment, they can become patterns that hold us back over time. A psychodynamic approach helps us understand how those protective strategies took shape, why they made sense when they developed, and how to gently loosen their grip so you can move through the world with more freedom and less reactivity.
Sometimes talking through what happened only goes so far. Trauma can lodge itself in the body and the nervous system in ways that traditional conversation doesn't always reach. That's why, in addition to psychodynamic talk therapy, I also offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a research-backed approach specifically designed to help the brain process stuck trauma memories so they stop spilling into the present. [Learn more about EMDR →]
If you're looking for a trauma therapist in Los Angeles, I offer a space where you feel safe enough to explore how trauma is affecting you, emotionally, mentally, and physically.
As a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in L.A., my goal isn't to erase what happened, but to help you find healthier ways to cope so you can feel grounded, strong, and reconnected to yourself and the people around you.