Trauma Therapy for Veterans, First Responders, and Trauma Survivors

Many of the people I work with are living with trauma that did not simply end when the event was over. Trauma can come from childhood experiences, relationships, military service, first responder work, community violence, or moments that overwhelmed the nervous system and continue to live on in the body.

While I specialize in working with veterans and first responders, many of the people I support are civilians navigating the long-term effects of trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and nervous system overwhelm. My work focuses on helping people reconnect with themselves so life no longer feels driven by survival mode.

Veteran and First Responder Mental Health

Many veterans and first responders live with PTSD, hypervigilance, moral injury, survivor guilt, identity shifts, isolation, and the chronic pressure to be the strong one. These experiences are far more common than most people realize, yet they are often carried quietly and alone.

My approach is shaped by both clinical training and lived experience as a combat veteran and former first responder. Therapy becomes a space where there is no need to perform resilience, minimize what happened, or stay guarded. This is a place where the weight of responsibility can finally be set down.

Nervous System Regulation and HRV Biofeedback

Chronic stress, anxiety, dissociation, disrupted sleep, and burnout often begin in the nervous system rather than in conscious thought. Many clients arrive feeling stuck in fight-or-flight or emotionally shut down, unsure how to feel grounded again.

HRV biofeedback is a core part of my trauma work. Using real-time feedback from heart rate variability and breathing, clients learn how their nervous system responds to stress and how to influence it directly. This process helps restore balance, reduce reactivity, and build a felt sense of safety and control. Many clients describe HRV biofeedback as a turning point where regulation becomes something they can feel, not just understand.

Trauma Therapy, Mindfulness, and Meaning After Trauma

Much of suffering after trauma comes from learning to override instincts, breath, limits, and needs. Healing often begins when attention turns back toward the body and the signals it has been sending all along.

My therapy approach is relational, trauma-informed, and evidence-based. Together, we explore what feels unfinished, what has been avoided, and what the nervous system has been holding. Mindfulness becomes a way of noticing patterns without judgment and gradually restoring trust in internal cues such as breath, sensation, and emotion.

This work is especially supportive for PTSD, anxiety, chronic stress, dissociation, and trauma recovery.

EMDR and Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD

When the nervous system is supported and stabilized, deeper trauma processing becomes possible. I use EMDR therapy and Prolonged Exposure therapy, two of the most effective evidence-based treatments for PTSD and trauma.

Some sessions focus on grounding and bodily awareness. Others work directly with memory, imagery, or themes that continue to shape daily life. The pace is collaborative, careful, and responsive to what your system can tolerate.

A Collaborative Space for Healing

For many people, trauma becomes intertwined with identity, responsibility, and survival. Therapy here is not about pushing through or fixing anything. It is about rebuilding internal safety, flexibility, and meaning.

The goal is not to erase the past, but to help the body and mind stop living as though danger is still present, allowing clarity, connection, and purpose to return.