Trauma Therapy in californiaTrauma Lives in the Body, Not Just the Story
Trauma therapy helps you heal the lasting effects of trauma by working with both the mind and the nervous system. I provide online trauma therapy throughout California using Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and somatic therapy, with in-person sessions available in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
No matter how hard you've tried, the same patterns keep showing up.
you are not too muchWhat If Nothing Is Wrong With You?
One of the biggest shifts I see in therapy happens when people realize they're not "too sensitive," "too emotional," or "too much."
Many of the ways you've learned to cope—overthinking, people-pleasing, shutting down, staying constantly busy, or always expecting the worst—may have once helped you feel safe. Your mind and body adapted the best way they knew how.
The problem is that what protected you then may now be keeping you from feeling connected, confident, and at peace.
Healing isn't about getting rid of those parts of yourself. It's about helping your mind and body realize they don't have to work so hard to protect you anymore.
understanding TraumaYou may understand what happened to you. But your body is still responding as if it’s happening now. This work helps the nervous system process and integrate what remains unresolved, whether from a single event, an ongoing pattern, or relational dynamics that shaped how you learned to feel safe. The work is body-based, attuned to your pace, and grounded in the therapeutic relationship.
Sound Familiar?What Trauma Can Look Like
Trauma doesn’t always come with a clear narrative. It’s common not to identify what you’ve been through as “trauma” at all. You just know something feels off, and has for a long time.
If you recognize yourself in any of this, it may mean your nervous system is still holding something it hasn’t been able to process. That’s not a failure. It’s a sign that the work needs to include the body.
Here’s what I often hear from people doing this work:
You feel on alert even when you know you’re safe. Your body hasn’t gotten the message.
You dissociate, shut down, or go numb when things get emotionally intense.
You have strong reactions to situations that others seem to handle more easily.
You carry shame that doesn’t match anything you can logically explain.
You’ve been told to “move on” or “let it go,” but your nervous system won’t cooperate.
Something happened — or didn’t happen but should have — and it still lives in your body.
How Trauma Gets StoredWhat the Mind Can’t Reach
Trauma isn’t just about what happened. It’s about what your nervous system learned from the experience — about who’s safe, what to expect, how to protect yourself. When those lessons were shaped by overwhelming or unpredictable experiences, the nervous system can stay on alert long after the original situation has passed.
Many people notice that their body reacts automatically — feeling anxious, hypervigilant, or emotionally overwhelmed — even when they know logically that they’re safe. This happens because earlier experiences created internal templates that guide how the brain and nervous system respond.
Understanding this is the first step. But shifting these patterns requires an approach that reaches the nervous system directly, not just more talking about what happened.
Rather than forcing change, the process works with the nervous system’s natural capacity to process and integrate experiences over time.
My ApproachHow I Work With Trauma
I work with trauma holistically, weaving Brainspotting, IFS, and somatic approaches based on what’s emerging in each session. Brainspotting is a brain-and-body-based therapy that helps the nervous system process emotional experiences stored below conscious awareness, areas that talk therapy alone often can’t reach.
IFS helps us work with the parts of you that developed to cope with what happened: the protector, the hypervigilant part, the part that learned to shut down. We get to know them with curiosity rather than trying to override them.
The work is steady and always attuned to what feels manageable. I adjust the pace based on what your nervous system is ready for, not what a protocol says should come next.
I provide online therapy for trauma throughout California, with in-person therapy available in San Francisco, the Bay Area, and West Los Angeles (LA County).
meet your therapist
I help clients break the patterns that keep them stuck
Hi, I’m Esma, a holistic therapist. My clients are thoughtful, capable people who are tired of surface-level solutions. They don't want someone to simply listen and nod. They want a therapist who can help them understand what's driving their patterns, and more importantly, help them create lasting change.
My approach is both direct, and nurturing. I won’t shy away from difficult conversations. I’ll help you get beneath the surface and start making real changes. You’ll feel supported and challenged with care and compassion. I believe both are necessary for growth.
What Can ShiftWhat Opens Up
Healing from trauma doesn’t mean erasing what happened.
Over time, the grip loosens and something quieter takes its place.
Less reactivity, more regulation
The nervous system begins to feel less on alert. Situations that used to be overwhelming become navigable. You respond from the present rather than from old patterns.
A different relationship with the past
The memories don’t disappear, but they lose their charge. You can think about what happened without being pulled into the emotional intensity of the original experience.
More presence, less protection
As the protective patterns soften, you may notice more clarity, more creativity, and a stronger sense of internal stability, not because you’ve forced yourself to “move on,” but because the nervous system has done its work.
Services
Break the patterns. Heal at the root.
Common questionsTrauma Therapy FAQ
What types of trauma do you work with?
I work with relational trauma, complex trauma and C-PTSD, developmental trauma, and the kind of trauma that comes from what didn’t happen but should have: emotional neglect, inconsistency, or lack of attunement in early relationships. I do not work with individuals currently in active abusive situations, but I’m happy to provide referrals.
Do I need to talk about what happened in detail?
No. Trauma processing doesn’t require retelling the story. Brainspotting works with where the experience is stored in the nervous system, not the narrative. You share what feels right at your own pace.
Is Brainspotting safe for trauma?
Yes. Brainspotting is specifically designed to work with trauma in a pacing-oriented way. I attune to your nervous system throughout the session and adjust the work to keep it within a manageable range. You’re always in control of the pace.
Can trauma therapy be done in a group setting?
Yes. Brainspotting group therapy offers a different but complementary pathway. Each person does their own internal processing while the group holds space. You won’t be asked to share your story. Many people find the co-regulation of a group setting deepens the work. No previous Brainspotting experience is required.
Take the First StepImagine what becomes possible when old patterns no longer define you.
Your next chapter start with a conversation