Therapy for Trauma

When painful past experiences are interfering with life today, a trauma therapist can help.

After a painful experience, most of us just want to move forward and get on with our lives. Unfortunately, we often find that our minds and our bodies aren’t cooperating with that plan.

Trauma can make your world shrink. Things that should be simple feel like a minefield of triggers. Energy meant for the things you care about is used up just getting through the day.

Unwanted memories, fear and dread, and a constant state of vigilance are just some of the challenges people typically experience after a traumatic event. And they can make it difficult to be present in our personal and professional lives.

Fortunately, therapy for trauma can help.

A brown skinned Latinx woman with dark hair is photographed close up. She is holding her face in her hands with a serious expression on her face.

Trauma Therapy Can Help You:

✔ Eliminate intrusive memories, nightmares, and flashbacks

✔ Regulate your emotional response to trauma triggers

✔ Stop avoiding people, places, or situations

✔ Improve relationships impacted by trauma

✔ Feel more comfortable and secure in your body

✔ Build trust in your own perceptions, feelings, and instincts

✔ Make sense of traumatic experiences so that you can move forward

Get Started Today

What to Expect from Trauma Therapy at Stella Nova

Every Stella Nova therapist has been trained in trauma-informed approaches to therapy. Some of us have additional, specialized training or certification in trauma therapies, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Somatic Therapy, and Narrative Therapy. We strive to use evidence-based approaches in a way that’s flexible, culturally responsive, and adapts to your needs and preferences.

You’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to healing after trauma. With support and guidance from your therapist, you’ll get to define your goals and decide the pacing of the work we do together.

We don’t pressure clients to share things they don’t want to, or before they’re ready. But with your consent, we may offer some gentle encouragement to get outside your comfort zone at times.

If you’re interested in learning more about what we offer, or getting matched with a great-fit therapist, you can schedule a free 20-minute consultation with our intake specialist. During your call, she’ll get to know a little bit about your goals for therapy. Then, she’ll use that information to set you up with a therapist who is a great match for your preferences and needs.

Trauma psychologist Dr. Alexis Lopez and San Francisco therapist Dr. Justine Fan relax on a park bench in Golden Gate Park.

Common Types of Trauma We Treat:

Childhood abuse or neglect
Accidents or natural disasters
Workplace and corporate trauma
Experiences of systemic oppression
Illness and medical trauma
Physical violence and assault
Traumatic grief and loss
Emotional or psychological abuse
Sexual assault, abuse, and exploitation
Immigration trauma

A young African American woman sits on her bed with a friendly dog. She is attending an online therapy session on her laptop.

Does my experience count as a trauma?

Traumatic experiences are events that threaten our sense of safety and security in the world.

They can be a one time event, such as a car accident or a natural disaster. Trauma can also be ongoing, such as domestic violence or childhood abuse. Our risk of psychological injury increases with the more traumatic events we experience.

Our clients often start therapy unsure if they’ve experienced a trauma or not. That’s a perfectly good starting place for therapy.

While some events, such as a violent assault, are more easily recognized as traumatic, others, like emotional abuse, may be less obvious. But they can still have profound impacts on our sense of self, our safety, and our relationships with others.

Whether your experience was trauma or something else—if you’re struggling, we can figure it out together.

Find a Trauma Therapist Near You

Our therapists have current openings and are ready to connect with new clients. Schedule a free, 20-minute phone consultation today, and meet your new therapist within a week!

Photo of Dr. Amelia Jayanty, online therapist in California. Amelia is a dark haired, multiracial South Asian psychologist with dark hair, glasses, and dangly earrings.