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Therapy for Trauma & Abuse

Healing trauma in a safe, supportive way.

You don’t have to keep carrying the pain of what happened

Maybe you’ve lived through something no one should have had to endure—whether it was a chaotic home, a toxic relationship, or years of being dismissed or mistreated. Or maybe your trauma came suddenly: a car accident, a medical emergency, a loss, or a frightening experience that left your world shaken.

Even long after the event, you might still feel anxious, on edge, disconnected, or like you can’t quite relax in your own skin. Certain places, people, or situations may trigger intense emotions or body sensations that don’t make logical sense—but make perfect sense given what you’ve been through. Over time, these experiences can also shape how you see yourself—leaving behind core beliefs like “I’m not safe,” “I can’t trust others,” or “something must be wrong with me.”

You may wonder why you’re not “over it” or feel ashamed for still being affected. But trauma isn’t just what happened—it’s the impact it left on you, and the way those experiences still echo in your life today. Healing isn’t about forgetting; it’s about helping you feel safe and connected.

You might be carrying the effects of trauma if:

  • You hesitate to trust moments of calm, waiting for the other shoe to drop

  • Parts of you still feel frozen at the age when the hurt happened

  • Feeling close to others can be just as uncomfortable as feeling distant

  • You feel like your body reacts faster than your mind—tense, jumpy, or frozen before you even realize why

  • Ordinary sounds, smells, or places suddenly take you back in ways you can’t explain

  • Certain memories feel like they happened yesterday, while whole chunks of time feel missing

  • Your reactions sometimes feel much bigger than the moment calls for, and you don’t always know why

These aren’t signs of weakness—they’re survival responses. Your mind and body adapted to help you get through overwhelming or unsafe experiences. With the right support, it’s possible to move out of survival mode and into a life where you feel safer, more grounded, and more like yourself.

How we’ll work together

Healing trauma isn’t about forcing yourself to revisit the past—it’s about learning to feel safe in the present. In our work together, we’ll go at a pace that respects your nervous system and your boundaries.

We’ll start by helping you feel grounded in daily life—building tools like mindfulness, breathwork, or other regulation practices so you have ways to steady yourself when difficult emotions or memories arise.

As safety grows, we’ll begin to explore how past experiences may still be shaping your body, your relationships, and the way you see yourself. You won’t be expected to share every detail. In fact, some of our most powerful work may come from connecting with the emotions, beliefs, or protective parts that formed in response to what happened—not the events themselves.

Depending on your needs, we might use parts work, inner child dialogue, or trauma-focused methods like Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) to help you process painful memories without getting overwhelmed.

Throughout it all, I’ll support you in rebuilding your sense of agency—learning to trust your body, your boundaries, and your inner voice again. This isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about reclaiming the wholeness that’s always been within you.

Botanical floral design representing healing, resilience, and recovery from trauma and abuse in therapy with Terra Dominguez, LCSW.

Therapy for Trauma can help you…

Feel more grounded and less overwhelmed

Learn how to steady your body and mind when triggers arise, so you’re no longer pulled back into the past or ruled by fight, flight, or freeze.

Release shame that was never yours to carry

Begin to untangle from the blame and self-criticism left by painful experiences, and replace it with compassion and understanding.

Start making choices from a place of clarity, not fear

Feel less stuck in old patterns and more empowered to respond—rather than react—in your relationships, decisions, and day-to-day life.

Stop reliving the past

Gently process painful memories so they no longer hold power over your present.

Reconnect with your inner sense of safety

Begin to trust yourself, your emotions, and your instincts again—without second-guessing or self-blame.

Feel more connected in your relationships

Start to recognize what safe, healthy connection feels like—and feel more confident showing up as your full self, without shrinking or walking on eggshells.

I want you to know:

Change is possible.

Let’s work together to help you become who you were always meant to be, before the pain and fear got in the way.

Questions?

FAQs

  • You don’t need a clear memory for something to be traumatic. Often, trauma lives in the body and nervous system more than in words or images. We can work with what you're experiencing now—emotionally, physically, or relationally.

  • Comparison keeps people stuck. Your experience doesn’t need to meet a certain threshold to deserve care. If something overwhelmed your system, it matters—and you don’t have to justify it.

  • A common fear—and an important one. Good trauma therapy is designed to help you feel more resourced, not retraumatized. We’ll build regulation and safety first, so you feel more grounded as you heal.

  • It’s different for everyone. Some people feel relief quickly, others need more time. We’ll check in often and adjust the pace based on what’s working for you.

  • Click the button below to schedule your free 15-minute consultation with me. If we determine we’re a good fit to address your concerns, we’ll get you booked for your first appointment and get started!

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Your well-being is worth it.