Trauma Therapy
Helping you move forward, heal, and reclaim your life. Serving kids, teens, adults, couples, and families in the Palo Alto Bay Area and online across California.
Feel “Unstuck” & Move Forward
Break free from old patterns & start living with more intention.
Understand Your Emotions & Responses
Gain clarity over your feelings & manage them in healthier ways.
Build Resilience & Adaptability
Develop the skills to handle life’s challenges with confidence & ease.
Trauma keeps you in a loop of your past
When you’ve experienced something that’s more than your brain and body can process, it’s as if the past keeps replaying itself, no matter how much you want to move forward. The painful memories, emotions, and reactions keep surfacing, often at unexpected times, pulling you back into a place of fear, anger, or sadness. Even when you’re trying to focus on the present, it can feel like the past has a tight grip on your mind and body—making it hard to feel safe, trust others, or connect with yourself.
At Core Wellness Living & Family Therapy, we offer trauma therapy to help you break that loop, process what happened, and finally create space to heal, grow, and reclaim your future.
Trauma Therapy | Palo Alto Bay Area
- Encountering a constant fear or unease, sometimes leading to panic attacks.
- Experiencing unexpected anger or irritability.
- Feeling overwhelmed by intense emotions all at once.
- Constantly on edge or alert for danger.
- Replaying traumatic events or fears repeatedly.
- Feeling disconnected, hopeless, or indifferent.
- Carrying the weight of past events with feelings of self-blame.
- Struggling to manage emotional reactions.
- Feeling unworthy or unsure of yourself.
- Having difficulty forming or maintaining healthy connections with others.
Trauma Therapy | Palo Alto Bay Area
Who Trauma Therapy Can Help
Trauma can impact every part of your life, often in ways you don’t fully realize. It might show up as constant anxiety, panic attacks, or sudden bursts of anger. You might feel emotionally numb or like you’re disconnected from the people around you. Maybe you’re always on edge, as if you’re stuck in survival mode, unable to fully relax or trust that you’re safe. Trauma has a way of keeping you trapped in old patterns—reacting to things that remind you of the past, even when you just want to move forward.
At Core Wellness Living & Family Therapy, we’re here to help you break that cycle. We use trauma-informed approaches to help you understand how your thoughts and emotions are connected and how to challenge the negative patterns that keep you stuck. With Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), we’ll help you manage those overwhelming emotions so they don’t take control.
Trauma can also live in your body, which is why we incorporate somatic techniques and Polyvagal Theory to help calm your nervous system and feel more grounded. For those who need to process specific events, we offer Trauma Narrative Therapy to help you safely revisit and reframe your experiences. We also use Psychodynamic Therapy to explore how past trauma is impacting your present-day life and relationships.
The goal of trauma therapy isn’t just to cope with symptoms—it’s to help you regain control over your life, reconnect with yourself and the people you care about, and feel more resilient when facing challenges. With the right support, you can stop living in the shadow of your past and start building a future where you feel safer, more balanced, and more at ease in your own skin.
Trauma Therapy | Palo Alto Bay Area
Types Of Trauma We Support:
Acute Trauma
Chronic Trauma
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Developmental Trauma
Secondary Trauma
Generational Trauma
Medical Trauma
Relational Trauma
Sexual Trauma
Collective Trauma
Get unstuck from harmful patterns
Trauma can keep you trapped in a cycle of behaviors and thought patterns that don’t serve you, making it hard to understand why you’re repeating the same actions or feeling the same way over and over again. You might logically know what you want to change, but something keeps pulling you back into old habits. Trauma therapy helps you uncover the root of these patterns, offering insight into how past experiences shape your current behaviors.
Reconnect with yourself and others
Trauma can cause you to feel disconnected from your emotions, your body, and the people around you. You might feel numb, detached, or like you’re just going through the motions, unable to fully engage with life. Trauma therapy helps you reconnect—with your feelings, your body, and the important people in your life, helping you start to feel more present, grounded, and open to the connections that matter.
Rediscover your sense of self and values
When trauma happens, it can shake your sense of self, leaving you questioning who you are and what you want from life. Trauma therapy can help you rebuild a stronger sense of self by exploring how the trauma has impacted your identity and sense of purpose. With guidance, you’ll start to reconnect with your true self and clarify what’s important to you so you can live a life that feels more aligned with your values.
Move forward from your past
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to leave the past behind, it continues to affect your present. Trauma can keep you stuck, replaying old memories, fears, or pain. Even when you want to move forward, it feels like the past is pulling you back. Trauma therapy offers a space to process and heal from these painful experiences so you can finally stop feeling anchored to the past.
Help you live a full, more vibrant life
Living with trauma can feel like you’re carrying an invisible weight that holds you back from truly enjoying life. Everyday activities can feel draining, and you might find yourself avoiding things you used to love or isolating yourself from the world. Trauma therapy helps you release that weight, giving you the space to rediscover joy, peace, and a sense of freedom. As you heal, you’ll find that living a full, vibrant life isn’t just possible—it’s within your reach.
Rebuild meaningful connections with the people that matter
The effects of trauma can create barriers in your relationships, making it hard to feel truly connected to the people who matter most. You might push people away, feel distant, or struggle to trust those around you. This can leave you feeling lonely, even when you’re surrounded by others. Trauma therapy helps you work through the pain and fear that keeps you from opening up, allowing you to build healthier, more meaningful connections with the people in your life.
You don’t have to go through this alone; support is here when you’re ready.
Who We Are
Why Work With Core Wellness Living & Family Therapy
Life can be complicated.
The demands of work, family, relationships, and self-expectations can feel overwhelming, leaving you unsure of how to cope. At times, it may seem like there’s too much to balance, and managing it all becomes exhausting. In these moments, it’s easy to feel stuck or disconnected from the life you truly want to live.
