YOUR PAST NO LONGER NEEDS TO CONTROL YOUR PRESENT

Therapy for Trauma

Compassionate therapy online or in-person in Minnesota & online in Vermont

You’re tired of feeling like you’re stuck living with the past.

What happened to you no longer needs to define you.

Trauma can come from large events that have happened to us, or around us, but it can also be from smaller and/or continued events as we grew up, or within our adulthood — or even from things that didn’t happen for us, when they should have.

Living with the impacts of your trauma, you may feel as if you're carrying an invisible burden. You struggle with intrusive memories, emotional numbness, or heightened anxiety, often triggered by seemingly mundane events or events that should make you feel safe and connected. You feel you are living in a bubble of isolation, disconnection from loved ones, and have a loss of trust in your own instincts and desires (if you can even identify what you want). This constant state of alertness and the feeling of reliving past traumas is taking a toll on your relationships, work, and overall well-being, leaving you yearning for a sense of safety and normalcy.

Does this sound familiar?

  • A constant state of alterness is making it hard for you to relax, concentrate, connect with others, get a good night's rest. Or maybe you feel as if you've never been able to achieve these things, as you're always "waiting for something to happen."

  • Whether it's people, please, activities, new situations or familiar ones, you may find yourself steering clear of anything (or anyone) that could bring back painful memories.

    Or you feel that you're unable to develop or maintain healthy relationships because of a fear of being hurt again.

  • You experience sudden anger, sadness, or other strong and uncomfortable emotions that feel like they hit you without warning. This makes it hard to keep relationships steady or being willing to do new things, feeling like you're held back from truly experiencing life.

  • Your mind can't seem to stop playing the event(s) on replay in the your head. Bringing the intrusive thoughts or flashbacks in vivid picture, where it feels like it is interrupting your daily life, making it hard to focus on tasks or enjoy the moment. Often people attempt to "numb out" these memories with substances, sex, or avoidance, but these things never keep them away for long.

  • You feel like your body is out to get you -- constant headaches, stomach aches, or other physical symptoms without any clear medical reason. The impacts of the stress causing you to feel ill.

  • You feel you’ve had a dampening in your desire for sexual intimacy due to fear, discomfort, or feeling emotionally shut down. You question people's intentions, which impact your relationships and sexual intimacy.

  • Touch makes you uncomfortable or anxious, leading to distance in your intimate relationships, where you want closeness, so you may keep yourself emotionally distant, affecting your ability to connect deeply with others. Or you feel yourself "zone out" during sex or intimacy, when you want to feel safe, connected, and comforted.

  • Sometimes, you may feel detached or disconnected during intimate moments, leaving your feeling disconnected, lonely, and dissatisfied.

Your past no longer needs to hold you back from your present.

What you've been through is something that most people can’t even begin to imagine. Your trauma has left its mark, changing the way you feel, think, and navigate the world. It's no wonder that you might find it hard to trust others, form deep connections, truly enjoy sexual and romantic intimacy, or even just feel at ease in your own skin. The pain, the anxiety, the isolation—you've been living with these for too long, and it's not fair. But I want you to know that you are not defined by what happened to you.

You are more resilient, capable, and stronger than you know.

Even though it may seem impossible now, there is a path forward, a way to rebuild your life with compassion, peace, intimacy, and trust. You can create something better, to find joy in the little things, to rediscover what it means to truly connect with others — and yourself. It won't always be easy, but you don't have to do it alone. Together, we can work towards a future where the shadows of trauma no longer hold you back, where you can live with a sense of safety and open yourself to the beauty and love that you deserve.

Jess uses a trauma treatment method called “Brainspotting.” Brainspotting is a powerful therapy technique that helps you process and heal from deep-seated trauma by focusing on where you feel emotions in your body by using your eye position to access and release stored trauma, particularly those affecting your sexual relationships, functioning, and connections. By targeting the specific areas in your brain where these issues are held, Brainspotting allows you to work through and resolve the underlying pain, leading to healthier relationships, improved sexual well-being, and a stronger connection with yourself and others. (Find out more about Brainspotting and how amazing it is here.)

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE

Therapy for trauma can help you:

  • Broaden your understanding of what is causing some of the pain and struggle due to your experiences;

  • To feel less “stuck” or “triggered” by those experiences that happened to you;

  • Allow yourself to begin to understand how to possibly open up being vulnerable and present to yourself and your relationship(s);

  • Understand more fully the issues you’re trying to solve with the problematic sexual behavior;

  • Increase your overall feelings of control over your behavior and engage in experiences that no longer cause shame and guilt or harm to you or your relationship(s);

  • Begin to focus on, and experience, pleasure with yourself and/or your partner(s);

  • Redefine how to be sexual with yourself and/or your partner(s).

You deserve healing from the pain and peace for the present.

The bottom line is…

Imagine a life where…

  • You wake up each day feeling lighter, free from the heavy burden of past pain.

  • You experience deep, meaningful connections with others, no longer held back by fear or mistrust.

  • You find joy in the present moment, without the constant shadow of past trauma weighing you down.

  • You confidently embrace your future, knowing that your past no longer defines you.

  • You feel a profound sense of inner peace, finally at ease with yourself and your journey.

Healing is possible.

I’m here to help you break free from the past to live in your present.

FAQs

  • Trauma is an emotional response to a distressing or disturbing event. It can result from a single incident or ongoing exposure to stress or violence. Trauma can have lasting effects on mental and physical health.

    Symptoms of trauma vary but can include flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, emotional numbness, irritability, and difficulty concentrating or sleeping. Trauma can also affect physical health, leading to headaches, stomach issues, or other stress-related ailments.

  • You’ll share your story at your own pace, and together, we’ll explore your concerns and goals. The first session is about getting to know each other and setting a foundation for our work together.

  • Healing is a personal journey, and there’s no set timeline. You may start to feel relief after a few sessions, but deeper healing often takes time and consistent effort.

  • That’s okay. You’re in control of what we discuss, and we’ll move at a pace that feels comfortable for you. Therapy is a collaborative process, and your comfort is my priority.

    With Brainspotting, you do not have to talk about what you are thinking or experiencing -- you do not necessarily need to have conscious awareness of the trauma that is impacting you! -- as we can still allow your brain to do its amazing healing work without talking.