CPTSD & Trauma Therapy in Nashville TN
For the one’s wanting to feel safe.
You might not call it trauma…
But maybe you get close to people and then pull away. Or, you feel "needy" the moment you sense distance, and then apologize for taking up space.
Maybe you're so tuned in to everyone else that you forget yourself entirely. If someone asked what you need, you likely wouldn't know.
Or maybe it's the opposite.
You're the capable one, the independent one, and accepting help feels harder than doing it alone.
Does it feel like good things will never stay?
Complex trauma feels normal because it's how your nervous system learned to survive.
How We’ll Move Towards Healing
I'm not going to rush you. You don't have to start therapy by telling every detail of your story; when the time is right, we'll work with what your body's been holding: the held breath, the clenched jaw, the flinch before you've consciously registered threat.
My approach is somatic, and parts work (IFS) informed: helping your nervous system learn that safety is possible in your actual body, not just your head.
Here, you get to practice being seen, saying what you need, disagreeing with me, and still having the relationship hold.
Working with me is a place to practice the safety you didn't get growing up.
A Note on Emotional Neglect
Thinking, "but my childhood wasn't bad?” This might still be for you.
Not all complex trauma comes from what happened. Sometimes it's what didn't: the comfort that never came, the sense that you were fed and housed and fine, and still alone.
Emotional neglect is like trauma being whispered. It leaves a person who's learned to need very little and expect even less.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Most people picture trauma as a single event. Complex trauma, or CPTSD, is different. It grows out of experiences that repeat over time, especially in the relationships that were supposed to keep you safe. Sometimes it’s what was done to you. Just as often, it's what was missing.
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No. Complex trauma doesn't require a defining event or a story that sounds bad enough to justify support. If something has felt off for as long as you can remember, that's reason enough.
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No. You don't have to arrive with the full story, or any of it, before we can start. We build safety first, and the pace is yours. Trauma work is often most effective when we slow down the content in favor of exploring and being with the actual process that’s happening underneath.
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If you've done talk therapy before and still feel stuck, that's common with complex trauma. Insight alone often isn't enough, because this kind of trauma lives in the body and the nervous system, not just the story. We work with both.
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That's exactly who this work is for. Complex trauma often doesn't come with a name attached, just a sense that something isn't right. Naming it is part of what we do together.
Start With a Chat
A free 15-minute consult call is where we start. Don’t worry, you don’t have to have it all figured out or even tell your story during this brief time.
This is a call to get your questions answered, to gain clarity, and to explore your goals. Together, we will decide if it feels like a good fit.
