Signs of post traumatic stress
Nightmares and flashbacks are the symptoms most people know. But PTSD also shows up as hypervigilance, startling easily, avoiding places or people that remind you of what happened, emotional numbness, angry outbursts, trouble concentrating, and a sense of being cut off from the people you love. Many people carry these symptoms for years before anyone names them.
Whether your trauma came from combat, an accident, an assault, a medical event, or a childhood that was not safe, the pattern is similar and so is the path out.
How I work with PTSD
Safety comes first. We do not dive into the hardest memories on day one. We start by building trust, steadying your nervous system, and giving you tools to stay grounded. Only when you feel ready do we approach the memories themselves, and we go at your pace.
I use Internal Family Systems and Coherence Therapy, which help the parts of you that got stuck in the moment of trauma finally understand that it is over. Many clients describe it as their body finally exhaling. Faith can be part of this work if you want it to be, and never if you do not.
Veterans, first responders, and their families
The Rogue Valley is home to many veterans, firefighters, law enforcement officers, nurses, and EMS professionals. If you serve or have served, I want you to know that what you carry is real and that reaching out is not weakness. I also work with spouses and family members who are living alongside PTSD and need support of their own.