TRAUMA

Little “t” traumas are the quieter, less obvious experiences that may not look traumatic from the outside but still leave a deep mark over time. These can include chronic stress, relationship tension, being dismissed or overlooked, or moments of rejection that slowly shape how you see yourself. Unlike big “T” traumas tied to major or life-threatening events, little “t” traumas build up and influence your beliefs, your confidence, and your sense of safety.

Working through these experiences in therapy helps release the emotional weight you’ve been carrying, strengthen your resilience, and create space for healing and self-trust.

Big “T” traumas are the major, overwhelming events that shake your sense of safety and exceed your ability to cope in the moment. These can include experiences like abuse, serious accidents, natural disasters, violence, or any situation where your physical or emotional safety felt threatened. Big “T” traumas often leave long-lasting imprints on the mind and body, showing up as anxiety, flashbacks, panic, or feeling disconnected from yourself or others.

Therapy offers a safe, steady place to process these experiences at your pace, rebuild a sense of safety, and begin restoring trust in yourself and the world around you.

Complex trauma comes from repeated or long-term exposure to painful experiences, especially in relationships or environments where you should have felt safe. This might look like chronic abuse, neglect, instability, or growing up in a home where you never knew what version of someone you were going to get. Unlike a single traumatic event, complex trauma shapes how you see yourself, how you relate to others, and how your nervous system responds to stress.

Therapy for complex trauma centers on creating a steady, supportive space where those layered experiences can be understood and untangled. Together, we work on rebuilding trust, processing emotions at a safe pace, and developing tools that help you feel grounded, capable, and whole again.