Trauma-Informed Therapy in Santa Barbara
Experiences of trauma can shape how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how safe we feel in the world. Trauma can come from a single distressing event or from repeated experiences that left you feeling powerless, unseen, or unsafe. These experiences often linger in the body and nervous system, influencing mood, relationships, and sense of identity long after the original events have passed.
I provide trauma-informed therapy in Santa Barbara—an approach that honors your story and treats every part of the therapeutic process with care, safety, and respect for your lived experience.
What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy?
Trauma-informed therapy isn’t one specific technique or model. It’s a framework that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and actively works to avoid re-traumatization. A trauma-informed therapist understands how emotional wounds can shape behavior, relationships, and even physical health.
The foundation of trauma-informed care rests on five key principles:
Safety – Sessions are structured to feel predictable, supportive, and secure so your nervous system can relax enough to heal.
Choice – You remain in control of the pace, direction, and depth of our work together.
Collaboration – We are partners in the healing process; you bring your lived experience, and I bring training and guidance.
Trustworthiness – I communicate clearly, keep agreements, and provide transparency throughout our work.
Empowerment – Therapy highlights your resilience and strengths, not only your wounds.
This perspective acknowledges that trauma can show up in many ways—anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, emotional numbing, difficulty trusting, boundary challenges, or chronic stress.
Understanding How Trauma Affects Mind and Body
Modern research shows that trauma lives not just in memory but in the body. The brain and nervous system can stay on alert long after danger has passed. You might notice:
A constant sense of tension or startle response
Difficulty sleeping or relaxing
Emotional flooding or feeling shut down
Physical symptoms like headaches or digestive issues
Feeling detached from others or from yourself
In trauma-informed therapy, we pay attention to these body-based cues as well as thoughts and emotions. This integrative awareness helps you recognize triggers, regulate your nervous system, and build new patterns of safety.
How I Use Trauma-Informed Therapy in Practice
In my work, I integrate trauma-informed care into every session, whether we’re drawing from evidence-based tools like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness practices, somatic awareness, or Animal-Assisted Therapy with Sophie, my certified therapy dog.
My goal is to create a compassionate, nonjudgmental environment where you can explore your story at a pace that feels right for you. Being trauma-informed means I will always:
Respect your boundaries and readiness for certain topics
Offer grounding and self-regulation techniques when emotions feel overwhelming
Focus on stability and coping skills before moving into deeper trauma processing
Honor your autonomy in every step of therapy
Sometimes healing means gently revisiting past experiences; other times it’s about building present-moment resilience and learning to feel safe in your body again. Together, we’ll decide what feels supportive and sustainable.
What a Trauma-Informed Session Might Look Like
Each session is unique, but common elements include:
Grounding exercises to help you settle before and after exploring difficult material
Mindful check-ins to notice sensations and emotions without judgment
Psychoeducation—learning how trauma affects the brain and nervous system so you can understand your responses with compassion
Collaborative goal-setting, ensuring therapy aligns with your values and readiness
Gentle exploration of narratives around shame, fear, or grief, always at your pace
When appropriate, Sophie may join sessions to offer Animal-Assisted grounding and comfort, helping clients access calm and connection through the simple, steady presence of a therapy dog.
Who Can Benefit from Trauma-Informed Therapy
You don’t have to identify as a trauma survivor to benefit from trauma-informed care. This approach can support anyone who wants therapy that emphasizes safety, empowerment, and genuine collaboration.
It can be particularly helpful if you are:
Coping with PTSD, complex trauma, or childhood adversity
Experiencing anxiety, depression, or burnout linked to chronic stress
Recovering from relationship trauma, loss, or betrayal
Navigating identity or life transitions with heightened vulnerability
Seeking a therapist who practices gentle, holistic, and evidence-informed care
Why Trauma-Informed Care Matters
Traditional therapy models sometimes focus on “what’s wrong” with a person. Trauma-informed care shifts the question to “what happened to you?” and “what helped you survive?”
For many clients, trauma has involved moments of powerlessness or loss of control. Trauma-informed therapy creates a different kind of space—one where:
Your voice is heard.
Your choices are respected.
Your story is held with care and dignity.
Healing happens not through pressure or confrontation but through trust, compassion, and collaboration. Over time, clients often notice a growing sense of calm, connection, and self-confidence as their nervous system learns that safety is possible again.
Integrating Evidence-Based and Humanistic Approaches
While trauma-informed care provides the foundation, I also draw from evidence-based and humanistic practices. This means therapy is both scientifically grounded and deeply personal. You’ll find elements of:
Cognitive and mindfulness-based therapies to increase awareness and reduce reactivity
Humanistic, person-centered principles emphasizing empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard
Attachment-focused work to rebuild trust and connection in relationships
Animal-Assisted Therapy to access nonverbal comfort and presence
This blend ensures that therapy remains flexible and responsive—meeting you where you are and moving at a pace that feels sustainable.
The Path Toward Healing
Trauma recovery is not about erasing the past. It’s about learning that you can feel safe, connected, and whole again. In our work together, we’ll focus on:
Building inner safety and self-trust
Expanding emotional capacity while staying grounded
Reconnecting with your body and intuition
Strengthening supportive relationships
Cultivating meaning and resilience beyond survival