Trauma Therapy

Trauma affects not just your memories, but how you experience your body, your relationships, and impacts your internal sense of safety in the world. Whether dealing with complex trauma from prolonged abuse or neglect, carrying the weight of disruptive childhood experiences into adulthood, or supporting a teenager through overwhelming events, healing is possible. My approach recognizes that trauma impacts each person differently and requires a pace and process that feels right for you. With anxiety, indirect or tangential approaches often yield stronger felt senses of reduction in distress.

I work with adults and teens (ages 14+) in Columbia, SC, using evidence-based approaches tailored to your specific needs:

Attachment-based therapy to address relationship patterns and build secure connections
Somatic techniques to help process trauma held in the body and regulate your nervous system
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) to work through difficult emotions and develop self-compassion
Narrative therapy to reshape your story and separate your identity from what happened to you

My goal is to create a safe, non-judgemental space where you can heal at your own pace and reclaim your personal sense of agency and well-being.

Complex Trauma

Complex trauma often develops from prolonged or repeated experiences of abuse, neglect, or other overwhelming situations, particularly during childhood or in more mature relationships or situations where avoidance was not possible. Unlike single-incident trauma, complex trauma can affect how you relate to others, regulate your emotions, and perceive of yourself and the world.

I use attachment-based and somatic approaches to help clients process complex trauma at a pace that feels safe. This means paying attention not just to your thoughts and memories, but also to how trauma lives in your body and affects your nervous system. Through our work together, we will develop tools to lessen overwhelming feelings, build healthier relationship patterns, and reconnect with a sense of safety and stability in your life.

Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse

Childhood abuse, whether physical, emotional, sexual, or through neglect, can leave lasting impacts that continue into adulthood. Many survivors struggle with shame, difficulty trusting others, relationship challenges, or a persistent sense that something is fundamentally wrong with them. Healing is possible, and you do not have to carry these burdens alone.

Through narrative therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), we will work together to reshape the story of your past and reconnect with your emotional needs in the present. Narrative approaches help you separate your identity from what happened to you, while EFT provides tools to process difficult emotions and develop self-compassion. My goal is to create a safe, non-judgemental space where you can heal at your own pace and reclaim your sense of worth and agency.

Teen Trauma Therapy

Teenagers face unique challenges when processing trauma, whether from family conflict, abuse, peer or familial bullying, loss, or other overwhelming experiences. Trauma can complicate adolescent identity development, peer relationships, and emotional regulation.

I integrate attachment-based and somatic techniques tailored specifically for adolescents aged 14 and up. Drawing on my experience working with teens in school and foster care settings (and being a parent of adult children myself), I understand the particular pressures young people face. Our work would likely focus on building coping skills, processing difficult experiences, and strengthening your teen's ability to navigate relationships and stress. I try to create a respectful, collaborative environment where teens feel heard and empowered in their own healing process.