Specialty
Trauma & PTSD
When the past will not stay in the past
Trauma is not only about what happened. It is about what your mind and body had to do to get through it, and what they are still doing now. You may find yourself on edge without knowing why, replaying moments you would rather forget, or feeling strangely numb in parts of your life that used to matter. *
Some people can point to a single overwhelming event. Others carry the weight of years, a childhood that never felt safe, a relationship that slowly wore them down, a medical crisis that changed how they trust their own body. However your experience took shape, the effects are real, and they are not a sign of weakness. They are a nervous system that learned to protect you and has not yet learned that the danger has passed. *
Our psychologists take an integrative, evidence-based approach to trauma. We help you build steadiness and safety first, then work with the memories and patterns themselves using approaches such as EMDR, clinical hypnosis, and somatic and experiential therapy. Healing from trauma is possible, and you do not have to figure out the path on your own. *
Common types of trauma & ptsd we treat
Clinicians who specialize in trauma & ptsd
Our psychologists share deep experience with trauma while each bringing a particular focus. Reading their descriptions can help you sense who might be the right fit for what you have lived through. *
EMDR · Hypnosis · Psychodynamic
Dr. Zala works across the full range of trauma and PTSD, with particular depth in trauma that built up over time, growing up with emotionally abusive or narcissistic parents, carrying adult responsibilities as a child, and the cumulative weight of painful relationships. She is a strong fit if your trauma is woven through your relationships and your sense of self. *
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EMDR · Hypnosis · Insight-Oriented Therapy
Dr. Citrin brings broad expertise in PTSD and trauma, from single frightening events such as assaults and accidents to childhood experiences like emotionally abusive parents, physical abuse, and losing a parent early in life. She also works with grief and the emotional aftermath of medical experiences. *
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EMDR · Hypnosis · Psychodynamic
Dr. Zylstra focuses on childhood and family-of-origin trauma, including chaotic or unpredictable households, a parent who struggled with addiction, early parental loss, and childhood physical abuse. He is a strong fit if what you are carrying traces back to the family you grew up in. *
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ACT · EMDR · Hypnosis
Dr. Faiwiszewski has particular strength in medical trauma, the lasting emotional effects of frightening diagnoses, procedures, and hospitalizations. She also works with selected PTSD and childhood-trauma concerns, especially where trauma and health worries overlap. *
Full profile →Modalities
Therapy approaches that may help
We integrate these techniques, custom-tailored to you, in the order your nervous system can use first.
Selected Research
- 2022Exposure therapy for PTSD: A meta-analysisClin Psychol Rev · PubMed ↗
- 2020Psychological and pharmacological interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid mental health problems following complex traumatic events: Systematic review and component network meta-analysisPLoS Med · PubMed ↗
- 2024EMDR v. other psychological therapies for PTSD: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysisPsychol Med · PubMed ↗
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I know if what I experienced counts as trauma?
- If an experience overwhelmed your capacity to cope and its effects are still with you, on your sleep, your relationships, your sense of safety, your view of yourself, it is worth taking seriously, whatever label fits. Trauma can come from one event or accumulate over years, and no experience is too small to bring to a consultation. *
- What is the difference between PTSD and complex trauma?
- PTSD typically follows one or more distinct frightening events and centers on symptoms like intrusive memories, avoidance, and feeling constantly on guard. When trauma was repeated over a long period, especially in childhood, it also tends to shape emotion regulation, self-worth, and relationships more broadly. The treatments overlap, but the pacing and focus differ, which is why we match the approach to your history. *
- Do I have to retell everything that happened to me?
- No. You share what you choose, when you choose. Effective trauma therapy begins with safety and stability, and some approaches, including EMDR, can process traumatic memories without detailed retelling. You remain in control of the pace throughout. *
- What does "regulation before reprocessing" mean?
- It means we help you build steadiness, skills for calming your nervous system and staying grounded, before working directly with traumatic memories. Sequencing the work this way keeps therapy from becoming overwhelming and is a core part of how we practice: the right approach at the right time, in the right order. *
- Which therapy approaches do you use for trauma?
- We integrate evidence-based approaches around your needs rather than applying one protocol to everyone. Depending on your history and goals, that may include EMDR for reprocessing traumatic memories, clinical hypnosis for calm and a renewed sense of control, somatic and experiential therapy for how trauma lives in the body, and traditional psychotherapy throughout. *
- How do I choose the right therapist for trauma work?
- Fit matters enormously in trauma therapy, because the relationship itself is part of the healing. Each of our psychologists brings a particular focus, described above, and a consultation is a low-pressure way to see who feels right. You are choosing someone to trust with your history, and it is okay to be selective. *
- How long does trauma therapy take?
- It depends on what you are carrying. Focused work on a single event may bring meaningful relief within months, while healing from years of cumulative trauma is a longer, deeper process. Your psychologist will give you an honest picture early on and revisit it with you as the work unfolds. *