Trauma Therapy in Los Angeles, California

Understanding the story behind your symptoms:

When people think about trauma, they often imagine a single life-threatening event. While that can certainly be traumatic, many of the people I work with don't initially think of themselves as having experienced trauma at all.

Instead, they come to therapy because they're anxious all the time. They struggle to trust people, feel disconnected in relationships, constantly question themselves, or find that they're always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Some have become experts at taking care of everyone else while ignoring their own needs. Others describe feeling emotionally numb, overwhelmed by small stressors, or like they're carrying around a level of exhaustion that never really goes away.

Sometimes these patterns develop after a specific event. Sometimes they develop over years of growing up in an environment where emotional needs weren't consistently met, conflict felt unpredictable, love felt conditional, or there simply wasn't enough room to be yourself.

One of the things I find most meaningful about trauma therapy is helping people understand that these patterns rarely develop for no reason. Rather than asking, "How do I stop feeling this way?" we often begin by asking a different question: How did this way of coping make sense at one point in my life?

My approach to trauma therapy

My approach is grounded in curiosity.

When someone comes into therapy, I'm usually less interested in assigning labels to what's happening and more interested in understanding the context surrounding it. I want to know what your relationships have been like, how you've learned to cope with difficult emotions, what messages you've received about yourself over the years, and how those experiences continue to shape your life today.

Many of the symptoms people want to get rid of—anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, emotional shutdown, difficulty trusting others, feeling responsible for everyone else's emotions—often make much more sense once we understand the role they've played.

That doesn't mean those patterns are still serving you.

It simply means I don't see them as evidence that something is wrong with you. More often than not, they've been creative ways of adapting to difficult circumstances.

Understanding that doesn't make the symptoms disappear overnight, but it often changes the way people relate to themselves. Instead of feeling frustrated by their reactions, they begin to approach them with more compassion and curiosity. From there, we have much more room to create change.

Why I practice integrative psychotherapy

If you've spent any time looking for a therapist, you've probably noticed that everyone practices a different type of therapy. CBT. Psychodynamic therapy. EMDR. ACT. Somatic therapy. The reality is that no single approach works for every person, which is one of the reasons I practice integrative psychotherapy. Rather than beginning with a specific modality, I begin with you.

Some clients benefit from understanding longstanding relationship patterns through a psychodynamic lens. Others find EMDR to be an incredibly helpful way of processing experiences that continue to feel emotionally charged. Sometimes we spend time noticing what's happening in your body before we ever begin talking about the past. Other times we challenge deeply held beliefs that developed years ago but continue to influence the way you see yourself today.

Therapy isn't just about talking about the past

One misconception I hear fairly often is that trauma therapy means spending every session revisiting painful memories. Understanding your history matters because it gives us context, but therapy is just as focused on the present. We'll pay attention to the places where those old experiences continue to show up in your life today—your relationships, your work, your inner dialogue, your ability to set boundaries, your nervous system, and your sense of self.

We'll also spend time developing practical ways of responding differently. Insight is important, but insight by itself doesn't always create change. My hope is that therapy helps you not only understand yourself more deeply, but also experience your life differently.

When EMDR is part of the process

As an EMDR-trained therapist, I often incorporate EMDR into trauma treatment when it's clinically appropriate. For some people, certain memories continue to feel emotionally "unfinished." Even years later, they can evoke the same fear, shame, grief, or helplessness they carried when they first occurred. EMDR can help the brain process those experiences in a different way, allowing them to become part of your story without continuing to have the same emotional intensity.

That said, EMDR is only one part of my work. Sometimes it's the right intervention. Sometimes it isn't—not yet, or not at all. Before beginning trauma processing, I want to make sure you have the internal resources to feel grounded and supported throughout the process. I don't believe therapy should move faster than your nervous system is ready for.

What therapy with me is like

I tend to be an active therapist. I'll ask questions, notice patterns, offer observations, and occasionally challenge ways of thinking that no longer seem to be serving you. I also believe therapy should feel collaborative. You know yourself and your life in ways I never will, and my role isn't to tell you who you are—it's to help you see yourself more clearly. People often tell me they appreciate that our sessions feel genuine. We might spend one session exploring something deeply emotional and another laughing together about the strange ways our minds try to protect us. I don't think therapy has to feel overly formal to be meaningful. Healing often happens within the context of a safe, authentic relationship, and I work hard to create that kind of environment with every client.

Trauma therapy in Santa Monica, Studio City, and throughout California

I work with adults and adolescents who are navigating the effects of trauma, whether those experiences stem from childhood, relationships, significant life events, or patterns that have developed over time. I offer in-person trauma therapy in Santa Monica and Studio City, as well as telehealth throughout California.