Trauma Therapist in Denville

Helping you feel safe, secure, & connected again.

Online Across New Jersey & New York

The fear of being misunderstood or judged for what you’ve been through can leave you feeling cut off from everyone—even yourself. 

It feels like there’s an invisible weight you carry around, something that makes it hard to connect with even those you care about most, because there’s no way they’d understand. This may have led you to avoid being around people unless you really have to, for fear of breaking down in front of them.

Even when you’re alone, there are often moments when you zone out and feel far away from your own life. You think you should be “over it” by now, yet panic attacks, nightmares, or flashbacks won’t allow you to move forward. 

It’s hard to wholeheartedly trust anyone, and it seems like you can’t even rely on your own instincts to guide you anymore. You wish it was as easy as snapping your fingers and going back to how things were before, but realize that healing is going to require a bit more work than that.

You’re not “weak” for struggling, and you don’t have to carry this alone anymore.

My approach

Together, we’ll work to rebuild your trust in yourself.

In our sessions, we’ll first focus on creating a sense of safety in our relationship and connecting to how your body responds to your emotions. Together, we’ll build your awareness of the sensations that show up, especially when something from the past—like a memory, emotion, or association—gets activated. 

This helps us slow down and be with what you’re feeling instead of shoving it down and avoiding it. I’ll guide you in noticing and understanding these reactions, making it easier to approach difficult memories without feeling overwhelmed. With this steady foundation, you can start to feel more at ease and grounded in your own body.

We’ll also spend time identifying the different “parts” of you—those inner voices or feelings that often react in conflicting ways to life’s ups and downs. Some parts might step in protectively, others might feel frustrated or overwhelmed, and we’ll give each one space to be seen and heard. Rather than pushing these parts away, we’ll work on building a caring relationship with them, helping you feel more connected to yourself and in tune with what you need. This approach brings clarity to what drives you, can help you have more compassion and understanding for yourself, and reminds you that you are in control of how you respond.

Specialized therapy for trauma can help you…

  • Recognize what triggers you and understand what’s happening in those moments

  • Find out what emotional safety feels like for you, and build a sense of ease and calm from within

  • Identify and use resources, both inside of and around you, that support your well-being

  • Grow your awareness of how emotions feel in your body and how different parts of you respond to stress

  • Deepen your relationship with yourself, building compassion and understanding toward every part of you

  • Strengthen your ability to stay present and grounded, even in daily activities that used to feel overwhelming

  • Connect more deeply with family, friends, and your partner

Let’s get started

You deserve to enjoy your life again.

Sessions available online across New Jersey + New York.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

  • Trauma can change how the brain processes things, making it more reactive to stress, even if the danger isn’t there anymore. Certain memories might feel just as intense as the day they happened. Therapy can help your brain and body learn to feel safe again, so you’re not constantly stuck in “survival mode.”

  • Yes, our bodies hold onto trauma through physical sensations, like tension, pain, or even specific postures. These sensations can linger because the body didn’t get a chance to fully process and release the energy from a difficult experience. Somatic Experiencing incorporated into therapy helps you tune into these sensations and gently let them go, creating more ease and safety in your body.

  • Trauma can make relationships feel challenging because past pain can affect how safe you feel with others and how you respond to conflict or closeness. It might make you feel overly cautious or even distant at times. Therapy provides tools for understanding and shifting these patterns so you can build more secure and fulfilling relationships.

  • Yes, trauma can make your mind stay on high alert, often leading to constant thoughts about what might go wrong. This overthinking is the brain’s way of trying to protect you, even if it can feel exhausting. Therapy gives you the tools to quiet that overthinking, so you can feel more present and grounded.

  • Trauma often shows up in our bodies, sometimes long after the event itself. Somatic Experiencing helps you reconnect with your body in a safe way, allowing you to release what’s been held inside without needing to relive painful memories. This approach can restore a sense of safety and wholeness, and SE can be a vehicle to heal at a pace that feels right for you.

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) can help with trauma by gently guiding you to explore different parts of yourself that carry the pain and memories of past experiences. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, you’ll get to know these parts in a way that feels safe, recognizing how they’ve worked to protect you. Over time, you’ll learn to soothe and understand these parts, allowing healing to happen in a compassionate, gradual way.