You deserve more than just getting through the day.
Maybe you look fine on the outside while carrying something heavy on the inside. Trauma can keep your body on alert, make it hard to trust and leave you feeling stuck. With the right care, it can heal.
Trauma can look like this
It doesn't always look like what people expect. If some of these feel familiar, you're in the right place.
Flashbacks and panic
Memories, images or feelings that hit out of nowhere and feel like they're happening now.
Always on guard
Scanning for danger, startling easily and never fully relaxing.
Numb or disconnected
Feeling far away from your emotions, your body or the people around you.
Hard to trust
Keeping people at arm's length, even the ones you want close.
“Something is wrong with me”
A persistent sense of shame or of being broken that you can't shake.
Quietly stuck
A tiring sense that you're getting by, but not really living.
Trauma is not a character flaw. It's a wound that deserves care.
Trauma is your nervous system's response to experiences that were too much to process at the time. It isn't weakness, and it isn't something you should be able to just get over.
Whether it came from one event or years of feeling unsafe, unseen or alone, trauma is treatable. You can remember what happened without it running your life.
How we approach trauma therapy
There's no one-size-fits-all path. We draw on research-backed approaches and tailor them to your history and goals.
EMDR
Uses bilateral stimulation to help your brain reprocess stuck memories, so you can remember without it feeling like it's happening right now.
Attachment-Focused EMDR
Developed by Dr. Laurel Parnell for early childhood wounds. It builds inner resources like a safe place and nurturing figures before processing.
Trauma-Focused CBT
Helps you make sense of what happened and challenge the painful beliefs trauma leaves behind.
CBT
Identifies the patterns, like avoidance, that keep you stuck, and builds new ways of coping.
When trauma lives in the body
Trauma isn't only stored as memories. Researchers like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and Dr. Peter Levine describe how it can stay in the body, keeping the stress response switched on long after the danger has passed.
Research has linked unresolved trauma and chronic stress with a range of physical symptoms. Body-aware approaches to EMDR can help your nervous system settle, alongside the care you get from your medical providers.
- ●Chronic pain and fibromyalgia
- ●Digestive problems like IBS
- ●Ongoing fatigue and low energy
- ●Headaches and tension in the neck, jaw and shoulders
- ●Autoimmune conditions and a dysregulated stress response
Find the right therapist for you
Both of our clinicians are EMDR-trained. Not sure who to see? Book a free consultation and we'll help you choose.
Christina Castro, LPCC
Complex and childhood trauma, attachment wounds, and trauma that resurfaces in midlife. EMDR and Attachment-Focused EMDR, with over a decade of trauma work.
Meet Christina →
James Garcia, ASW
Trauma and PTSD, including trauma alongside OCD, anxiety or drinking to cope. EMDR and DeTUR, for adults across California.
Meet James →What to expect
Will I have to talk about every detail?
No. With EMDR, you don't need to retell your story over and over or describe everything that happened. We go at a pace that feels safe, and we build stability and coping skills before working on painful memories.
Can EMDR be done online?
Yes. We use on-screen eye movements or self-tapping for bilateral stimulation, and many clients find it easier to do this work from the comfort and privacy of home.
How long are sessions, and what do they cost?
Sessions are 53 minutes and range from $150 to $225 depending on your clinician. We accept credit, debit and HSA cards. See our fees and insurance page for details.
Do you take insurance?
We're in-network with Aetna and First Health, and we bill most other PPO plans for you as an out-of-network provider. Survivors of violent crime in California may qualify for CalVCB, which can cover the cost of therapy.
You are worth showing up for.
You don't need to be in crisis to start. One small step is enough. Begin with a free 15-minute consultation.
Christina Castro, LPCC: CA #10716, FL #1589, SC #2226. James Garcia, ASW #132540, supervised by Christina Castro, LPCC #10716. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or go to the nearest emergency room. This page is for information only and does not create a therapist-client relationship.