Trauma Therapy, IFS, and Brainspotting

Many of the things that bring people to therapy--relationship struggles, overwhelm, feeling stuck, or constantly second-guessing yourself—are often rooted in unresolved trauma. Trauma is rarely one major event. More often, it’s the accumulation of experiences that shaped how you learned to cope, relate, and survive. One of the biggest predictors of whether an adverse event will turn into long-term trauma is whether someone had appropriate support around it.

Trauma can show up as anxiety, emotional numbness, people-pleasing, difficulty trusting yourself, or patterns in relationships that feel hard to break. Even when life looks “fine” on the outside, something internally can still feel off.

My work is grounded in trauma-informed approaches, primarily Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Brainspotting. These approaches go beyond surface-level coping and help access the deeper patterns driving your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

IFS focuses on understanding the different “parts” of you—especially the ones that developed to protect you—and helping you build a more compassionate relationship with yourself.

Brainspotting works more directly with the nervous system, helping process and release trauma that may not be fully accessible through traditional talk therapy.

This isn’t about forcing anything or pushing you into places you’re not ready to go. We move at your pace, with a focus on creating enough safety and stability for deeper work to happen when it’s actually useful—not overwhelming.

Adults 

Often our suffering stems from broken attachment and lack of connection. When we feel disconnected, shame can take hold and that can pull us into some very dark places.

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Attachment is nuanced and complex with many layers. It shapes how we relate to romantic partners, friends, coworkers, and ourselves. The attachment style we develop early on (based on the care we receive) follows us into adulthood unless we intentionally work to understand and change it. 

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When people with opposing attachment styles pair up (romantically or platonically), things can get especially messy--particularly if neither person is aware of what's happening beneath the surface. Together, we can explore how your attachment style developed, how it's showing up in your relationships, and how those patterns may be impacting your day to day life. 

Most of us didn't get everything we needed growing up--not because our caregivers were intentionally malicious (though, some were), but because they were human and working with what they had. It is helpful to allow ourselves to hold that truth as well as the truth that their best may not have been good enough. 

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I don't subscribe to the idea that "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger." Trauma doesn't make us stronger. It keeps us in survival mode. Strength comes from becoming empowered in a way that we were never allowed to as children.  

Teens (16+)

In working with teens, my goal is to make sure they feel respected, heard, and not talked down to. No teenager needs another adult lecturing them on their life choices. 

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I listen first. I take what they're saying seriously. And I work collaboratively, with a strong emphasis on autonomy, trust, and real-world coping skills. I meet them where they're at, and stay curious without judgement or hidden agendas. My role isn't to "fix" anyone, but to help them understand themselves, and navigate the world with more confidence and clarity. 

Here are some of the things we can dig into:

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• Anxiety​, depression, and self-esteem

• Exploration of identity, gender, and sexuality

• Neurodivergence​

• Social life

• School-related stress

• Substance use

• Suicidal thoughts & self-harm​

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I do encourage caregiver involvement to some degree--what that looks like varies a lot depending on age, etc. Confidentiality is crucial and I ask caregivers to respect their teen's privacy, especially with therapy. In my experience, therapy rarely goes well when teens are forced into it. When that is the case, I'm happy to work with parents instead. Therapy should always be voluntary. 

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I don't want teens (or parents) to just survive these years. I want teens to build solid coping skills, develop real self-trust,  and feel genuinely heard. And I want parents to learn the art of letting go--so the relationship you have with your child can grow into a healthy  adult one.