No. 1Individual Therapy
What trauma therapy in Omaha looks like with me
Trauma isn’t defined only by what happened. It’s also about what happened inside you, and what didn’t happen afterward, like comfort, protection or someone believing you. Two people can go through similar events and walk away with very different scars.
My approach is gentle, collaborative and grounded in the relationship between us. Humanistic therapy holds that the relationship between client and therapist is a central part of change, and that’s especially true when trust was broken before. You won’t be pushed to share details before you’re ready.
We’ll focus first on stability: understanding your reactions, learning grounding skills and building a sense of security in your daily life. From there, we can carefully make sense of what happened and how it shaped your beliefs about yourself and other people.
No. 2Individual Therapy
Emotional abuse and childhood issues
Emotional abuse can be hard to name because it doesn’t leave bruises. Constant criticism, mockery, control, threats, the silent treatment and being made to doubt your own memory can wear down your sense of self over years. Many people don’t realize what they lived through until they’re out of it.
Childhood experiences matter, too. Growing up with a parent who drank, raged, was absent, or needed you to take care of them can leave patterns that follow you into adult relationships, parenting and work. Understanding those patterns isn’t about blame. It’s about choosing what you want to keep and what you’re ready to set down.
- Growing up with addiction, violence or chaos at home
- Emotionally abusive or controlling partners
- Neglect, harsh criticism or feeling invisible as a child
- Bullying or betrayal by someone you trusted
- Accidents, assaults or other frightening events
“What happened to you isn’t who you are. Therapy is a place to separate the two, slowly and carefully, with someone steady beside you.”
No. 3Individual Therapy
Tools for when your body remembers
Trauma lives in the body as well as the mind. A racing heart, a big startle, shutting down or snapping at someone can all be your nervous system reacting to old danger. We’ll practice mindfulness and grounding techniques that help you notice when you’re being pulled back and return to the present moment.
We’ll also use cognitive-behavioral tools to look at the beliefs trauma tends to leave behind, like “It was my fault,” “I can’t trust anyone,” or “I’m too damaged.” Those beliefs made sense once. They may not be serving you now.
No. 4Individual Therapy
A steady, discreet place to begin trauma counseling
My office off West Center Road in West Omaha is quiet and private. There’s no busy waiting room full of strangers, which many trauma survivors appreciate. Day and evening appointments are available, and if you’re in crisis I try to offer an appointment within 48 hours, schedule permitting.
Some kinds of trauma call for a specialized approach. If that’s true for you, we’ll talk honestly at the start about whether my approach is the best fit, and I’ll help you think through your options if it isn’t.
