Trauma Therapy
from the wounds life has given you
Online & In-person trauma therapy in Atlanta and throughout Georgia
Have you experienced a trauma like a car crash, surviving a natural disaster, domestic violence, or sexual violence?
Maybe you feel like you’ve experienced trauma, but it looks a little different? It could have been over a long period of time, or it could have been inflicted by someone you love?
Or maybe you’re just unsure? You relate to a lot of the emotional feelings and barriers that people talk about from dysfunctional relationships or families, but it’s hard to put a finger on it.
If you feel like you’ve experienced trauma, even if you can’t put the words or emotions to it, you likely have, and you deserve to talk about it.
What is trauma?
You can go to 12 different websites and find 12 different ways that trauma is talked about and explained, and they would all likely be correct. While trauma isn’t necessarily subjective, it is more than major car accidents, natural disasters, and violence. Trauma is anything that negatively affects the nervous system and overall belief system of the world. A lot of people don’t believe they don’t have trauma because their lives haven’t looked like the incredibly sad movies or new stories but then panic when they believe that someone is mad at them, punch walls because they feel overwhelmingly misunderstood, or commonly, people shut down in the face of conflict or disagreement because it doesn’t feel emotionally safe to rock the boat, despite knowing they’re in safe company. You can also be very aware that you were traumatized at some point by combat, an accident, violence, domestic violence, or any other situation that you actively define as trauma, but maybe you have a hard time understanding how it impacts your life today. It may have been incredibly important for you to move on quickly from the event, and you haven’t had the space or time to process what your life looks like now because of those events in the past. Trauma stays stored in the body, whether we actively recognize it or not, and doesn’t wait for the right time to show up. It typically rears its head when we are at peak stress levels in life and just need one thing to go right, or when you’re making big changes, and that level of change starts to feel dysregulating.
What are the signs and symptoms of trauma?
Everyone’s symptoms and experiences with trauma may look a little different. However, there are typically some key indicators or symptoms to look out for when being curious about whether you feel like you are struggling with trauma or PTSD.
Flashbacks or intrusive memories.
People-pleasing tendencies.
“Shutting down” or avoiding conflict.
Feeling like you overall struggle to feel any emotion or too much of one emotion.
Detachment from self, apathy, or struggles to concentrate.
Hypervigilance or being easily startled.
Having an addictive personality.
Struggles with trust in healthy relationships.
Increased levels of anger or irritability.
Avoiding people or places that remind you of uncomfortable memories.
Low or depressed mood.
Higher levels of anxiety.
Struggle to fall asleep, or sleep too much.
Low self-worth.
We take the time to truly understand you and your story. We like to know how you feel about certain memories, what you wish you could change, and the visions you have for your life in the future. We then move into a space of identifying thoughts and behaviors that reinforce traumatized thoughts and feelings, and we work to create a safe and curious relationship with those thoughts and behaviors. You’ll explore what it’s like to trust yourself again, do the things you’ve always been afraid of doing, and maybe even start to like yourself again. We work to get you back in your body instead of just moving through the motions to survive the day. We focus on the things that have largely been unsaid and stop shoving them to the back of the closet.
If you’re ready for a transformed relationship with yourself, a better understanding of your feelings and behaviors, shifted perspectives, and improved language to ask for the things you want, our approach is probably for you.
Our approach to therapy for trauma
I have some questions about trauma therapy
Everyone’s process is unique and isn’t easily compared to anyone else. However, we do ask that, should you feel that your trauma therapist is the right fit, you give the process no less than 3-6 months. Typically, most people feel marked relief within 6-12 months.
How long should I expect for this process to take?
At The Cozy Couch Counseling, yes. The trauma therapists here have spent a lot of time and dedication on specific training and education for the gold standard and clinically successful approaches to working with those who have experienced trauma. While many therapists may feel comfortable working with and processing trauma, there is a difference between comfort with holding space and diving deep in order to create life long relief and healing.
Are trauma therapists considered specialists?
You have the choice of either one! We have an office in the Sandy Springs/Atlanta area, and we also offer HIPAA-compliant video calls. So the environment of your care is completely up to you.
Do I attend trauma therapy in person or virtually?
We cannot make the promise that you’ll never experience another bad day, or that you’ll be free from all mood swings, triggers, random setbacks, etc. However, we intend for you to leave us with a deep understanding of where those things come from, how they are best managed, and genuine care for self within the tougher or more vulnerable moments, without falling back into negative self-talk or counterproductive cycles that prevent you from moving on with life.
What outcomes can I expect from trauma therapy?
You deserve the ability to move on for good.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation or jump right in by booking a full session
Meet Stephanie, our therapist who specializes in therapy for adults with trauma, here!
Meet Brianna, our therapist who specializes in therapy for children & teenagers with trauma, here!
We work with trauma in Atlanta and throughout Georgia in person and online.
