Online Trauma Therapy for Adults in Maine & New Hampshire

Trauma doesn’t always look the way people expect. Sometimes it’s a single frightening event. Sometimes it’s years of living with something painful, unpredictable, or unsafe. And sometimes it’s the absence of something you needed. However it happened, you may notice it now in your body, your relationships, your sleep, or the way you react to things that seem small to everyone else.

I provide online trauma therapy for adults located in Maine or New Hampshire. I’m a Clinical Trauma Professional, certified through Evergreen Certifications, with advanced training in EMDR. My work is paced, collaborative, and built around what you can handle, so you stay in control of what we do and when.

What is trauma?

Trauma is a lasting response to an experience that overwhelmed your ability to cope. What makes something traumatic isn’t only what happened, but how it affected you and whether you had support afterward. Two people can go through the same event and respond very differently, and neither response is wrong.

Trauma can come from:

• A single event, such as an accident, assault, medical crisis, or sudden loss
• Ongoing or repeated experiences, such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, neglect, or living with chronic fear
• Relational trauma, such as painful or unstable relationships, including family and romantic ones
• Birth and medical trauma
• Loss and grief that felt unbearable or came without warning

Many people don’t think of what happened to them as “trauma,” especially if it wasn’t dramatic or they’ve been told it wasn’t that bad. You don’t have to rank your experience to deserve support.

Signs trauma may be affecting you

Intrusive reminders

• Flashbacks, nightmares, or unwanted memories
• Strong reactions to sounds, smells, places, or situations that remind you of something painful

Staying on guard

• Feeling constantly alert, jumpy, or easily startled
• Trouble sleeping or concentrating
• Anger, irritability, or feeling on edge

Avoiding

• Steering away from people, places, or topics that remind you of what happened
• Staying busy to avoid feeling

Changes in how you see yourself and others

• Persistent shame, guilt, or self-blame
• Difficulty trusting people
• Feeling detached, numb, or like you’re watching life from outside yourself
• Believing the world isn’t safe, or that something is wrong with you

In your body

• Tension, headaches, stomach trouble, or exhaustion without a clear cause
• Feeling shut down or “frozen”

These are common responses, not signs that you’re broken. Having several of them doesn’t automatically mean PTSD, which is a specific diagnosis that a licensed clinician can assess. You don’t need a diagnosis to start therapy.

What kinds of trauma do I work with?

I work with adults who are dealing with:

• Single-incident trauma
• Childhood and relational trauma, including growing up with unpredictable, critical, or emotionally unavailable caregivers
• Trauma in adult relationships
• Birth and perinatal trauma [link to perinatal page]
• Medical trauma
• Trauma that shows up as anxiety, people-pleasing, or anxious attachment. Learn more about therapy for anxiety here and attachment here.
• Trauma alongside substance use. Learn more here.

Scope: I provide individual therapy only. I’m not an emergency or crisis service, and I’m not the right fit for every situation. I work with dissociative symptoms on a case-by-case basis. I don’t work with clients who have a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, or with clients who have active and persistent suicidal thoughts with a plan or intent. These situations call for a higher level of care or a specialized treatment program, and if that’s what you need, I’ll help you find the right provider.

If you’re in crisis or in immediate danger, call 911, call or text 988, or go to the nearest emergency room.

How I approach trauma therapy

Good trauma therapy doesn’t start with going back over the worst moments. It’s paced, and it’s built around safety.

1. Safety and stabilization first. We start by building skills to settle your nervous system, manage strong emotions, and feel more grounded in daily life. For some people, that alone brings real relief. For others, it’s the foundation that makes deeper work possible.

2. Processing, when you’re ready. When you have steadier footing, we work on the experiences that are still weighing on you. You decide the pace, and we can slow down or pause whenever you need. You don’t have to tell me every detail, and the work doesn’t have to be about reliving it.

3. Rebuilding. As old experiences lose their grip, we focus on what you want next: stronger boundaries, relationships that feel safer, a clearer sense of yourself, and a life that isn’t organized around what happened.

These stages aren’t always linear. We may circle back, and that’s normal.

The approaches I use

I tailor the work to you and often combine approaches.

• EMDR therapy: a structured therapy that helps your brain reprocess distressing memories so they carry less emotional charge. It’s one of the main tools I use for trauma. Read more on my EMDR page.
• CBT: helps you notice and change trauma-related thoughts, such as self-blame or “I’m not safe,” and respond to triggers differently.
• DBT skills: practical tools for managing intense emotions, getting through distress without making it worse, and communicating in hard moments.
• Mindfulness and body-based practices: trauma lives in the body, so I include grounding, breathing, and body awareness to help you feel safe in your own skin.
• Attachment-informed work: when trauma happened in relationships, the therapy relationship itself can be part of healing. Read more on my attachment page.

If you’re unsure where to start, we’ll figure it out together in the first sessions.

What to expect

• A free 15-minute consultation to talk about what you’re facing, what you want, and whether I’m the right fit
• A collaborative start, where we talk about your history at your own pace and set goals together
• No pressure to disclose. You decide what to share and when
• Honest conversations, where I’ll tell you what I’m noticing and check in about how it lands
• Online sessions over secure video, from a place that feels safe to you

I provide therapy to adults who are located in New Hampshire or Maine at the time of the session. In New Hampshire, I’m licensed as an LCMHC and MLADC. In Maine, I’m licensed as an LCPC.

frequently asked Questions about trauma therapy

Do I have to talk about what happened?
Not in detail. You decide how much to share. Some people talk through details, others name only a feeling or an image, and some approaches like EMDR can work with less talking.

How do I know if I have PTSD?
PTSD is a specific diagnosis made by a licensed clinician based on your symptoms. We can talk through what you’re experiencing, and I can help you understand what fits. You don’t need a diagnosis to get help.

What if I don’t remember everything?
That’s more common than people think. Trauma can affect memory, and you can do meaningful work without a complete picture. We’ll work with what’s there.

Will therapy make me feel worse before I feel better?
Sometimes feelings get stronger when you start paying attention to things you’ve avoided. That’s why I build in stabilization and pacing, and why we check in often. If it becomes too much, we slow down.

Is trauma therapy only EMDR?
No. EMDR is one approach, and I use it alongside CBT, DBT skills, and mindfulness and body-based practices. Not everyone needs EMDR, and the timing matters.

How long does trauma therapy take?
It varies. A recent, single event may take fewer sessions, and longer-standing or relational trauma often takes more time. We’ll review progress together.

Can online therapy work for trauma?
For many people, yes. Some find it easier to open up from a space that already feels safe. It isn’t right for everyone, such as someone who’s in an unsafe living situation or needs more support than telehealth can provide. We’ll talk about what makes sense for you.

What if I’m in an unsafe situation right now?
Your safety comes first. If you’re in immediate danger, call 911. For support with domestic violence, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (1-800-799-SAFE). I can also help you think through next steps in our sessions, but I’m not a crisis service.

Do you work with couples or families?
No. I provide individual therapy only. I’m happy to support you in how someone else’s behavior affects you.

Can you help if I’m also using substances to cope?
Yes. As an MLADC in New Hampshire, I treat substance use alongside trauma. See my addiction counseling page.

Which states do you serve?
Adults located in New Hampshire or Maine at the time of the session.

Do you take insurance?
Yes. Learn more here.

Ready to talk?

You don’t have to be ready to talk about what happened to reach out. If you’re curious about working together, I offer a free consultation for adults in Maine and New Hampshire.

If you’re in crisis or having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988. This page is for education and isn’t a substitute for professional mental health care.