Trauma Therapy Los Angeles

Trauma does not simply fade with time. If you are living with the weight of a painful past, you may notice it showing up in ways that feel disconnected from the original experience, through hypervigilance, emotional numbness, difficulty trusting others, intrusive memories, or a persistent sense that something is wrong with you. None of that is a character flaw. It is how the nervous system responds to overwhelming experiences. My work as a licensed

My work as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist is built around helping people understand what happened to them, process it safely, and move toward a life that feels genuinely theirs again. If you are ready to stop just managing symptoms and start actually healing, I want to help.

What Trauma Really Means

A lot of people come to me wondering whether their experience "counts" as trauma. I want to be direct about this: trauma is not defined by the severity of what happened. It is defined by how it affected you. The American Psychological Association recognizes trauma as any deeply distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms a person's ability to cope. That definition is broad for a reason.

Trauma can take many forms, including:

•        Childhood abuse, neglect, or abandonment

•        Sexual assault or domestic violence

•        Accidents, medical emergencies, or sudden loss

•        Witnessing violence or experiencing community trauma

•        Chronic stress, emotional abuse, or relational trauma

•        Race-based trauma and experiences of systemic harm

•        Military service or first responder experiences

Whatever your story looks like, it deserves attention. You do not have to have survived something "dramatic" to benefit from trauma-focused therapy.

How Trauma Shows Up in Daily Life

One of the most disorienting things about unresolved trauma is that it rarely presents as a clear, labeled memory. More often, it shows up as a set of symptoms or patterns that feel confusing or shameful without context. The National Institute of Mental Health outlines how trauma-related conditions can manifest across emotional, cognitive, and physical dimensions. In my practice, I see people struggling with:

•        Feeling emotionally flat, disconnected, or "on autopilot"

•        Sudden waves of anxiety, anger, or grief that feel out of proportion

•        Difficulty being present in relationships or staying connected to others

•        Nightmares, flashbacks, or intrusive thoughts

•        Chronic physical symptoms like tension, fatigue, or digestive problems

•        People-pleasing, perfectionism, or self-sabotage rooted in early experiences

•        Struggles with identity, self-worth, or a sense of belonging

If any of this resonates, you are not broken. Your nervous system learned to protect you. Therapy is where we gently help it learn that protection is no longer needed in the same way.

My Approach to Trauma Work

I believe healing happens in a relationship. The therapeutic connection we build together is not just a backdrop to the "real work." It is the work. Research from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network consistently shows that feeling safe with another person is one of the most significant factors in trauma recovery. I take that seriously.

My practice is rooted in respect for where you are right now. I will not push you to revisit painful memories before you feel ready. Instead, we start by building a foundation of safety, exploring how the past is showing up in the present, and developing tools that help you feel more grounded in your daily life. From there, we move at your pace.

I work with adults navigating a wide range of trauma histories, and I have particular experience supporting people who have experienced relational and complex trauma, meaning trauma that happened within relationships, often over time, rather than as a single event. This kind of trauma can be harder to name but is no less real and no less treatable.

Who I Work With

My practice serves adults across the Los Angeles area who are ready to do the work of understanding and healing from their past. I work with individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life, and I am committed to creating a space that is affirming, nonjudgmental, and culturally sensitive.

I often work with people who have been in therapy before and felt like something was missing, those who are high-functioning on the outside but exhausted on the inside, and those who have spent years putting others first and are only now beginning to look at their own pain. Wherever you are starting from, there is room for you here.

What to Expect When You Reach Out

Starting therapy, especially trauma-focused therapy, can feel like a big step. I want the process of reaching out to feel as low-pressure as possible. When you contact me, we will schedule a brief phone consultation so you can ask questions, get a sense of my style, and determine whether working together feels like a good fit.

There is no obligation after that conversation. I would rather you find the right therapist for you than commit to working with someone who is not the right match. That said, if we do move forward, our first sessions will focus on getting to know you fully before we do any deeper exploration of the past.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notes that trauma-informed care is most effective when it prioritizes collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment. Those values guide everything I do.

You Deserve to Feel Better, Reach Out Today for a Consultation!

Living with the effects of trauma is exhausting. And the longer it goes unaddressed, the more it can shape your relationships, your sense of self, and your ability to experience joy. But healing is genuinely possible. People do recover. They reconnect with themselves and with others. They build lives that reflect who they actually are, not just who they learned to be in order to survive. Give me a call at 310-567-9348 for a consultation!