Trauma Therapy & Counseling in Southeastern WI
“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.”
— Peter A. Levine
What is Trauma?
If you’re asking this question, please know that you’re not alone. And its ok to be unsure, by nature, trauma is confusing. It’s not defined solely by what happened to you—it's about how those experiences affected you. What feels overwhelming or deeply distressing to one person may not affect someone else in the same way.
Trauma can stem from a single event, ongoing experiences, or relationships where you didn't feel safe, supported, or able to be fully yourself. What really makes trauma so difficult is that the effects continue long after the experience has ended, shaping how you feel, relate to others, and move through the world. You might notice feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, maybe you’re stuck in certain relationships, or reacting more strongly than you’d like. These responses make sense in the context of what you’ve been through.
What Does Trauma Therapy Look Like?
Above all, trauma therapy begins with safety. This work moves at a pace that feels manageable for you, with no pressure to share or revisit experiences before you feel ready.
Healing is about more than simply retelling the story of what happened. Healing with me is holistic, I’ll help you pay close attention to the ways your experiences may continue to live within your body, nervous system, relationships, and sense of self. With care and intention, this work can help you build greater resilience, reconnect with your body, and create more space for safety, flexibility, and ease in your life.
This work invites you to hold your stories with both tenderness and grief. It offers an opportunity to reestablish your relationship with pleasure, goodness, and joy; to learn how to be with your emotions and uncover the wisdom they hold; and to reconnect with your body—not as a place to escape or stay disconnected from, but as a place where you can finally feel at home.
Understand Triggers
Recognize how past experiences may shape your emotional and nervous system responses in the present.
Connect With Your Body's Wisdom
Tune into your body's signals with curiosity and compassion, discovering what they can teach you about your needs, experiences, and sense of safety.
Build Emotional Safety
Develop a greater sense of safety within yourself, your body, and your relationships.
Process Emotions
Gently work through emotions and experiences that may feel stuck, overwhelming, or difficult to access.
Rewrite Narratives
Explore the beliefs and stories you’ve developed about yourself and your experiences, and create space for new perspectives
I consider it a profound privilege to walk alongside you in this work. Trauma therapy offers a space to gently heal and grow. Trauma therapy is available for folks throughout Wisconsin, with in person sessions available in person in my Elm Grove office and virtually throughout the state.
If you’re wondering whether trauma therapy may be right for you, reach out to schedule a complimentary consultation and explore whether working together feels like a good fit.