Trauma Therapy Sarasota
Trauma-Informed Care: Where Brain Science Meets Compassion Intro Section
If you're looking for trauma therapy in Sarasota, you've probably tried other approaches with varying degrees of success. It’s also likely that you self-medicated the symptoms of trauma with drugs or alcohol. Sadly, it’s a painfully ubiquitous story I hear far too often. Even though the word “trauma” is almost everywhere, it is also frequently misunderstood. What qualifies as trauma anyway? Being the victim of a life-threatening violence? Witnessing a traumatic event? Surviving the fog of war? Growing up in an alcoholic home?
Trauma can be any of these, and more. Following the Vietnam war, the medical field finally began giving trauma the attention it deserved. We learned that it wasn’t what happened to you, but how it changed you. Once the brain gets rewired by trauma, your emotions, relationships and physical health change. Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, one of the giants in the field of trauma research and treatment, wrote a book whose title every trauma survivor intuitively understands: The Body Keeps The Score.
Dr. Van Der Kolk’s book has won unprecedented appeal; it has been on the New York Times’ bestseller list for an unprecedented 254 weeks. (By comparison, Stephen King’s books are on the list for a few weeks to a few months.) The Body Keeps The Score’s popularity reflects not only the nearly universal nature of trauma, but also the promise that there is a solution.
Twenty years ago, I began to recognize that some of my clients with Substance Use Disorders were doing all the right things to maintain sobriety but still suffering. Almost always, the culprit was trauma. As a result, I spent the next decade reading, training in healing techniques, consulting with experts in the field, going to seminars, and obtaining clinical supervision on individual cases. I also addressed my own childhood trauma in therapy.
Medical science, scholarly research, clinical trials and the experience of thousands of patients has shown the unequivocal reality that treatment for trauma works. In my practice and in my personal life, I’m living proof.
Professional Trauma Therapy in Sarasota
Licensed trauma therapist with 30+ years experience in trauma-informed care. I provide EMDR, somatic therapy, and evidence-based treatment that prioritizes your safety and control in the healing process. Serving Sarasota, Bradenton, and Venice areas with LGBTQ+ affirming care.
Trauma isn't just about the event that happened to you. It's about how that event affected your nervous system, your ability to feel safe in the world, and your capacity to trust yourself and others. When something traumatic happens, your brain and body do exactly what they're supposed to do. They activate every survival mechanism available to help you get through it.
The problem is that sometimes these survival mechanisms (known as fight or flight)don't turn off when the danger has passed. Your nervous system might still be stuck in survival mode, constantly scanning for threats that may not actually be there. You might find yourself having intense reactions to situations that objectively seem safe, but your body remembers danger.
This shows up in different ways for different people. Some people experience flashbacks where they feel like they're reliving the trauma. Others have panic attacks that seem to come out of nowhere. You might have trouble sleeping, concentrating, or feeling connected to other people. Some people feel numb and disconnected from their emotions, while others feel overwhelmed by feelings that seem too big to handle.
Maybe you've noticed that you have trouble trusting people, even people who care about you. Or you might find yourself either avoiding situations that remind you of the trauma, or putting yourself in dangerous situations without really understanding why. You could be struggling with:
- Intrusive thoughts or images that you can't control
- Sleep problems including nightmares or insomnia
- Feeling disconnected from your body or emotions
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering things
- Intense reactions to reminders of what happened
- Problems in relationships due to trust issues or emotional numbness
- Using various behaviors to cope with difficult feelings
My Approach to Trauma-Informed Therapy
Trauma therapy isn't about making you relive painful experiences or pushing you to "process" things before you're ready. My approach is about helping you feel safe in your own body again and giving you back control over your life and your healing process.
I use science-based trauma-informed approaches that recognize that you are the expert on your own experience. This means that you set the pace of therapy. You decide what you're ready to talk about and when. You're never pressured to share more than feels safe, and we always work within your window of tolerance so that you don't become overwhelmed.
I'm trained in evidence-based approaches like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), trauma-focused CBT, and somatic approaches that help your nervous system learn that the danger has passed. But more than any specific technique, what matters most is that you feel understood, believed, and supported in your healing process.
One thing that sets my practice apart is that I understand trauma doesn't happen in isolation. I addition to altering every level of your functioning, trauma spawns depression and anxiety, and almost always dysfunctional attempts to self[medicate. address those issues as part of your overall healing rather than treating them as separate problems.
The Fix That Almost Works: Trauma and Substance Misuse
Practically every trauma survivor has found temporary relief in substances or other addictive behaviors, and his theories support my approach to this thorny issue.
The work of psychiatrist Dr. Gabor Maté has popularized the compassionate, trauma-informed approach to addiction, mental health, and chronic illness. He is a skeptic of conventional medical and psychological paradigms by emphasizing the deep connections between early childhood adversity, emotional repression, and later life dysfunction.
Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Maté argues that addiction is not a choice or a moral failing but a coping mechanism—an attempt to find relief from emotional pain, disconnection, and unresolved trauma. His lens is deeply humanizing: he sees behavior not as a symptom to be controlled but as a message to be understood.
In his groundbreaking book In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, Gabor Maté shows that the relationship between trauma and addiction is both compassionate and paradigm-shifting: he sees addiction not as a disease, a choice, or a genetic defect, but as a response to trauma—a survival strategy developed to soothe deep emotional wounds. For Mate, “The question is not why the addiction, but why the pain.”
In my practice, healing requires addressing the underlying pain, not just suppressing the behavior. This means cultivating safety, self-awareness, and connection—helping individuals come home to themselves. Trauma, for Maté, isn’t just part of the story of addiction; it is the soil in which it grows.
