Trauma and Complex Trauma
Complex Trauma and Complex PTSD Therapy in Madison, Wisconsin
Trauma can shape how we experience safety, relationships, and ourselves.
For many people, trauma did not come from one single event. Instead, it developed through repeated or relational experiences and in environments where safety, trust, or emotional support were inconsistent.
These experiences can leave lasting patterns: feeling constantly on edge, struggling with boundaries, difficulty trusting others, or feeling disconnected from yourself.
Trauma therapy offers a space to begin understanding these patterns and reconnecting with yourself and others in new ways.
Complex Trauma
Complex trauma often develops in relationships where safety should have existed but didn’t. This can include childhood environments, long-term relational harm, or experiences where emotional needs were repeatedly dismissed or unmet.
Over time, these experiences can shape how we:
regulate emotions
experience closeness and trust
respond to stress or conflict
understand our identity and needs
Many of these patterns began as ways to survive difficult environments. But now, these patterns may be causing difficulty and pain.
My Approach to Trauma Therapy
Healing from trauma and complex trauma requires a thoughtful, individualized approach. I am a Madison, Wisconsin based trauma-trained therapist and my work focuses on safety, collaboration, and finding the therapeutic approaches that best support your healing.
Safety and Good Fit
Trauma therapy begins with creating a space where you feel safe, respected, and understood. A strong therapeutic relationship and a good fit between therapist and client are essential parts of trauma healing. Therapy moves at a pace that supports stability and nervous system safety.
My therapeutic orientations:
EMDR Therapy
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based trauma therapy that helps the brain process and integrate traumatic memories. EMDR can support the nervous system in resolving experiences that may still feel stuck or overwhelming.
Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing (SE) focuses on how trauma lives in the body and nervous system. This approach supports gentle awareness of physical sensations and helps the body release survival responses connected to trauma.
Parts Work
Parts-based therapy recognizes that trauma can lead to different parts of ourselves developing protective roles. Parts work helps bring understanding and compassion to these inner experiences while supporting integration and self-leadership.
Attachment and relational patterns
Many experiences of complex trauma and interpersonal trauma develop within relationships. Therapy may explore attachment patterns, trust, boundaries, and relational safety while creating new experiences of connection.
Values based and Shame Informed
Trauma can deeply impact identity, self-worth, and personal values. Therapy includes shame-informed work and support for reconnecting with your values, sense of self, and autonomy.
If you often feel on edge, emotionally overwhelmed, shut down, or disconnected from yourself or others, you may be experiencing the impact of trauma or complex trauma. Many people also notice patterns like difficulty trusting, people-pleasing, shame, or challenges with boundaries. Trauma therapy at The Grove Counseling offers a space to understand these patterns and begin moving toward greater safety, clarity, and self-connection.
If this resonates, I invite you to reach out to explore whether trauma therapy together could be a good fit.