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Therapy Services

Online therapy (telehealth) through a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform & in-person for those in Sonoma County
Green Leaves

Trauma Therapy for Individuals
& Survivors

Are you tired of talking about the past with little change?
Somatic trauma therapy can help.

I provide somatic trauma-informed therapy (telehealth and in-person) to individual teens and adults in the States of California and Oregon who need support to regain control over their lives after adverse life events. 

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With dedication to helping survivors of sexual violence, and specialized trainings in complex trauma and somatic trauma therapy, I offer a safe space for individuals to begin the healing process and take the first steps toward a more peaceful life.

Therapy with me can feel comforting and inviting, grounding and insightful. Somatic therapy integrates mind-body-spirit healing.

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As an inclusive therapist, I serve and respect all clients regardless of gender, sexual identity, race/culture, religion, beliefs, ability, or appearance. I can be your partner in overcoming the effects of your trauma.


Help is here.

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Trauma Therapy

My therapeutic style is warm and person-centered, as well as trauma-informed, neurologically-based, and somatic (body-oriented). I use the following techniques and modalities to treat clients with complex histories or needs:

  • Somatic therapy

  • Sensorimotor psychotherapy

  • Polyvagal theory

  • Neurobiology

  • Mindfulness

  • Relational model

  • Bottom-up psychotherapy

  • Psychodynamic therapy 

  • Attachment theory

  • Parts work, inner child work

  • Structural dissociation model

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy

  • Top-down psychotherapy

Studies show (read here and here) that a somatically-oriented approach is effective not only in reducing symptoms, but improving nervous system regulation, mood, reality-testing, and functioning. Trauma is stored in the deeper regions of the brain and body, where traditional talk therapy does not access. Healing from unresolved trauma requires working with the body. 

  • What is the difference between therapy and trauma therapy?
    Trauma therapists are clinicians who specialize in treating individuals exhibiting symptoms of trauma. General therapy may not necessarily have a focus on addressing the impact of traumatic events, while trauma therapy does. ​ Trauma takes many forms like physical or sexual abuse, witnessing violence in the home, or long-term emotional abuse. How your body responds and processes events will impact whether or not there are lingering effects - thus, becoming traumatic. ​ Trauma-informed therapy gets to the root of the trauma to offer you the chance to thrive. ​ There’s no one “best” kind of therapy for trauma — every person’s experiences and needs are unique. I help individuals better understand and heal communication between the body and mind, using both somatic and cognitive approaches. ​ I can help you get there.
  • What is somatic trauma therapy?
    Somatic trauma therapy involves working with the wisdom and communications of the body to address, process, transform, and heal unresolved or unintegrated trauma. Not only does the body hold insightful information, but it is the place where healing happens. Trauma profoundly affects the body on a physiological level (not just cognitive/mind), and by tapping into the trauma or developmental wounds using body- and mind-oriented interventions, traumatic material can be accessed, processed, and metabolized. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy - also called a body-oriented talk therapy - incorporates an integrative approach of mind-body-spirit, focusing on the body's movement, posture, sensation, emotions, thoughts, impulses. It is a trauma-informed approach that promotes self-empowerment and trust in the body's organic knowing of how to heal. By working with body and mind, unconscious information is revealed and trauma memories and sensations can be more successfully processed and resolved than in talk therapy. One particular technique in somatic therapy is called sensorimotor sequencing, which involves the therapist gently and carefully guiding the client to mindfully follow the body's sensations associated with an activated state in order to bring relief and resolution to the nervous system. Read more about sequencing here in my blog post. As trauma is stored in the body, working with its imprints on a somatic level can help you recover. A session together might include exploring various postures, movements, breath, and tuning into your internal or physical experience. By experimenting with a curious attitude, we can uncover body patterns - things that were necessary for survival, but might not be so helpful now. We may discover new information, different ways of being, greater connection to your body, and even support your nervous system in completing what it was not able to do but still wants to do. If you have questions about somatic therapy, or sensorimotor psychotherapy, or if this approach resonates with you, I invite you to contact me to get started!
  • How successful is trauma therapy?
    Trauma therapy, or trauma counseling, that works with the mind and body can be very successful in helping people improve their quality of life. Treatment can include reduction of posttraumatic stress symptoms, physiological and psychological distress, affect dysregulation, relational issues, and more. The success of treatment is unique to the individual. A large factor in the success of somatic therapy is a person's capacity to tune inwards, which can be complicated by trauma history, physical ailments, or dissociation. Going at your pace, tracking your body's nervous system, building resources, and listening to your body's boundaries are some ways we can increase success. Support may involve building self-regulation tools, identifying and managing triggers in day-to-day life, healing your nervous system so it is not in constant fight-flight-freeze-submit mode, updating thought patterns that no longer serve you, processing traumatic memory or material in the body. Finding a trauma-informed clinician is integral if you have experienced adverse, distressing, or traumatic events. I believe it impacts clinical interventions, treatment planning, conceptualization of symptoms, therapeutic experience, and outcome.​

FAQs

Specialities & Areas of Clinical Interest

I specialize in trauma therapy, particularly sexual assault, using research-based tools to support clients in processing the pain that comes with trauma. Trauma occurs when the brain and body become so overwhelmed with an event (or series of events) that it does not have enough time or resources to process and integrate the experience(s). Trauma then lingers in the body, the body stuck in survival mode.    

