Does It Feel Like Your Past Won't Let You Move Forward?
Are intrusive memories, thoughts, and feelings of past painful events becoming too much to handle on your own?
Do you feel like your emotions are unbearable and out of control?
Does it feel like you're just trying to survive each day rather than actually living?
Maybe you've experienced overwhelming, stressful, or traumatic events that have changed how you interact with people and go through your day. Perhaps you're avoiding certain places or situations because they trigger painful memories, and your world keeps getting smaller.
You might feel disconnected from yourself and others, like you're watching your life from the outside. Some days you're numb and feel nothing at all. Other days, emotions hit you like a tidal wave - anger, fear, or sadness that feels impossible to contain.
As a result, maybe you're realizing that continuing to struggle through life with these overwhelming symptoms is exhausting, and you're considering working with a therapist who specializes in trauma and understands what you're going through.
Do these signs of trauma sound like what you're experiencing?
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Intrusive memories that won't stop - Thoughts, images, or flashbacks of traumatic events that come out of nowhere or are triggered by everyday things
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Feeling constantly on edge - Always scanning for danger, easily startled, or unable to relax even in safe situations
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Emotional numbness or disconnection - Feeling detached from yourself, others, or like you're watching your life from the outside
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Avoidance that's shrinking your world - Staying away from people, places, or activities that remind you of what happened
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Sleep disruption and nightmares - Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up from distressing dreams about the trauma
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Overwhelming emotional reactions - Intense anger, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or sadness that feels impossible to control
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Loss of interest in life - Activities you used to enjoy feel pointless or require too much energy
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Difficulty concentrating or remembering - Trouble focusing, making decisions, or gaps in your memory
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Physical symptoms of trauma - Exhaustion, changes in eating patterns, sexual dysfunction, or unexplained physical tension
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Guilt, shame, or self-blame - Feeling responsible for what happened or believing you should have done something differently
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Social withdrawal and isolation - Pulling away from relationships because connecting feels too difficult or unsafe
If These Trauma Experiences Feel Familiar, You're Not Alone
You've been carrying this weight for so long, trying to manage triggers, avoid reminders, and keep yourself together. Maybe you've gotten really good at appearing fine on the outside while your internal world feels chaotic and overwhelming.
Trauma doesn't just go away because time passes.
Your brain and body are still trying to protect you from danger, even when you're safe now. The hypervigilance, avoidance, and emotional reactions aren't signs of weakness - they're how your nervous system learned to survive.
You're not broken, and you're not "crazy." You're experiencing normal responses to abnormal events. Healing is possible, and you don't have to keep fighting this battle alone.
Why Trauma Keeps You Stuck
You've probably tried everything you can think of to feel better. Maybe you've avoided triggers, kept yourself busy to outrun the memories, or tried to "just get over it." You might have convinced yourself that if you don't think about what happened, it won't affect you anymore.
But avoidance actually keeps trauma alive. The more you try to push away painful memories and feelings, the more power they have over your life. Your world gets smaller as the list of things to avoid gets longer - certain places, people, shows, conversations, even parts of yourself.
Your nervous system is stuck in survival mode. Even when you're objectively safe, your body and brain are still scanning for danger, reacting to threats that aren't there, and preparing for the worst. This constant state of alert is exhausting and makes it nearly impossible to feel truly present in your life.
Trauma also convinces you of things that aren't true - that you're damaged, that it was your fault, that you can't trust anyone, that you'll never feel normal again. These beliefs become part of your identity, shaping how you see yourself and interact with the world.
You didn't choose what happened to you, but trauma has been choosing how you live ever since.
The Hidden Cost of Living with Trauma
Maybe you don't even realize how much energy you're spending just trying to stay regulated throughout the day. You've developed elaborate systems to avoid triggers - specific routes you drive, restaurants you won't go to, topics you steer conversations away from, relationships you keep at arm's length.
Trauma affects every part of your life, even when you're not thinking about it. Your relationships suffer because it's hard to trust or be vulnerable. Work feels harder because concentration is difficult when your nervous system is on high alert. Sleep is disrupted by nightmares or hypervigilance. Even joy feels muted or dangerous, like if you let yourself feel good, something bad will happen.
You might find yourself feeling guilty or ashamed - wondering why you can't "just move on" like everyone expects. Maybe people in your life don't understand why certain things are so hard for you, or they've told you to "stop living in the past."
The isolation can be just as painful as the trauma itself. You feel alone in your experience, like nobody could possibly understand what it's like to live in your head and your body. You've been fighting this battle by yourself for so long, and it's exhausting.
How Trauma Therapy Can Help
Trauma therapy isn't about forcing you to relive painful experiences or pushing you to "get over it." It's about giving you the tools and support to process what happened at a pace that feels manageable, so those memories lose their power over your present.
We prioritize safety above everything else. Before we ever touch the traumatic memories, we make sure you have solid coping skills, resources, and a sense of stability. You'll never be asked to do more than you're ready for.
