I’m really glad you found your way here!
Reaching out for therapy, especially trauma-informed therapy, takes a tremendous amount of courage. You may doubt that statement, but I assure you that if you are here and seeking, you are courageous and resilient! Starting therapy can bring up a mix of curiosity, hope, hesitation, and so much more. Having a highly trained, experienced, compassionate, attuned, and engaged therapist is needed to walk alongside you for this work. You don’t have to walk this path alone.
Understanding Trauma
Trauma isn’t just about what happened to you; it’s about how your nervous system learned to survive. Anxiety, depression, numbness, shame, difficulty trusting, hypervigilance, feeling disconnected from meaning or joy can be the emotional outcome of the adversity experienced in your journey. These responses are not signs of weakness—they are signs that your nervous system did what it could to protect you and now needs compassionate and effective healing trauma-informed therapy to recover.
Talking about your trauma probably won’t do much to change your response to what happened to you. Deeply rooted negative beliefs about yourself, others or the world, nervous system over-activation which manifests in anxiety, hypervigilance, or possibly shut down, and other emotional, cognitive, and physiological reactions need more than talk therapy.
Types of Trauma-Informed Therapy I offer: EMDR, IFS, KAP – and more
The primary trauma-informed therapies I use are EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), IFS (Internal Family Systems), and KAP (ketamine-assisted psychotherapy). These are collaborative processes between you and me. We will discuss which types of therapies are a good fit for you. Your decisions about your therapy will be respected and honored here. You never have to participate in a therapy you don’t feel comfortable with. However, if you are only interested in talking about your trauma, I may refer you out to a therapist that does that kind of work.
EMDR helps the brain and nervous system reprocess traumatic experiences so they no longer feel as overwhelming or present. Many clients notice that memories begin to lose their emotional charge, allowing more space for calm, clarity, and choice. (See my page about EMDR for additional information).
IFS (parts work) offers a gentle way to understand the different parts of you: Parts that feel anxious, critical, shut down, or overwhelmed, etc. Instead of trying to get rid of these parts, we get to know them and appreciate how they’ve been trying to protect you. IFS is particularly effective at healing attachment wounds. There are often very wounded parts of us that need to be unburdened and healed. (See my page about IFS for additional information).
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can support healing by creating states of increased flexibility, insight, and openness. When combined with therapy, it can help loosen rigid patterns, reduce symptoms of depression or trauma, and make it easier to access compassion, perspective, and hope. Preparation and integration are central to this work, ensuring the experience is meaningful and supportive. (See my pages about KAP and Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Therapy™ for additional information).
I use other types of therapy as needed for stabilization, coping skills, and resourcing. CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), DBT (dialectical Behavior Therapy), and Mindfulness are among the others I use.
Resilience, Courage, and Hope
If you’re here, resilience is already part of your story; even if it doesn’t feel that way yet. The same wisdom that helped you survive difficult experiences can also support healing and growth when met with the right therapeutic and relational support. Healing doesn’t mean erasing the past; that is not possible. Healing means changing how it lives inside you. It’s striving towards post-traumatic growth. Growing from the adversity and trauma you’ve experienced and being stronger and wiser than ever before. Healing is about processing through what happened to you and embracing the strength and inner wisdom you already possess. It’s about finding and connecting to the true, authentic Self within and allowing that to lead your life.
You’re Welcome Here
Whether you’re exploring trauma therapy for the first time, returning after previous experiences, or feeling drawn to approaches like EMDR, IFS, or ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, you’re welcome here exactly as you are. This is a place where your humanity is honored.
I see clients in person in my West Seattle office and via telehealth all over the State of WA.
When you’re ready, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
Aquiline means – like an eagle. I chose this name for my private practice because eagles inspire me. Eagles are associated with wisdom, freedom, hope, courage, strength, resilience and healing. These characteristics are what I hope for you as you face your challenges. May you find the freedom to soar.