Trauma therapy is not about reliving the past. It is about helping you experience safety in the present. I provide trauma-informed individual therapy and therapy intensives for adults in Hawai'i and Florida who are ready to heal at a deeper, more integrated level. My work is grounded in clinical training, over a decade of trauma-focused experience, and a holistic understanding of how trauma lives in the mind, body, and spirit. Whether your experienced trauma is obvious or hard to name, healing is possible when it is approached with care, consent, and attunement.
From a clinical perspective, trauma is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. This exposure may occur in one or more of the following ways:
When trauma is present, the brain and nervous system shift into survival mode. This survival response can alter how memories are stored, how emotions are regulated, and how the body responds to stress. Rather than being processed as past events, traumatic experiences may remain active, creating ongoing symptoms even when danger is no longer present. Clinically, trauma-related responses may include intrusive memories, avoidance of reminders, negative changes in mood or cognition, and persistent alterations in arousal or reactivity. These responses are adaptive survival mechanisms, not signs of weakness or pathology.
In everyday terms, trauma occurs when something overwhelming happens and the body does not have the opportunity to process it safely.
It is not defined by how “bad” the event looks from the outside. Trauma is defined by impact, not comparison. Two people can experience the same event and be affected very differently depending on their developmental stage, support, and prior history.
Trauma often shows up as the body staying stuck in survival mode. This may look like:
I work with a wide range of trauma experiences, including but not limited to:
You do not need to have a single, identifiable event for your experience to be valid. Many clients seek trauma therapy because they feel exhausted, disconnected, or unable to rest.
Individual trauma therapy offers a consistent, supportive space to explore your experiences at a pace that honors you. Sessions are not about forcing disclosure or rehashing painful memories, unless you want to. We focus on building safety, regulation, and trust internally and relationally.
My approach integrates evidence-based trauma therapy with somatic awareness and holistic care. This work is particularly supportive for high-functioning individuals who are used to pushing through but feel ready to soften, integrate, and heal more fully.
Individual therapy may be a good fit if you are seeking:
Therapy intensives are extended, focused sessions designed for individuals who want to make meaningful progress in a shorter period of time. Intensives allow space for deeper nervous system work without the constraints of a traditional weekly session.
Trauma intensives may be especially helpful if:
Each intensive is carefully planned and tailored to your needs, with preparation and integration support included. This work is intentionally limited and offered on a selective basis to ensure depth, privacy, and quality of care.
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