Therapy for PTSD
Trauma therapy for teens and adults in Maryland, Virginia, DC, Pennsylvania and Vermont using EMDR, IFS informed parts work and creative approaches.
What is PTSD?
Trauma doesn't always look the way people expect. It can be one event that split your life into before and after: an accident, an assault, a loss, a medical crisis. It can also be something slower, built over years of growing up without safety, being hurt by the people who were supposed to protect you, or learning early that your needs didn't matter.
Either way, your nervous system learned to protect you. That protection can show up as:
Flashbacks, nightmares, or memories that feel like they're happening now
Always being on guard, easily startled, unable to relax
Feeling numb, disconnected, or like you're watching your life from outside
Losing time or feeling like different parts of you want different things
Intense shame, self-criticism, or a sense that something is wrong with you
Relationships that feel unsafe even when they should feel good
Coping in ways that help in the moment but cost you later
None of this means you're broken. It means you adapted. Therapy can help your brain and body learn that the danger is over.
Trauma Therapy Treatment Modalities
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps your brain finish processing memories that got stuck. You don't have to talk through every detail. The memory stays, but the charge comes out of it. As a faculty member of The Center for Excellence in EMDR Therapy, you can be assured I offer exceptional and top quality EMDR therapy in a field flooded with choices.
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Most people with trauma know the feeling of being at war with themselves. One part of you wants to heal and another part shuts it down. Parts work treats every part of you as having a reason for what it does, including the ones you'd rather get rid of. We get to know those parts instead of fighting them, and that is often what makes deeper healing feel safe enough to try.
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Sometimes there aren't words yet. Sandtray, art, expressive writing, and body-based practices give your experience another way out. All of these work in virtual sessions, and you don't need any artistic skill.
What healing together looks like
Build the relationship
Trauma often happens inside relationships, so healing needs one that feels different. We start with safety: getting to know each other, building trust, and making sure you have tools to steady yourself when things feel like too much. Nothing deep happens until you're ready.
Discovery & Direction Setting
Together we look at what's actually driving the pain: the memories, beliefs, and protective patterns shaping how you feel today. Then consider, what do you want to be different? We set that direction together, and it stays yours. It guides which approach we use and when.
Doing the Work
This is where active processing happens, through EMDR, parts work, creative methods, or a mix. We reprocess what's been stuck, work with the parts carrying the heaviest load, and let your nervous system learn something new. We slow down whenever we need to.
Integrating and moving forward
As things shift, we strengthen what's changed so it holds up in daily life. We talk openly about spacing out sessions and what ending looks like. The goal isn't lifelong therapy. It's for you to trust yourself again.
Let’s Talk First
Starting trauma therapy takes courage. You don't have to decide anything today. A free video consultation lets us meet, talk about what's bringing you in, and see whether we're a good fit, with no pressure and no commitment.