 

Unintegrated trauma can present itself in a myriad of ways, manifesting through emotional, cognitive, somatic (body) symptoms, and more. Depression, anxiety, mood and personality "disorders" are oftentimes symptoms of underlying, unresolved trauma.

services

Additional Areas of Clinical Interest

As part of my treatment of these conditions, I also work with those who suffer from painful reactions due to:

  • Attachment injury and wounds

  • BIPOC and Asian-American issues (e.g. microaggression, systemic racism, first-generation pressures, intergenerational trauma)

  • Adverse childhood experiences (ACES)

  • Mood dysregulation

  • Childhood trauma or abuse

  • Perfectionism and self-esteem issues 
  • Trans barriers: offers single-session assessment and gender-affirming care letter

If you don't see what you or a loved one is struggling with on this list, please know that you can still contact me to see what options I can offer to improve your quality of life. Even if I'm not the best fit, I may be able to refer you to a therapist I know and trust.  

Benefits of Online Therapy

You can take control of your mental health no matter where you are in the states of California or Oregon. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), online therapy is just as effective as in-person or face-to-face trauma treatment. It even comes with added benefits. 

  • What is the difference between therapy and trauma therapy?
    Trauma therapists are clinicians who specialize in treating individuals exhibiting symptoms of trauma. General therapy may not necessarily have a focus on addressing the impact of traumatic events, while trauma therapy does. ​ Trauma takes many forms like physical or sexual abuse, witnessing violence in the home, or long-term emotional abuse. How your body responds and processes events will impact whether or not there are lingering effects - thus, becoming traumatic. ​ Trauma-informed therapy gets to the root of the trauma to offer you the chance to thrive. ​ There’s no one “best” kind of therapy for trauma — every person’s experiences and needs are unique. I help individuals better understand and heal communication between the body and mind, using both somatic and cognitive approaches. ​ I can help you get there.
  • What is somatic trauma therapy?
    Somatic trauma therapy involves working with the wisdom and communications of the body to address, process, transform, and heal unresolved or unintegrated trauma. Not only does the body hold insightful information, but it is the place where healing happens. Trauma profoundly affects the body on a physiological level (not just cognitive/mind), and by tapping into the trauma or developmental wounds using body- and mind-oriented interventions, traumatic material can be accessed, processed, and metabolized. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy - also called a body-oriented talk therapy - incorporates an integrative approach of mind-body-spirit, focusing on the body's movement, posture, sensation, emotions, thoughts, impulses. It is a trauma-informed approach that promotes self-empowerment and trust in the body's organic knowing of how to heal. By working with body and mind, unconscious information is revealed and trauma memories and sensations can be more successfully processed and resolved than in talk therapy. One particular technique in somatic therapy is called sensorimotor sequencing, which involves the therapist gently and carefully guiding the client to mindfully follow the body's sensations associated with an activated state in order to bring relief and resolution to the nervous system. Read more about sequencing here in my blog post. As trauma is stored in the body, working with its imprints on a somatic level can help you recover. A session together might include exploring various postures, movements, breath, and tuning into your internal or physical experience. By experimenting with a curious attitude, we can uncover body patterns - things that were necessary for survival, but might not be so helpful now. We may discover new information, different ways of being, greater connection to your body, and even support your nervous system in completing what it was not able to do but still wants to do. If you have questions about somatic therapy, or sensorimotor psychotherapy, or if this approach resonates with you, I invite you to contact me to get started!
  • How successful is trauma therapy?
    Trauma therapy, or trauma counseling, that works with the mind and body can be very successful in helping people improve their quality of life. Treatment can include reduction of posttraumatic stress symptoms, physiological and psychological distress, affect dysregulation, relational issues, and more. The success of treatment is unique to the individual. A large factor in the success of somatic therapy is a person's capacity to tune inwards, which can be complicated by trauma history, physical ailments, or dissociation. Going at your pace, tracking your body's nervous system, building resources, and listening to your body's boundaries are some ways we can increase success. Support may involve building self-regulation tools, identifying and managing triggers in day-to-day life, healing your nervous system so it is not in constant fight-flight-freeze-submit mode, updating thought patterns that no longer serve you, processing traumatic memory or material in the body. Finding a trauma-informed clinician is integral if you have experienced adverse, distressing, or traumatic events. I believe it impacts clinical interventions, treatment planning, conceptualization of symptoms, therapeutic experience, and outcome.​

The mind-body, emotions, relationships, sensory experiences, sound, touch, sight – all these senses are windows to our inner pharmacy.

Deepak Chopra

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