Families shape us in profound ways, for better or for worse. While some family dynamics are supportive and nurturing, others can leave behind invisible wounds—wounds that persist well into adulthood. At my practice, I specialize in helping individuals who are struggling with the lingering effects of family trauma and complex relational dynamics. Whether you’re grappling with unresolved pain from your upbringing, feeling trapped in cycles of dysfunction, or trying to make sense of confusing emotions in your adult relationships, you’re not alone—and healing is possible.

Many of my clients come from families where emotional neglect, criticism, abandonment, or abuse were present. Some describe feeling like they had to be the “perfect child,” while others felt like their needs were constantly dismissed or misunderstood. Some were raised by parents who were emotionally immature, narcissistic, or unpredictable. And some never had the chance to develop a secure sense of self because they were always adapting to their family’s chaos or emotional volatility.

When family systems are unsafe or invalidating, children often learn to survive by disconnecting from their feelings, ignoring their own needs, or becoming overly responsible for others. Over time, these survival strategies become ingrained patterns that show up in adult relationships—often without conscious awareness.

Healing family trauma is not about blaming your parents or living in the past. It’s about understanding how your early experiences shaped your nervous system, your beliefs about yourself, and your approach to connection. From this place of insight and self-compassion, you can begin to change the patterns that no longer serve you.

• You often find yourself feeling intense guilt or anxiety when setting boundaries with loved ones
• You often second-guess your own thoughts, needs, or decisions
• You take on responsibility for others’ emotions or well-being
• You fear rejection, conflict, or being seen as “too much”
• You carry a persistent sense of not being good enough
• You struggle with emotional intimacy or tend to avoid closeness
• You notice recurring dynamics in romantic relationships that echo your family system

These experiences aren’t random—they’re rooted in early attachment wounds and the roles we played in our families to feel safe or accepted.

Family trauma isn’t always loud or dramatic. It can be subtle—like having a parent who was physically present but emotionally unavailable, or growing up in a home where feelings were never acknowledged. Even well-meaning caregivers can pass down patterns of shame, emotional disconnection, or silence that echo across generations.

In our work together, I offer a grounded, nonjudgmental space to explore these dynamics and their ripple effects. You don’t need a perfectly coherent story. We go at your pace. Healing is relational. It happens in the context of a therapeutic relationship where you’re seen clearly, your strengths are honored, and your relational history is truly understood.

A key part of healing from family trauma is examining the role you had to play to survive. Maybe you were the peacemaker, the overachiever, the invisible child, or the emotional caretaker. Each of these roles serves a purpose in dysfunctional systems—but they often come at a personal cost.

You may often find yourself:

• Suppressing your own needs to avoid conflict or gain approval
• Feeling like you have to be strong or self-sufficient, even when you are hurting
• Feeling hypervigilant and having difficulty trusting others
• Struggling with people-pleasing, perfectionism, or emotional numbing
• Feeling stuck in dynamics with family members that leave you feeling powerless or unseen
• Having trouble accessing or trusting your own feelings and intuition

By bringing compassionate awareness to these roles and how they show up today, you can begin to loosen their grip. This process allows you to reclaim parts of yourself that were suppressed for the sake of survival—your voice, your boundaries, your authenticity.

Sometimes, healing involves grief—grieving the family you didn’t have or the childhood you didn’t get to fully experience. In our work together, we make space for that grief without judgment or urgency.

Relational trauma is complex because it involves the people we are closest to. It’s not just about individual symptoms—it’s about the relational patterns that shaped our development and continue to affect our sense of self and safety. That’s why healing these wounds often requires more than just talking—it involves the nervous system, attachment patterns, and the parts of us that developed to keep us safe.

In therapy, we might use parts work to explore the different aspects of yourself—especially those that formed in response to early pain or unmet needs. We’ll also use insights from attachment theory to understand how your earliest relationships shaped your expectations, reactions, and patterns in current relationships. Depending on your needs, I may also integrate psychodynamic insight and somatic techniques to help your body feel safer in connection.

You don’t have to relive every traumatic memory to heal. Much of our work focuses on resourcing you in the present: learning how to notice triggers without collapsing into shame, how to stay grounded in moments of relational stress, and how to make empowered choices that reflect your adult self—not the child who had no other option.

Some Benefits Include:

• You’ll gain language and insight to understand what happened to you
• You’ll learn to set boundaries without guilt and trust your inner voice
• You’ll break out of old roles that no longer serve you
• You’ll build healthier relationships that are based on mutual respect and emotional safety
• You’ll reconnect with parts of yourself that you had to hide or silence
• You’ll feel more confident in your ability to navigate family interactions with clarity and compassion
• You’ll begin to feel that healing is not only possible—it’s already happening

No matter how long you’ve been carrying these wounds, it is never too late to begin healing. I work with adults at all stages of life—whether you’re just starting to make sense of your upbringing, or you’ve done years of work and want to go deeper. Every layer of awareness is a step forward.

Healing family and relational trauma is not just about feeling better—it’s about reclaiming your wholeness, honoring your story, and creating relationships that reflect your true values and needs.

If You’re Ready to Begin This Journey, I’m Here to Walk With You