Two Thirds of children report at least 1 traumatic event by age 16.

 

1 in 7 children have experienced abuse or neglect.

 

83% of LGBTQ+ members have had at least 1 adverse childhood experience.

 

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Trauma can be defined as a whole-body response to an overwhelming experience that led to emotional and physiological activation that at the time of occurrence was unable to be emotionally processed and discharged from the body. These unprocessed emotions and their physiological impulses become stuck within our nervous system along with the often limiting or self-shaming beliefs we infer from the experience.

 

In childhood this often occurs because our caregiver wasn't available (intentionally or incidentally) to scaffold our experience, helping soothe and make sense of our feelings in relation to what occurred in a safe, attuned manner. It can even be the caregiver themselves who was the perpetrator.

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The effects of trauma can have long-lasting impacts on how we cope with and navigate through situations where similar experiences, dynamics, or feelings arise. It affects our sense of self, relationships with others, and security in authentically existing in the world.

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How Can Attachment-Informed Psychotherapy Help Heal Trauma?

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Attachment-informed therapy takes the above into consideration. It is through the co-creation of a safe, trusting, and collaborative therapeutic relationships where trauma can be resolved. I believe that therapy is meant to be experiential, collaborative, and exploratory in nature. Integrating relational neuroscience (attachment-neuroscience), IFS & TIST informed parts work, emotionally-focused AEDP therapy, and somatic understanding of the mind-body connection, we will work to process the somatic emotional, and relational memories that were stored as fragments within your nervous system, helping untangle and make sense of your truth narrative in a way that brings about present-day growth and healing.

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Tools fostered throughout our sessions include: self-advocacy, self-compassion, enhancing flexible thinking, expanding window of tolerance (increasing ability to safely tolerate certain emotions, physiological sensations, memories, etc.), resiliency strengthening, and somatic-affective awareness and regulation (increase in awareness of emotions, their body-based felt sense, and nervous system regulation), boundary-setting skills. 

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How Can Childhood Trauma Show Up in Present-Day?

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Nervous System Dysregulation & Body Responses 

Feeling easily triggered, dissociation, digestive issues, stomach pains, chest pains, feeling on edge or overly alert, low libido.

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Anxiety and/or Depression

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Anger, Irritation, Impulsivity

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Sleep Troubles

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Difficulties with Interpersonal Relationships

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Low Self-Esteem & Harsh Inner Criticism

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What Types of Childhood Trauma Do You Treat?

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• Adult Children of Emotionally Immature or Narcissistic Parents

• Adolescent Bullying

• Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), Disorganized Attachment, & Dissociation

• LGBTQ+ Unique Trauma

• Parentification, Spousification, or Scapegoating in Childhood

• Survivors of Childhood Trauma

• Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse & Incest 

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What Makes You Different from Other Trauma Therapists in Bergen County, New Jersey? 

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As an attachment-informed psychotherapist, I bring a wealth of expertise shaped by extensive post-graduate training in attachment theory, child development, human sexuality, complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), dissociation, and relational neuroscience. In addition, I have engaged in advanced education on the complexities of narcissistic family dynamics and narcissistic abuse, receiving clinical consultation with Dr. Karyl McBride, author of Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers. 

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In my practice, I integrate trauma and attachment informed modalities Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS). My dedication to staying at the forefront of trauma treatment is evident through ongoing advanced study and clinical consultation with experts such as Kathy Steele, MS, CN, APRN, co-author of Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation and Janina Fisher, PhD, author of Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors.

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My qualifications extend to specific certifications, notably as an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist specializing in childhood sexual abuse and incest. I also hold the designation of ACNP Certified Clinical Narcissistic Abuse Therapist.​​​

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My journey as a therapist is deeply personal, informed by my own experiences as a survivor of childhood  trauma and parental narcissism. This lived experience fuels my empathy and understanding as I navigate both my clients' healing paths and my own ongoing recovery journey.