Primary Specialty
Trauma Therapy in Austin
Trauma and PTSD are the primary specialty here. You do not need a diagnosis, a tidy explanation or the whole story to start. We begin with what is happening now, and the pace belongs to you.
Trauma wears a lot of different clothes
Trauma rarely stays in the lane we assign it. It can follow a single event, or it can grow out of harm that went on for years, which is what complex trauma describes. The trauma work here includes family-of-origin, sexual, relational, violence and loss-related trauma. Some of it has a date you could point to. Some of it was simply the air you breathed, and you only recognized it much later. Either way, it tends to show up far from where it started.
- Anger that flares bigger than the moment calls for
- Numbness, or watching your life from a distance
- A drink every night just to come down
- Never being able to sit still
- Bracing at a sound, a smell or a tone of voice
Safety comes before breakthrough
We move as fast as your nervous system allows and as slow as your story requires. Early on, that means steadying what is happening now: the nights that will not end, the moments your body floods, the places you have started avoiding, the coping that has begun to cost you. Trauma-informed means the pace belongs to you. You can say no to a topic and nothing bad happens. Your body has good reasons for its defenses, and we work with them rather than around them.
Going at your pace does not mean I stay quiet. I am not a therapist who only nods through a session. If I notice a pattern, I will name it, kindly and clearly, because you did not come here to be agreed with. At the same time, I do not push into material you are not ready for. Holding both together is most of the skill, and my approach page explains how that plays out in the room.
You never have to retell everything
You may be dreading trauma therapy because you picture describing the worst moments in detail, right away, to someone you have just met. That is not how this works. Trauma work does not depend on retelling everything, and you are never required to tell the whole story, certainly not on day one. Some of the most useful early sessions barely touch the worst of it. They build the steadiness that makes harder conversations possible later, if and when you decide you want them.
If you have tried therapy before and it moved faster than you could handle, say so. We can name what happened and set a different pace this time. If you would like to know what the first appointments look like here, the guide to your first therapy session walks through it, from the free 15-minute consultation to the 80-minute initial assessment.
How Trauma-Focused CBT shapes the work
Trauma-Focused CBT is the method behind my trauma work, and I hold a certification in TF-CBT. In plain language, it builds understanding and coping skills first, then works with painful memories at a pace you can stay with. Along the way we connect thoughts, feelings and the body, and practice new responses for the moments that used to take over. You can watch me explain it in my five-minute TF-CBT video, or read the fuller description of Trauma-Focused CBT.
When trauma and unsafe coping are tangled together, I may begin with Seeking Safety instead, which puts stability in the present ahead of everything else. I also hold a certification in Seeking Safety. Other tools come in where they fit: mindfulness practice to come back into the body when the mind has raced ahead, and the systemic lens of a marriage and family therapist, which looks at the relationships around what happened.
In the office, outdoors or on screen
In-person sessions happen at my office in Southwest Austin, 5900 Southwest Pkwy, Building 5, Suite 230, on Fridays and some select other times and days as schedules allow. Friday appointments fill first. If sitting face to face feels like too much, a walk-and-talk session lets us work side by side on a quiet route, and we discuss the limits of confidentiality in detail before the first walk. Online therapy across Texas by secure video works in English or Spanish, as long as you are located in Texas during the session.
When weekly sessions do not give the work enough room
Sometimes trauma work keeps losing momentum between weekly appointments, or a weekly schedule is simply hard to sustain. Trauma Healing Intensives offer concentrated time over one to three days, with breaks and pacing built in. Longer does not mean forced; safety, consent, and your capacity still guide the day. One day of six hours is $1,000. Two days, 11 hours in all, is $1,800. Three days, 16 hours in all, is $2,500.
Neither format is better. They simply create different kinds of space. Weekly sessions, at $190 for 50 minutes or $275 for 80 minutes, build a steady relationship with time to practice between appointments. Every new start, weekly or intensive, begins with an 80-minute initial assessment at $275. Which rhythm fits your history, your calendar and your capacity is something we decide together on the free consultation.
Common Questions
Do I have to talk about what happened in detail?
No. Trauma work does not depend on retelling everything, and you are never required to tell the whole story, especially early on. We start with what is happening now and build stability first. You can say no to a topic and nothing bad happens.
What if I am not sure what I went through counts as trauma?
You do not need a diagnosis or a label to start. A few honest sentences about what has been hardest lately are enough for the free 15-minute consultation. From there we can talk through whether this is the right place for it.
How much does trauma therapy cost?
The initial assessment is 80 minutes and $275. Individual sessions are $190 for 50 minutes or $275 for 80 minutes. This is a self-pay practice with monthly superbills for possible out-of-network reimbursement, and a limited sliding scale between $90 and $190 is available.
Can I do trauma therapy by telehealth?
Yes. Secure video sessions are available anywhere in Texas, in English or Spanish, as long as you are located in Texas during the session. You can also meet in person at the Southwest Austin office on Fridays and select other times, or mix formats from week to week.
The consultation is free and there is no obligation on either side.
Request a Free Consultation