We help you understand what's happening in your brain and body. When you understand why you react the way you do, it becomes less scary and more manageable. You're not broken - you're having normal responses to trauma.
We work at your pace. Some days you might be ready to dig into difficult material. Other days, you might just need support in getting through the week. Both are valuable, and we'll follow your lead.
Trauma therapy can be challenging at times, but you'll never be alone in the process. You'll learn that you can face painful memories without being overwhelmed by them, and that healing doesn't mean forgetting - it means freedom.
What to Expect in Trauma Therapy Sessions
We build a foundation first. Before exploring traumatic memories, we ensure you have effective coping skills, grounding techniques, and ways to regulate your nervous system when you're activated.
We create a safe, trusting relationship. The therapeutic relationship is crucial in trauma work. We take time to build trust and establish safety so you feel secure enough to be vulnerable.
We help you develop body awareness. Trauma lives in your body, not just your mind. You'll learn to recognize what your body is telling you and how to respond to those signals in healthy ways.
We process trauma when you're ready. Once you have resources in place, we'll work together to process traumatic memories in a way that reduces their emotional charge and helps you make sense of what happened.
We address beliefs that trauma created. You'll work on challenging the negative beliefs about yourself that developed because of trauma and building healthier, more accurate beliefs in their place.
Our Tailored Approach to Trauma Therapy
Trauma affects everyone differently, which is why our trauma therapists create personalized treatment plans based on your specific experiences and needs. Depending on your goals for treatment, our therapists may draw from the following interventions:
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) - Process traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation that helps your brain reprocess and integrate difficult experiences
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Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) - Challenge trauma-related thoughts and beliefs while gradually processing traumatic memories in a safe, structured way
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Psychodynamic Therapy - Use the safe therapeutic relationship to explore how past trauma unconsciously shapes current relationships and sense of self, gently facing memories to understand and take control of your narrative
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Attachment Therapy - Explore how early relationships and childhood experiences affect your ability to trust, connect, and form secure bonds in your adult relationships
We cannot change what happened to you, but we can help you reclaim your life from trauma. You'll develop resilience, positive beliefs about yourself, and the ability to move forward as the person you want to be - not the person trauma made you become.
Uncertain about starting therapy for trauma?
Uncertainty about starting therapy is a valid concern people have when considering whether or not to treat trauma and PTSD.
Of course attitudes toward therapy vary between people and cultures, but beyond fear there are many valid questions about the use and effectiveness of therapy in resolving trauma.
Talking about my traumas will only make it hurt more.
We understand this fear - if you've worked hard to keep painful memories contained, the idea of opening them up feels terrifying. But avoidance actually keeps trauma alive and makes your world smaller.
Trauma-focused therapy is different than talking with friends or going it alone. Your clinician is trained in how trauma affects the body and brain, and will help you create a safe space to process memories slowly and at your pace.
Sometimes your therapist may encourage you to keep going even when it's painful, because there's healing on the other side. It's like driving through a tunnel. If you keep moving forward steadily, you get through faster than if you keep stopping and starting.
I've been through too much. It will be too much work.
One of the best things about therapy is that you move at your own pace. You're in charge of your goals and how ready you are to work on them.
Building the foundation for change is crucial in early therapy, so we take time to develop a trusting relationship before diving into difficult work. The pace can always be scaled back if things move too quickly.
Communicating about what you need, your readiness level, and the pace that feels right are all critical ways for you to direct your therapy.
I've already worked through what happened to me. I don't need trauma therapy.
It's possible your brain and body processed traumatic events on their own. It's also possible they're using protective measures to help you function, and you may not realize how trauma is still impacting your daily life.
During your first session, your clinician will explore what's bringing you to therapy now and how long these struggles have been going on. They'll also ask about past traumatic experiences and whether their impacts might be showing up today, contributing to depression, anxiety, sleep problems, or relationship issues.
Your therapist may recommend addressing past trauma to help with your overall goals, but you're in charge. You decide what you want to work on, and you'll collaborate together throughout treatment.
I don't have the time or money for therapy.
We understand that time and financial constraints can feel overwhelming, especially when you're already dealing with trauma. However, investing in healing is an investment in reclaiming your life.
Our approach is flexible and designed to accommodate your schedule and budget. We offer online counseling, reduced fees when possible, and we take insurance - many plans provide strong mental health benefits for trauma treatment.
Taking this step can lead to emotional resilience, better relationships, and freedom from the constant weight of unprocessed trauma.
From Surviving to Thriving
Trauma doesn't have to define the rest of your life. With specialized trauma therapy and compassionate support, you can process what happened, calm your nervous system, and build a life where you feel safe, connected, and present.
You deserve to live without constantly looking over your shoulder or avoiding half of your life. Take the first step toward healing from trauma and discovering what freedom feels like with one of our trauma therapists.
Therapists that Specialize in Trauma Therapy
Serving clients in Chicago, Illinois and Austin, Texas for in person therapy.
Serving clients in Illinois, Texas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida, and Virginia for online therapy.
