Trauma and PTSD Therapy in Los Alamitos
When Your Mind and Body Refuse to Rest
When you survive severe emotional or physical distress, your brain learns to stay on guard. Long after the environment becomes safe, your body continues to react as if the threat is still in the room. You know logically that you should be okay, but your physical reactions tell a completely different story.
Living in a constant state of hyper-vigilance is exhausting. It drains your energy and makes it incredibly difficult to be present with the people around you.
You are likely dealing with unresolved trauma if you experience:
Feeling constantly on edge or easily startled by everyday occurrences.
Intrusive memories or physical reactions that pull you back into the past.
A chronic sense of emptiness or feeling entirely disconnected from the world.
Avoiding specific places, conversations, or relationships because they trigger overwhelming panic.
A harsh inner critic that uses shame to make you feel responsible for what happened to you.
Navigating Relationships with Complex Trauma (CPTSD)
Because my practice focuses heavily on personality dynamics and relational stability, I work extensively with Complex Trauma (CPTSD).
Standard PTSD usually stems from a single terrifying event. Complex trauma builds up over time. It is the result of repeated emotional injuries—such as childhood neglect, chronic invalidation, or highly toxic relationship cycles. If your trauma is complex, your pain often looks like intense emotional volatility, an unstable sense of identity, and a history of chaotic, fractured relationships.
Finding Grounding and Stability
True healing requires far more than just talking about your past. In fact, forcing yourself to recount painful details without the right tools can often make you feel worse.
That’s why my approach starts by establishing absolute safety and building trust between us. I use DBT skills to help you regulate your nervous system first.
Once you actually have the tools to ground yourself in the present moment, we’ll integrate frameworks like Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) to slowly untangle the deeply ingrained relational and emotional patterns keeping you stuck.
Starting the Therapy Process
Because we’re dealing with complex trauma, the intake process is guided by your pace.
Our first few sessions focus heavily on the present. We’ll map out your current triggers and identify what’s keeping you in survival mode. I do not rush this phase. Pushing too hard leads to misdiagnosis and leaves clients feeling overwhelmed. If we need to spend extra sessions purely building trust before moving forward, we will.
By the end of these initial meetings, you’ll walk away with a clear, honest understanding of what’s driving your symptoms, along with a concrete plan for how we’re going to treat it.
Ready to take the next step? Reach out to schedule your free 15-minute consultation.