Trauma Therapy

"Trauma comes back as a reaction, not a memory."-Bessel Van Der Kolk

If you feel ready to feel free from old wounds and hurts, or to shed a story that doesn't belong to you anymore, you're in the right place.

If you have trauma, you may find yourself feeling nervous, on edge, worried and alone.

Maybe you feel like…

You show a put together side of yourself to the world, but there is another part of you that’s suffering
You get stuck worrying about the same things over and over--caught in a shame spiral or negative thought loop
You’re distrustful of other people and have difficulty getting close to others
You’re struggle with zoning out or feeling numb
You find yourself over working, over functioning, and you only rest by scrolling on your phone or watching bad movies on Netflix
You try to please others, disregard your own needs and boundaries in relationships, and hate sharing how you feel because you don’t want to ‘rock the boat’

It feels like other people don't see the real you.

You go from feeling anxious and in fight or flight one moment, to feeling completely shut down and depressed the next. You don't feel like you can share your whole self with others because you fear you'll be seen as too 'sensitive,' 'emotional' or 'negative.'
You overextend yourself in multiple areas of your life. Whether it's fitness, work or relationships, you often feel burnt out...and you're so dang drained and exhausted from trying to accomplish so much, accommodate others and keep relationships alive.
Underneath all this striving a real desire to be loved and seen. You secretly fear that if you stop trying so hard, you'll be alone and exposed as not being 'good enough.'

You’ve spent so much time trying to be perfect that you may not even know what it’s like to live without all this pressure. You’re tired of carrying tis heavy weight, always planning, over-scheduling, trying to take care of others, or beating yourself up emotionally. But stopping feels risky—what if people see the real you and don’t like it? What if you are exposed as the fraud you often feel like deep down?

I want you to know:

You're not alone. You don't have to live this way.

Living in fight, flight, fawn, freeze may be all you’ve ever known, but I’m here to tell you that you can heal. You can have fulfilling relationships with yourself and others where you actually feel understood. Together, we can to make it so that trauma and the past don’t run your life and to help you build a life where you feel safe, secure, and seen. Trauma therapy can help you get there.

Do I Really Have Trauma?

When something scary or overwhelming happens to us in life, especially when that overwhelming thing gets repeated over and over again, your brain and body work together to protect you.

It’s like your body sets off an “emergency alarm” to keep you safe. But sometimes, even after the danger is gone, that alarm doesn’t completely shut off.

Instead of the memory being processed and stored away, it can get stuck in your body. This keeps your brain and body on edge, acting like the threat is still there. As a result, you might feel anxious, irritable, or jumpy, even when there’s nothing wrong in the moment.

Your body becomes super sensitive to anything that reminds it of the past—even small things like a certain smell or sound—because it’s trying to protect you. It’s not bad or broken; it just hasn’t realized that the danger is over.

When we work through the trauma, your brain and body can finally calm down. That old alarm gets turned off, and instead of reacting automatically, you can respond to situations with more ease and control. EMDR therapy helps your brain and body feel safe again.

Trauma can look like:

However, any situation that leaves a person feeling overwhelmed, alone–even if this experience doesn’t involve death or bodily harm–can be traumatic. Trauma is defined by a person’s subjective experience. Other events that may be experienced as traumatic include:

I help clients heal the deep trauma that lives in their bodies

People who’ve been through trauma sometimes think things like:

Trauma therapy focuses on helping integrate the ‘logical’ brain and your nervous system. So you’re no longer stuck in a tug-of-war between what you “know” in your head and what you feel in your heart.

Instead, we can process old wounds so that your body can store them as long term memories and your brain won’t get hijacked every time your partner fails to respond to your text quickly enough or your computer crashes before a work meeting.

If you’ve tried traditional talk therapy before and didn’t get much out of it, be prepared for an invitation to go deeper.

Using somatic approaches like IFS and EMDR, I’ll help you understand and have compassion for all parts of yourself so you can move past trauma, get out of fight or flight, and live life from a more relaxed place.

I work with and get to know YOU so that all parts of you feel safe enough to explore and process trauma. This isn’t a cookie cutter, one size fits all approach.

If you're ready to...

Trauma therapy can help.

Here’s a 2 minute video about how EMDR therapy works for healing trauma. See my EMDR Therapy page for more info.

Frequently Asked Questions About Trauma Therapy

What is done in trauma therapy?

In my practice, I use EMDR therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and somatic approaches to help clients heal from trauma. These methods are designed to support you in managing symptoms, developing stronger coping skills, and working toward true healing and recovery. By addressing the root of trauma and reconnecting with your body, we can work together to release what’s been holding you back and create space for deeper healing.

How do I know if I have trauma?

Trauma can mean different things to different people, but I think of it as something that’s happened to us that still disturbs us and affects us negatively in daily life.

You might recognize some of these common symptoms of trauma:

Flashbacks or nightmares
Dissociation or memory gaps
Trouble managing emotions
Feeling on edge or hypervigilant
Challenges in relationships
Struggling with self-esteem or negative self-image
Avoiding people, places, or situations that feel upsetting
Difficulty setting or maintaining boundaries
Trouble building or keeping healthy relationships
Social anxiety or generalized anxiety
Fear of abandonment or discomfort being alone

If any of this resonates with you, you’re not alone—and there’s a path to healing.

How do I get started with trauma therapy?

I’d love the chance to support you on your journey to healing from trauma! We’ll begin with a free 20-minute consultation to get to know each other and see if we’re a good fit.

I believe the connection between therapist and client is one of the most important parts of therapy. If it feels like we’re not a good fit, I’m more than happy to help you find someone who is.

How long does trauma therapy take?

The length of therapy really depends on your unique needs and goals. I’ve worked with trauma survivors for both shorter periods (6–8 sessions) and longer-term work (20+ sessions). Most people feel some relief in 6-8 sessions.

I’m trained in approaches like EMDR and IFS, which often help people find relief faster than traditional talk therapy.

Some clients come to address a specific event and may finish therapy in a shorter timeframe, while others prefer ongoing support to process multiple traumas or to have a safe space to return to when life feels overwhelming or triggering. It’s all about what works best for you.

You don’t have to live with overthinking, feeling on edge, or a constant feeling of dread. Therapy can help you heal from trauma and feel secure and seen in your relationships. My online, Colorado therapy practice specializes in helping women who are ready to heal from trauma. To start your counseling journey, follow these simple steps:

Contact Emma at Mindful Counseling, Denver
Meet with Emma for an intake session
Start writing a new story and leaving trauma behind you

Other Counseling Services at Mindful Counseling, Denver

Therapy for Trauma isn’t the only service I offer at my online, Colorado therapy practice. Other mental health services Mindful Counseling, Denver provides include Feminist Counseling, anxiety therapy, and EMDR Therapy.

Mindful Counseling, Denver Colorado