Trauma · PTSD · complex trauma
Trauma & PTSD therapy in Longwood, FL
For the things that still land in your body as if they were happening now. Careful preparation, an EMDR-trained team, and a pace you set.
The alarm that never got the memo
Trauma isn’t only what happened. It’s what your nervous system did to survive it, and kept doing after the danger passed. That can look like hypervigilance, or numbness, or a temper you don’t recognize, or a body that flinches before your mind has caught up. It can look like being fine for years and then, suddenly, not.
Understanding all of that helps. It usually isn’t enough, because the part of the brain that holds the alarm doesn’t respond to explanations. That’s where the actual work is.
How we work with trauma
We go in an order. First, stability: reliable ways to settle yourself that we practice before we need them. Then, understanding: what your reactions are trying to do for you, so you can stop fighting yourself. Then processing — usually with EMDR, which every counselor here is trained in — so the memory can finish being filed away and stop running the show. And throughout, rebuilding the sense that you are safe now, in your own life, with people you choose.
For trauma that goes back to childhood, we often bring in Internal Family Systems: working with the parts of you that learned to protect you, so they can stand down. You will not be walked into the worst of it before you’re ready. You set the pace.
What we work with
- PTSD after an assault, an accident, a loss, a medical crisis, or a birth.
- Complex PTSD — the residue of repeated or prolonged experiences, often in a family.
- Childhood experiences that shaped how you relate to people now.
- Emotional abuse and relationships that eroded your sense of yourself.
- Grief that hasn’t softened.
- Trauma in teens — bullying, accidents, loss, or things that happened at home. More on teen counseling.
Where and how
In person at our Longwood office on Wekiva Springs Road — a short drive from Lake Mary, Altamonte Springs, Winter Springs and Sanford — or by secure video anywhere in Florida. Sessions are $150, and we provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement. Fees and insurance.
Ready when you are
A free 15-minute consultation is the lowest-stakes way to start. Tell us as much or as little as you want; we’ll tell you honestly what we think would help.
This might be you if
- Something reminds you of it and your body reacts before you’ve decided to
- You avoid places, people or topics without quite admitting that’s what you’re doing
- You’re either on high alert or completely shut down, with not much in between
- You sleep badly, startle easily, or feel numb when you “should” feel something
- You never called it trauma because other people had it worse
A free 15-minute call
You tell us what’s going on. We tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit, and which of us you should see.
The first session
Getting oriented: what brought you in, what you want to be different, and how we’ll work. You set the pace.
The actual work
Specific, practical, and built around your life — so what changes in the room shows up outside it.
FAQ
Common questions
What counts as trauma?
Anything your nervous system experienced as overwhelming and didn’t get to finish processing. That includes the obvious — an assault, an accident, a death — and the quieter kind: growing up managing a parent’s moods, years of feeling unsafe in a way you can’t point to, a medical crisis, a relationship that eroded you. If it still lands in your body as if it were happening now, it counts, regardless of whether other people had it worse.
What is the difference between trauma therapy and EMDR?
Trauma therapy is the goal; EMDR is one of the tools. Every counselor here is trained in EMDR, and it’s often the fastest route for memories that stay stuck. But trauma work also involves stabilization, understanding your own responses, rebuilding a sense of safety, and — for many people — Internal Family Systems work with the parts of you that learned to protect you. We use what fits.
Do I have to talk about what happened in detail?
No. You decide how much you say and when. EMDR in particular does not require you to narrate the memory out loud, and we never push into the worst of it before you have solid ways to steady yourself.
Do you treat PTSD and complex PTSD?
Yes. Single-incident PTSD often resolves in a relatively focused course of work. Complex PTSD — the result of repeated or prolonged experiences, often in childhood — takes longer and goes slower on purpose, with more time spent on stability and trust before any processing.
How long does trauma therapy take?
Single-incident trauma: often six to twelve sessions with EMDR, including preparation. Complex trauma: months rather than weeks, and we’ll be honest with you about that from the start. Either way, most people notice their reactions softening well before the work is “done.”
What does trauma therapy cost?
$150 per session; we don’t charge extra for EMDR. We’re out of network and provide superbills for reimbursement. Fees and insurance.
Ready when you are.
A free 15-minute conversation. We’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit — and if we’re not, we’ll help you find who is.