Trauma and PTSD

Some experiences don't stay in the past. A frightening event, years of violence at home, war, or a dangerous journey to a new country can leave the body and mind on alert long after the danger is over.

As a trauma-informed therapist, I start from safety and choice. You decide what we talk about and when. Nothing has to be told all at once, and nothing has to be told at all before you are ready.

What trauma can feel like

• Memories, nightmares or flashbacks that arrive without warning
• Feeling constantly on guard, jumpy or unable to relax
• Avoiding people, places or conversations that bring it back
• Feeling numb, far away or not quite like yourself
• Shame or self-blame about what happened
• Trouble sleeping, concentrating or trusting others

Who I work with

• Adults living with the effects of a frightening or violent experience
• People affected by war, displacement or migration
• Women who have experienced domestic violence or emotional abuse
• Anyone who feels on guard, numb or not quite themselves since something happened
• Teens affected by frightening experiences, violence or migration, with a parent or guardian involved

How we work together

A trauma-informed, strengths-based approach drawing on trauma-focused CBT. We start with stability and coping skills, then work with the memories and beliefs that keep the past present, only when you're ready.

First, steadiness. We build ways to calm your body and mind when something brings the past close, so that you have tools before we go anywhere difficult.

Then, understanding. We look at how the experience shaped what you believe about yourself, other people and the world, and at the beliefs that keep it feeling present.

Then, the life you want now. Therapy for PTSD isn't only about what happened. It is also about sleep, relationships, work and the parts of you that kept going.

When trauma is tied to war, migration or family

For many of the people I work with, trauma isn't one event. It can be a war remembered from childhood, a family that didn't talk about what it lived through, or the losses and dangers of leaving home.

I have spent more than twenty years working with immigrant women and families, and I won't ask you to translate your experience into someone else's framework. Your culture, faith and family are part of the story, and often part of the strength.

Online sessions across Illinois, in English or Albanian

Sessions are by secure video, so you can meet from home or anywhere private, as long as you are in Illinois at the time of the session. We can work in English or in Albanian, whichever feels more natural.

The first session

• Understanding what brought you to therapy
• Agreeing on what you want help with
• Talking through how we will work together

Fees and insurance

Sessions are $180 for 50 minutes. Most major insurance plans accepted. See fees and insurance for the details.

Questions people ask

See also: Anxiety, Depression, Grief, Life transitions, Acculturative stress.