What to Expect from Your Therapy Sessions
When you first reach out, we'll have a conversation about what you're hoping for from therapy and whether my approach feels like a good fit for your needs. There's no pressure to commit to anything, and you can ask any questions you have about the process.
If we decide to work together, the early sessions focus on helping you feel safe and in control. We'll work on understanding your unique trauma responses and developing tools to help you manage difficult feelings when they come up. We don't jump into processing traumatic memories until you feel ready and have the skills to handle whatever emotions might arise.
Throughout the process, you maintain complete control. You can pause, slow down, or change direction anytime something doesn't feel right. Many people have had experiences in therapy where they felt pushed or pressured, and that won't happen here.
What you can expect is a therapist who believes your experience, understands that your reactions make sense, and respects your pace of healing. You'll get practical tools for managing trauma symptoms, but more importantly, you'll get support in reclaiming your sense of safety and your trust in yourself.
Serving Sarasota and Surrounding Communities
I work with trauma survivors throughout the Sarasota area, including people from Bradenton, Venice, Lakewood Ranch, and surrounding communities. I understand the unique challenges of seeking help in our area, including concerns about confidentiality and finding a therapist who truly understands trauma.
Many trauma survivors worry about being judged or not believed, especially if their trauma involves sexual assault, domestic violence, or childhood abuse. My practice is designed to be a completely safe space where you can share your truth without fear of judgment. Everything you share is strictly confidential, and my office provides a private, comfortable environment where you can focus on healing.
I also understand that trauma affects people from all backgrounds and that some communities face additional challenges in seeking help. My practice is LGBTQ+ affirming, and I'm experienced in working with people who have faced discrimination or violence based on their identity.
If you need additional support beyond therapy, I maintain professional relationships with psychiatrists, medical doctors, and other specialists throughout the area who understand trauma and can provide comprehensive care:
- Psychiatric consultation for medication management when needed
- Medical evaluation for trauma-related physical symptoms
- Specialized trauma treatment programs for intensive support
- Support groups and community resources for ongoing healing
- Crisis intervention services when additional support is needed
Starting Your Trauma Healing Process
Here's what I want you to know about trauma: it's not your fault, your reactions are normal, and healing is possible. You don't have to be "ready" to start therapy, and you don't have to have it all figured out before you reach out.
Often, my clients are not even sure if what they experienced "counts" as trauma. Maybe you're worried that your problems aren't serious enough for therapy, or that you should be able to handle this on your own. These are common concerns, and they often come from the trauma itself, which can make you doubt your own perceptions and minimize your experiences.
The truth is, if something happened that left you feeling different about yourself or the world, if you're having reactions that feel bigger than the situation warrants, or if you're struggling with symptoms that are interfering with your life, then trauma therapy can help.
You don't have to wait until you hit some imaginary bottom to deserve support. You don't have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. And you definitely don't have to figure this out alone. Trauma happens in relationships, and healing happens in relationships too.
It's time to reclaim your life from the effects of trauma. Not by pretending it never happened or trying to "get over it," but by learning to live with strength and resilience in spite of what you've been through. This process has helped countless trauma survivors rebuild their lives and find peace. There's no reason it can't work for you too.
Frequently asked questions
I'm passionate about providing trauma therapy using specialized, evidence-based approaches that help you process difficult experiences safely. My trauma therapy creates a supportive environment where you can work through past experiences at your own pace, reduce symptoms, and develop healthy coping strategies to reclaim your sense of safety and control.
Modern trauma therapy has evolved far beyond old models that were grueling and potentially retraumatizing. Today's evidence-based approaches like EMDR and trauma-focused CBT help you process traumatic experiences safely without reliving them in detail, allowing healing to occur naturally while maintaining your emotional safety.
Yes, I specialize in trauma therapy in Sarasota using evidence-based approaches tailored to your specific experiences. Whether you've experienced childhood trauma, accidents, violence, or other difficult events, I provide compassionate, effective treatment to help you process trauma and rebuild your sense of safety and wellbeing.
I work with any past experience that intrudes on your present, including both 'Big T' traumas like accidents or violence and 'small t' traumas like emotional neglect or chronic stress. Whether it's childhood abuse, domestic violence, combat trauma, sexual assault, or complex trauma from multiple experiences, I provide specialized treatment for all trauma types.
Yes, I specialize in childhood trauma and complex PTSD treatment. These conditions require specialized understanding of how early experiences affect development and relationships. I use trauma-informed approaches specifically designed for complex trauma to help you heal from childhood experiences and develop healthier patterns in your adult life.
Absolutely - we know what works for trauma treatment. I use only evidence-based approaches like EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, and somatic therapies that have strong research support. These methods have been proven effective for reducing trauma symptoms and helping people reclaim their lives after difficult experiences.
Yes, grief, loss, and abandonment are often important aspects of trauma recovery. These experiences can create lasting impacts similar to other traumas. I help clients process losses, work through abandonment wounds, and develop secure attachment patterns that support healthier relationships and emotional wellbeing.
Every day. Trauma and addiction are closely connected - many people use substances to cope with traumatic experiences. I specialize in treating both trauma and addiction simultaneously, addressing how past experiences may contribute to substance use while building healthy coping strategies for lasting recovery. This is known as trauma-informed care.
Yes, emotional flashbacks and dissociation are common trauma responses that respond well to specialized treatment. I use specific techniques to help you recognize these symptoms, develop grounding strategies, and gradually reduce their frequency and intensity while building your capacity to stay present and connected.
Yes, everything you share in trauma therapy is strictly confidential within legal and ethical boundaries. Creating a safe, private space is essential for trauma healing. I maintain complete confidentiality so you can share your experiences openly without fear of judgment or unwanted disclosure.