Developmental & Complex Trauma Therapy

A Relational, Body-Aware Approach to HealingTrauma in Boulder, CO 

Did you grow up in a dysfunctional home with parent (s) who were either unavailable or abusive? 
  • Have you realized that patterns from your childhood — like fear of abandonment or emotional numbness are still affecting you today? 
  • Have unresolved wounds from childhood experiences left you with a sense of shame, self-doubt or challenges seeing yourself clearly? Does the reflection you receive from others not match your sense of Self? 
  • Have the ways you learned to survive as a child  -- people pleasing, perfectionism, emotional guarding / withdrawal become barriers to healthy relationships and having needs in relationships? 
  • Do you wish you could feel safe in relationships and let your guard down?
​Therapy offers a place to slow down and gently turn toward both your inner and relational world. In my trauma — based therapy practice in Boulder, CO, we take time to notice patterns as they arise in relationships, while also listening closely to your body as a guide for understanding stress, emotion, and safety.

What is complex trauma?

Relational and family-of-origin trauma—often called complex trauma—develops gradually over time, shaped by repeated experiences rather than a single event. Developmental trauma begins in childhood and may include abuse, witnessing domestic violence, or living with parental mental health or substance abuse challenges. Complex trauma can also emerge from adult experiences like domestic violence, betrayal by a romantic partner, or sustained abuse (verbal, emotional, sexual).

These experiences can profoundly shape attachment to others and how the nervous system learns to respond to stress, connection, and change. You might find yourself feeling guarded, easily overwhelmed, uncertain about trusting others, or caught in an exhausting pull between longing for closeness and needing distance.

Because trauma lives not just in memory but in your nervous system, my work is grounded in somatic approaches—specifically Somatic Experiencing and parts work like Internal Family Systems and Inner Relationship Focusing. Together, we slow down and gently listen to the communication between your mind and nervous system. With curiosity and care, the survival strategies that once protected you start to make sense. Rather than something to fix or push away, we can understand them with compassion and allow them to naturally shift as you build new experiences of safety.
How Trauma and Attachment Live in the Nervous System 
When safety or attunement was inconsistent, the nervous system learns to remain alert, hyper-vigilant, guarded, or overwhelmed long after the original circumstances have passed. This often shows up as feeling isolated, challenges with emotional regulation and relationship difficulties. 

Rather than viewing these patterns as something that is “wrong,” a trauma-informed, attachment-based approach understands them as adaptive responses that helped one survive less than optimal circumstances. Healing involves creating enough safety and nervous system regulation to gently explore how these patterns formed and how they continue to influence present-day relationships.

Moving Toward Safety, Connection, and Wholeness

​Many people come to therapy carrying the residual effects of developmental and complex trauma—early family and relational experiences that shaped the nervous system and continue to influence how we relate to ourselves and others. In my somatic trauma therapy practice in Boulder, CO, I work with adults who experience disruptive relational patterns, feeling safe with intimacy, or struggle with feeling disconnected from their bodies, emotions, or the people they care about.

Healing from developmental and complex trauma is a gradual, relational process. Over time, many people find they feel more grounded, connected, and better able to navigate intimacy, boundaries, and emotional closeness with others. Trauma therapy can support the development of healthy relationships that feel secure, responsive, and aligned with who you are becoming.
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If this resonates, I'd love for you to explore the rest of my website or reach out via my contact page to schedule an initial consult to see if working together feels like a good fit.
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