Trauma & Attachment-Focused Therapy for Adults & Teens

Many people come to therapy not because something is “wrong” with them, but because something in their life or relationships feels heavy, confusing, or emotionally exhausting.

Trauma and attachment experiences shape how we see ourselves, connect with others, and respond to stress. Sometimes these patterns show up as anxiety, relationship struggles, emotional overwhelm, numbness, identity confusion, or difficulty trusting ourselves or others.

I provide trauma-informed, attachment-focused therapy for adults and teens seeking to better understand their emotional patterns, build internal safety, and create more secure and fulfilling relationships.

What Trauma & Attachment Therapy Can Support

Clients often seek this work when experiencing:

Persistent anxiety or emotional overwhelm
Difficulty trusting others or maintaining closeness
Fear of abandonment or fear of losing independence in relationships
Emotional shutdown, numbness, or dissociation
Strong emotional reactions that feel confusing or hard to control
Identity confusion or difficulty understanding personal needs
Childhood emotional neglect or inconsistent caregiving experiences
Relational trauma, betrayal trauma, or attachment injuries
Adoption-related identity and belonging challenges
Family-of-origin wounds impacting adult relationships
Complex trauma or repeated relational harm
Difficulty setting or maintaining boundaries

Trauma therapy is not about reliving painful experiences. It is about helping your nervous system and emotional world experience greater safety, understanding, and stability.

Who This Work Supports

I work with:

Adults navigating trauma, identity, or relational challenges
Teens developing emotional regulation and identity clarity
Individuals navigating family-of-origin or developmental trauma
Adoptees exploring identity, belonging, and attachment themes
Clients navigating anxiety, relational distress, or emotional dysregulation
Individuals in complex or diverse relationship structures
Clients wanting deeper self-understanding and emotional resilience

My Approach to Trauma & Attachment Therapy

My work centers on helping clients understand how past relational and emotional experiences influence present patterns — while supporting change at a pace that feels safe and sustainable.

Together, we focus on:

Understanding attachment styles and relational templates
Developing emotional regulation and nervous system stabilization
Exploring protective patterns that once served survival
Building internal trust and self-compassion
Processing relational wounds in a safe, contained way
Strengthening boundaries and differentiation
Reconnecting clients with emotional needs, identity, and personal agency

I view symptoms as meaningful adaptations rather than flaws. Therapy focuses on honoring how those adaptations developed while helping clients build new patterns that better support their current lives and relationships.

Therapeutic Modalities I Use

My work is integrative and tailored to each client’s needs, drawing from several evidence-based and relationally focused approaches.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Helps clients understand different emotional “parts” within themselves, including protective patterns, vulnerability, and internal conflict. IFS supports clients in developing self-leadership and emotional balance.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

Supports understanding emotional bonding patterns and attachment needs. EFT helps clients strengthen emotional security in both individual and relationship work.

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) – Youth & Attachment Work

Supports teens and families in building safe relational connections through attunement, emotional validation, and strengthening attachment bonds.

Trauma-Informed & Attachment-Based Care

Focuses on nervous system safety, pacing, and understanding how trauma impacts emotional regulation, identity, and relational functioning.

Experiences Clients Often Describe

While therapy outcomes vary, many clients report:

Increased emotional regulation and self-understanding
Reduced anxiety and overwhelm
Stronger and more secure relationship patterns
Improved boundary clarity
Greater self-compassion and reduced shame
Increased ability to tolerate vulnerability and emotional closeness
Greater clarity around identity, values, and emotional needs
Improved trust in themselves and others

Therapy for Teens

Adolescence is a powerful and vulnerable stage of identity development. Teens often struggle with emotional intensity, identity exploration, peer relationships, and family dynamics.

I support teens in:

Developing emotional regulation skills
Navigating identity and belonging
Strengthening parent/teen communication
Processing attachment injuries or relational stress
Building confidence and self-understanding

Parent collaboration is incorporated when clinically appropriate and developmentally supportive.

Therapy vs Coaching Availability

If you live in Washington State, I offer trauma and attachment-focused therapy services.

If you live outside Washington State, I offer identity and relational coaching nationwide and internationally. Coaching focuses on growth, relational skill development, and identity exploration and is not a substitute for mental health treatment.

Relationship Between Trauma, Identity, and Relationships

Many clients discover that trauma, identity development, and relationship patterns are deeply connected. For example:

Adoption and belonging experiences can shape attachment expectations
Cultural or identity-based experiences can influence emotional safety
Relationship dynamics can activate early attachment wounds
Trauma can impact trust, vulnerability, and emotional availability

Therapy provides a space to understand these intersections without judgment or pathologizing.

Related Services

Clients often move between or combine these areas of work:

👉🏽 Adoptee-Focused Therapy
👉🏽 Relationship Therapy
👉🏽 Ethical Non-Monogamy & Relationship Diversity Therapy
👉🏽 Identity, Culture & LGBTQIA+ Therapy / Coaching