At Core Wellness Living, we believe therapy is where clarity begins. It’s a space to make sense of your experiences and learn healthier ways to manage stress and emotions. We help you embrace your imperfections, find strength in your individuality, and connect with the shared human experience.
Our diverse team of therapists brings over 15 years of combined experience, offering a personalized approach that honors your culture, history, and personal journey, using evidence-based methods to guide you toward meaningful change.
The values behind Core Wellness Living & Family Therapy
Genuineness
We believe that being comfortable with who you are is key to meaningful change. Our approach is open, authentic, and grounded, helping you embrace your own truth.
Common Humanity
We all face struggles, make mistakes, and experience pain. Instead of seeing these challenges as personal failings, we view them as a part of being human.
Compassion
We believe that showing kindness and empathy to both ourselves and others can foster deeper connections, promote healing, and create a more compassionate world.
Curiosity
We encourage a mindset of curiosity—a desire to explore new ideas and perspectives that invite growth and help us better understand ourselves and the world around us.
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Meet Our Team
Match With A Trauma Therapist
Find the right trauma therapist or counselor for you. Browse our team profiles or contact us to get matched. Our team is available for in-person trauma therapy in the Palo Alto Bay Area or online therapy sessions across California.
Our Approach
How Trauma Therapy Works
1. We take the time to get to know you
We start by learning about your history and understanding where you’re struggling most. Together, we’ll work on techniques like managing emotions and challenging unhelpful thoughts, setting a foundation of trust as we explore your trauma at your own pace.
2. We create a plan together.
Based on your goals, we’ll create a personalized treatment plan. You’ll learn tools like relaxation techniques and emotional regulation to help you navigate your trauma. If needed, we’ll coordinate with your care team, like your doctor or psychiatrist, for added support.
3. We support you every step of the way.
Each session builds on the last, and as you grow, we’ll adjust your plan. You’ll have the space to share your experiences when you’re ready, with the right tools in place. We’re here to help you move forward, and connect you with any additional resources as needed.
“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed; it means the damage no longer controls your life.” — Akshay Dubey
Trauma Therapy | Palo Alto Bay Area
Questions About Trauma Therapy
What is trauma?
Trauma is more than just going through something difficult—it’s how your mind and body respond to that experience. Trauma occurs when something stressful, frightening, or overwhelming happens, leaving a lasting impact on your emotions and sense of safety. Trauma can result from a single event, like an accident or loss, or from a series of smaller events, such as persistent criticism, neglect, or discrimination.
What causes trauma?
Trauma can be caused by a variety of experiences. You might feel traumatized after events that leave you feeling:
- Frightened or threatened
- Humiliated or rejected
- Abandoned or unsupported
- Unsafe or powerless
- Ashamed or invalidated
These experiences can leave a deep emotional impact, affecting your ability to regulate emotions, connect with others, and feel safe in the world.
What is a trauma response?
A trauma response is the way your mind and body react to past traumatic events. These responses are normal and necessary for survival, but they can become problematic if they persist long after the threat is gone. Trauma responses can include feelings of anger, sadness, or fear, as well as difficulties in school, work, or relationships.
While these responses are valid, they can become obstacles to living a full life if they continue unchecked. Trauma therapy helps you process these responses so they no longer control you.
What is the best treatment for trauma?
At Core Wellness Living & Family Therapy, we offer a range of evidence-based treatments to help you heal from trauma. While there is no one-size-fits-all therapy for trauma, our trauma therapists will tailor their approach to meet your individual needs, ensuring you get the support that works best for you. With regular, personalized sessions, most people see a significant reduction in their symptoms and find themselves better equipped to manage the effects of trauma.
Our trauma therapy options include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A technique that focuses on identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts and behaviors linked to trauma.
- Somatic Techniques: Practices that help release trauma stored in the body, bringing calm to the nervous system.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: An approach that explores the deeper emotional roots of trauma to foster greater insight and healing.
Common elements of our trauma-informed therapy include:
- Psychoeducation: Understanding how trauma affects the brain and body and learning practical strategies for managing stress.
- Emotion regulation and coping skills: Building tools to help you manage overwhelming feelings and stay grounded in tough moments.
- Exposure and trauma narrative work: Safely exploring and processing traumatic memories to reduce their power over you.
- Cognitive processing and restructuring: Helping you reframe unhelpful beliefs and make sense of your experiences in a healthier way.
At Core Wellness, our goal is not just to help you manage trauma but to help you thrive beyond it. We’re here to guide you through every step of the healing process with care, compassion, and proven methods that work.
What is Post Traumatic Growth?
Post Traumatic Growth (PTG) is the positive psychological change that some individuals experience after a traumatic event. This is viewed as a parallel process with respect to the negative psychological consequences. PTG is an individual and subjective ongoing process that can be initiated by highly disruptive life events, and can include: new ways of understanding yourself, the world, and how to relate to others.
Trauma Therapy | Palo Alto Bay Area
What You Can Expect From Trauma Therapy
While everyone’s journey is different, with time, effort, and commitment to therapy, you may experience:
- A greater sense of safety within yourself and the world around you
- Learning how to manage trauma symptoms and move forward without being held back by the past
- Reconnection with your body and gain a deeper awareness of your emotions and responses
- Greater clarity and insight into how your experiences shape your thoughts, feelings, and actions
- A more regulated nervous system, with the ability to stay calm even during stressful times
Core Wellness Living & Family Therapy
How To Get Started
Ready to take the next step or have questions? You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation, send us a message through our contact form, or give us a call—we’re here to make getting started as easy as possible.
