Trauma Therapy in Brooklyn, NY
Trauma-informed care to help you feel safe, grounded, and whole again in New York
What is Trauma Therapy?
Trauma therapy helps you process and heal from the lasting impact of traumatic experiences that occurred in the near or distant past.
Definition and Explanation of Trauma
Trauma is any distressing experience or shocking event where someone feels powerless and overwhelmed by their ability to cope. Trauma can occur from a variety of events such as, but not limited to, abuse, neglect, accident, illness, violence, natural disaster.
Trauma is not about a single event, it’s the lasting impact of any experience that shatters your sense of safety, connection, or self-worth. Unresolved trauma experiences can have lasting physical, emotional, mental, social, biological and spiritual impacts. This affects your wellbeing in many aspects of life, and it can be difficult to live your life as you did before the trauma.
There are different types of trauma. The main types are physical, psychological, and relational. Trauma can vary in presentation and severity, and be acute, chronic, or complex.
Importance of Seeking Treatment for Trauma
Trauma can leave a lasting imprint on mind and body leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental health issues. If left untreated, these conditions can worsen over time, leading to significant impairment in daily life and even physical health.
Common Symptoms of Trauma
PTSD symptoms to be aware of after a traumatic event occurs include:
Mood troubles such as irritability, anxiety and depression
Panic attacks
Negative thoughts
Relationship issues and social isolation
Sleep disturbances
Difficulty relaxing
Destructive tendencies
Distressing thoughts
Emotional numbness or disociative tendencies
Shame, guilt or low self-esteem
Feelings of hopelessness
Trauma can have a lasting impact on your wellbeing and personal development. After trauma occurs, maladaptive compensatory patterns can form, often outside of conscious awareness.
How Trauma Affects Life and Health
There are many ways to avoid memories and get “past” trauma. Common unhealthful approaches involve substance use to manage symptoms. Relationships may be impacted by isolation and withdrawal. It can be difficult to concentrate and complete tasks, making school and work challenging. Trauma also leads to a range of physical health problems including chronic pain and gastrointestinal issues.
How Trauma Therapy Helps
Trauma therapy will help you process traumatic memories which provides relief from symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, emotional numbness and physical tension. Trauma therapy will also help build the tolerance and emotional resilience needed to confront pain and make meaning. The goal of trauma therapy is to help you integrate the traumatic experience into your life story in a way that reduces its power over you.
Trauma can feel like something that's still happening or constantly threatening you, and the only true way out is through, not past.
People often seek therapy when the coping skills that were once helpful no longer work, or are creating problems in the present. If you’re looking for ptsd therapy new york city, best trauma therapist nyc and complex ptsd therapist nyc, you’ve landed in the right place.
How I Help Clients Heal From Trauma Across New York
Trauma affects the brain, body, and nervous system in specific ways. If you're considering trauma therapy, finding a therapist specifically trained in trauma treatment is important because they'll understand how to work with you without retraumatizing you.
We always work collaboratively at a pace that feels right for you, understanding that healing isn't about forcing yourself to "get over it" but about gradually building capacity to process difficult experiences. We respect the natural timing of the process and reflect on the process itself.
There are many modalities for approaching trauma treatment, and I incorporate a range of evidence-based practices, but most importantly in the treatment of trauma is to find someone who makes you feel safe, seen, and heard. If you feel those things, it’s more likely a relationship will develop that will help provide the guidance and support needed to move through the healing process.
The best way to get started is by scheduling an intro consultation to discuss your case.
What to Expect
All engagements begin with a free 30-minute consultation so we can get to know each other, talk through what support might look like, and ensure it’s the right fit.
From there, we co-create a plan based on your goals, needs, and capacity. Every person’s process is different—my role is to support yours with curiosity, compassion, and care.
How to Know If Trauma Therapy Can Help You
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Hypervigilance and heightened startle reaction are common responses to a traumatic event.
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This can come in the form of flashbacks, nightmares, emotional distress or physical reactivity to a traumatic reminder. This can also manifest in unfulfilling or damaging relational patterns.
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Trauma leaves a physical imprint on the body. Fear is experienced in the body via the nervous system.
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You can start slow if you’re not sure. A common question a therapist might ask during a consultation call is “why now?”
Trauma Therapy in Brooklyn, Manhattan and New York
Offering trauma therapy across New York via telehealth — providing accessible, trauma-informed support wherever you are.
Begin Your Healing Journey From Trauma Today.
You don’t have to carry your past alone. Reach out for a free consultation.
Trauma Therapy in New York: FAQs
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The best therapy for trauma depends on you, the type of trauma, and where you are in your healing process. The best way to find what you need is to set up introductory consultations with a few therapists, ask questions, and assess how you feel after your conversation. Healing happens in connection, especially if the trauma has a relational aspect to it, so the therapeutic alliance is the most important part of what makes a trauma treatment successful.
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EMDR is not suitable for everyone. People with psychiatric conditions such as psychosis, severe dissociation, or certain medical conditions such as epilepsy or recent cardiac issues should not do EMDR. The intense emotional processing involved in EMDR can worsen dissociative symptoms or destabilize psychosis, while people with certain medical or neurological conditions might be at risk due to the bilateral stimulation used in EMDR.
Individuals experiencing acute crisis, or with active substance abuse issues also need to be stabilized before engaging in EMDR therapy.
EMDR therapy is also not recommended for those with a weak support system. A strong therapeutic alliance is also critical for success, so people without these are not good candidates.
EMDR may also not be appropriate for people in active legal situations, those with severe memory related cognitive issues and people who cannot focus. A lack of focus can prevent the brain from re-processing trauma, leading to negative reactions like panic attacks or dissociation.
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The 4 R's of trauma-informed care are Realize, Recognize, Respond, and Resist Re-traumatization.
This is a framework for creating supportive recovery spaces through the understanding of trauma's prevalence, identifying its signs, responding with healing practices, and actively preventing triggers that could cause further harm.
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Insurance companies typically cover trauma therapy, but a qualifying mental health diagnosis is required. Specifics like copays, session limits, and covered therapy types vary by plan and coverage details can differ significantly, so it’s important to verify benefits with your insurance provider. It’s also important to know that insurance places restrictions on treatments, dictates treatment options available to patients and frequently denies coverage. For this reason it’s not uncommon to find that many therapists don’t work directly with insurance, instead providing a superbill that you can submit if your plan has out of network benefits.
Some questions that might be helpful for checking your insurance coverage include:
What are my out-of-network benefits for outpatient therapy/behavioral health?
How many sessions per year does my insurance cover?
Is there an out of pocket max? If so, what is it?
What is the reimbursement rate per session?
What is my deductible? How much of it have I met? When does it renew?
Is preauthorization required from my primary care doctor?
What is the process for reimbursement? How long will it take to be reimbursed?
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