now Accepting adults 18+ statewide in TN online or in-person at our Franklin office
Symptoms of Trauma
Nightmares. Intrusive thoughts.
Reliving the trauma over and over.
Avoidance.
Intense shame, guilt, anxiety, panic.
When the Symptoms Don’t Go Away…
It’s common for anyone to experience trauma symptoms shortly after a distressing event. For most people, these symptoms gradually ease within a few weeks as the mind and body begin to heal.
However, for some, these symptoms persist for months, or even years, after the trauma. Living with ongoing trauma symptoms can feel like being haunted by the past, day after day, making it difficult to move forward.
Trauma can result from many types of experiences, either directly or witnessed. In my practice, I have worked extensively with adult survivors of childhood sexual, physical, and verbal abuse; rape and domestic violence; as well as those affected by car accidents, kidnapping, hostage situations, torture, murder, and natural disasters.
No matter the source, trauma reactions are real and valid and healing is possible.
Traumatic Invalidation
Traumatic invalidation is a deeply harmful, and often overlooked, form of trauma that I commonly treat. It occurs when a person grows up or lives in an environment where their inner emotional experiences are consistently ignored, minimized, mocked, or punished.
Over time, this repeated invalidation sends a clear message:
“Your feelings don’t matter.”
“You’re overreacting.”
“You’re wrong, stupid, or too much.”
When someone hears these messages again and again, it can lead to lasting emotional pain, confusion about their identity, and difficulty trusting themselves or others. In many cases, traumatic invalidation results in long-term emotional dysregulation, intense self-doubt, and struggles with relationships and self-worth.
This form of trauma is real, and its impact can be profound—but with the right support, it can be treated.
Let’s Address Your Trauma & PTSD
If you’re haunted by past trauma, you don’t have to keep suffering.
I offer Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy, a highly effective, evidence-based therapy for treating trauma and PTSD. This PTSD therapy approach can help you process what happened, reduce distressing symptoms, and reclaim your life.
Learn more about how Prolonged Exposure works and why it’s one of the most effective treatments for trauma.