Trauma Therapy in Los Angeles
Evidence-based treatment for adults, teens, and children processing trauma, PTSD, and difficult life experiences.
You’re not aloneWhat You're Experiencing Makes Sense
Trauma changes how your brain and body respond to the world. If you're feeling on edge, disconnected, or like you can't trust yourself or others the way you used to, that's your nervous system still running the protections it learned.
You might be here because:
You experienced something overwhelming and haven't been able to fully move past it
Certain situations, people, or places trigger intense reactions you can't always explain
You feel numb, disconnected, or like you're just going through the motions
Memories or images intrude when you don't want them to
You're exhausted from being on high alert all the time
You've noticed patterns in your life or relationships that trace back to painful experiences, maybe even ones from childhood or your family history
Common Signs & Symptoms
Trauma shows up differently for everyone. You don't need a formal PTSD diagnosis to benefit from trauma-focused therapy.
Mental and Emotional Symptoms:Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
Feeling emotionally numb or detached
Difficulty trusting others or feeling safe in relationships
Shame, guilt, or a persistent sense that something is wrong with you
Physical & Behavioral Symptoms:Being easily startled or constantly on edge
Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
Avoiding people, places, or situations that trigger memories
Physical reactions (racing heart, tension, nausea) when reminded of the trauma
the scienceHow Trauma Triggers Work
Triggers are anything that reminds your nervous system of the original threat, even when you're safe now. When triggered, your brain doesn't always distinguish between past and present. It activates the same survival responses (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn) that helped you get through the original experience. This isn't a weakness. It's your nervous system doing what it learned to do.
Why Trauma Symptoms Persist
After a traumatic experience, it's common to develop rigid beliefs about yourself, others, and the world:
"I should have done something differently."
"I can't trust anyone."
"There's something fundamentally wrong with me."
These beliefs are what keep trauma symptoms in place, and they can change.
Our MethodOur Approach to Trauma Treatment
We use structured, evidence-based methods that don't require you to relive every detail of what happened. Treatment focuses on what the experience taught you to believe about yourself and the world, and whether those beliefs are still serving you.
Cognitive Processing TherapyCPT is a form of CBT for adults who have experienced trauma. In sessions, we identify unhelpful thinking patterns that often result from traumatic experiences. People who have experienced trauma tend to develop negative beliefs about safety, trust, power and control, esteem, and intimacy. Together, we work to develop more balanced beliefs in these areas and help you move past the trauma in the safe environment of therapy.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral TherapyTF-CBT is a trauma treatment for children and teens who have experienced a life-threatening or overwhelmingly distressing event. After a trauma, children might appear anxious, become hypervigilant, avoid reminders of the trauma, or startle easily. We work with the child or teen and parent to build coping skills, identify unhelpful beliefs, and process the trauma through a trauma narrative.
the differenceWhat Makes Our Approach Different
Safety comes first. We won't push you to talk about anything before you're ready. The pace of our work is something we decide together, and you're always in control of what you share and when. We also work from a relational, attachment-informed lens. Trauma often happens in relationships, and healing often happens in relationships too.
This isn't about "getting over it" or pretending it didn't happen. It's about integrating what happened so it no longer controls how you live.
the processWhat to Expect
Getting StartedWe start with a free 15-minute consultation to see if we're a good fit. You'll share what's bringing you to therapy and ask questions about our approach. You don't need to share details of your trauma on this call.
The workSessions are 50 minutes, typically weekly. Early sessions focus on stabilization and coping skills, making sure you have tools to manage distress before we move into deeper processing work. When you're ready, we'll work through the beliefs that formed around your trauma using a structured, evidence-based approach.
FAQCommon Questions about Anxiety
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Not necessarily. CPT focuses on the beliefs that formed after the trauma, not on retelling the story over and over. You're always in control of what you share and when. We'll never push you to disclose more than you're ready for.
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Some therapy approaches can inadvertently keep you stuck by having you revisit the trauma without the structure to actually process it. CPT is specifically designed to help you work through trauma efficiently and safely. We also prioritize stabilization first—making sure you have coping tools in place before we do deeper work.
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Trauma isn't about comparing your experience to someone else's. If something overwhelmed your capacity to cope and is still affecting you today, that's enough. You don't need a specific diagnosis or a certain type of event to benefit from trauma therapy.
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Yes. Many clients come to recognize that their current struggles trace back to early experiences or generational trauma cycles. We can work on understanding these patterns and changing how they show up in your life today.
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Most people notice significant improvement within 10-20 sessions, though this can vary. Complex trauma or multiple traumatic experiences may take longer. We'll set goals together and revisit them regularly so you always know where you stand.