Trauma Therapy in Kansas City, Missouri
So...What is Trauma?
In the most general sense, trauma is anything that overwhelms a person and their nervous system beyond their capacity and ability to cope or is completely out of the individual's control. It usually results in prolonged adverse effects.
The impacts of trauma are REAL and I'm here to help. You deserve to start healing and I'm here to provide a safe place for you to do that.
Healing from trauma is a process and sometimes the idea of starting that process is extremely overwhelming and scary. You want someone you can trust to hold the most tender parts of yourself; building that trust takes time. I use a trauma-informed approach that is gentle, compassionate, and led by YOU. Meaning you will always have choice and agency in our space to explore and heal from your trauma at a pace that feels safest for you. I'll help you reconnect to parts of yourself that had to disappear long ago and help you reclaim back your life.
Treatment
Treating trauma isn't a one-size-fits-all therapy. You're an individual with unique needs and goals and we'll figure out which approach first your needs and comfort level best.
​
One model I use is the Neuroaffective Relational Model (NARM). With this, I help you to get closer to the version of yourself that you want to be. We'll gently begin looking at the parts of yourself that you want to reconnect with (those which you most likely had to disconnect from throughout your life to survive your environment and relationships). We'll focus on helping you feel in control of your life and claim the agency you didn't have as a child or through the traumatic experiences you've had throughout life.
How Does Trauma Show Up?
You've probably heard the word a lot and wondered if it's applied to you. Shock trauma is probably what sounds most familiar - big traumatic events that people suffer PTSD from (car accidents, assault, war, etc.) that usually illicit those fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses. Complex trauma, on the other hand, impacts so many of us. It's the kind that results from emotional or relational trauma that typically begins in childhood. When we don't get our emotional needs met in relationships starting at a young age, we find ways to disconnect from those needs, emotions, and ultimately ourselves. As an adult, this might look like:
Depression
Disconnected and/or Numb
Feeling Helpless or Hopeless
People Pleasing
Isolating
Self-Critical/Self-Shaming
Anxiety
Self-esteem Issues
Chronic Illness and Pain
Flashbacks
Lack of Sleep
If you've experienced shock trauma or complex trauma, I'm here to help.
We already have everything we need inside of us. We just need to reconnect to it.
Together, we'll explore what you truly want for yourself and what current life things and past wounds are getting in the way of that. We'll give all the care and attention to those younger versions of you who have needed it for so long so that you can enter into your healing process and get closer to the version of you that you've always hoped for. You'll get to reclaim your power and agency over your own life.
If you feel ready to start exploring your own therapy journey, I'd love to join you and help you begin healing. Call, text or email me and let's connect.