How I Work
Trauma-Informed Care
More Than a Catchphrase
“Trauma-informed” has become something of a catchphrase, but for me it comes from many years of sitting with people in the midst of very real trauma.
Every person’s experience is different, and there is no contest over whose trauma is worse or whose pain counts more.
One of the hardest things about trauma is how often we hide it, even from ourselves, because it can feel as though no one else could bear to be there with us in it.
You do not have to protect me from your story or make it easier for me to hear.
Trauma shapes us. We cannot pretend that what happened did not matter or did not change us. But it does not have to define us.
Together, we can face what happened, recognize the strength and resilience that are already yours, and look for ways to lessen the hold trauma has on your life.
Safety, Stability, and What Happens When Things Finally Get Quiet
“Safety before processing” has become almost a catchphrase in trauma treatment, but there is something real underneath it. Sometimes people survive terrible situations by doing whatever they have to do to get through them. There may not be room to process what is happening while you are still trying to stay alive, keep a family together, survive an abusive relationship, get through a medical crisis, or simply make it to the next day.
Then you finally get somewhere safer, and everything you did not have time to feel starts showing up. That can be confusing and frightening. You finally reach a place that is more stable and think you should feel better, and instead old memories, fear, anger, grief, body reactions, or exhaustion come rushing in. Sometimes the nervous system seems to wait until there is enough safety to say, “Okay. Now deal with this.”
Therapy is not about reaching stability once and never getting knocked off balance again. It is more about learning how to move in and out of difficult material without getting stranded there. You may get knocked off your feet. Old trauma or new stress may smack you upside the head. Over time, though, you can become better at noticing what is happening, grounding yourself, taking a breath, coming back into the present, and remembering that you have somewhere steadier to return to.
That does not happen overnight. It can take a lot of practice, and different people get there in different ways.
Who This May Fit
I work with children, teens, adults, families, and seniors. Trauma may affect each person differently, and their age is only one part of the picture. A young person may need different language than an adult; a family may need space to notice how everyone responds when one person is hurting.
I draw on trauma-informed care alongside other approaches, including narrative, somatic, attachment-based, and IFS-informed work when they fit. No one method has to carry the whole conversation. My approach begins with relationship and adjusts to your needs, goals, and personality.
Meeting and Next Steps
Virtual therapy is available throughout Texas. In-home sessions may also be possible in Killeen, Copperas Cove, Temple, and surrounding communities when it is a good fit for the person and the work. We can talk about which setting makes sense rather than assume one will work for everyone.
If you want to ask about working together, send me a message. I handle my own scheduling, and you can start with a free 15-minute introductory conversation if you'd like. You can begin with what is difficult right now. There is no requirement to have a polished account of what happened before reaching out.
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