01 / trauma and what comes attachedComplex PTSD Therapy in Iowa City
Some things happen once and stay with you, and some things happened again and again, for years, and usually that environment or individual that failed your needs was supposed to keep you safe.
02 / what it can feel likeHow does your body currently feel?
People who carry this kind of history are very often braced for impact without knowing it. The body learned to hold this guard up long before there was any choice in the matter, and it keeps holding it long after the danger has gone.
You may notice memories that arrive without being called up, and a body that has already reacted before you have worked out why. Often, sleep will not hold you through the night. You have a startle response that fires at the wrong things, at a door shutting, at a certain tone of voice.
Underneath that emotional struggle sits the emotional scar tissue from a lifetime of internalized shame. A steady sense that you were somehow at fault. You notice anger that either floods the room or goes completely numb. And an internalized belief, carried for years, that if a person ever saw the whole of it, they would leave.
To recognize ourselves in a struggling state is acceptance that its real, and also, that it can change...03 / How i work with itFour main approaches
I use EMDR, NARM, DBT, and Ego-State Therapy to help you through the trauma. EMDR is for individuals that are good at long-term recall, NARM is for people who want to address their trauma without going back through time, Ego-State Therapy is for dissociation, and DBT is there to assist us with skills work and regulation skills.
We start by expanding your window of emotional tolerance: the amount of emotional material you can handle at one moment and stay regulated within. Before we run through EMDR or NARM, we peacefully walk through skills work, resourcing, and overall wellness that can contribute to long-term success.
04 / The logisticsWhat it costs and how long it takes
No insurance billing, which means no diagnosis is required on a claim form to get help, and no third party gets to decide how many sessions you deserve. A Good Faith Estimate can be provided under the No Surprises Act before we begin any clinical work, so always feel welcome to ask.
FreeFree Consultation
A relaxed, 15-minute conversation about what you are looking for and whether or not we are a good fit. Online or in person.
$185Therapy Sessions
Personalized, 53-minute sessions shaped around your specific needs, in Iowa City or via telehealth statewide.
FREE DOWNLOADNEWSLETTER05 / reach outA fifteen minute call, and no obligation afterwards
We talk about what has been going on, what you are hoping changes, and whether working together makes sense. If it does not, I will say so and point you somewhere better.