When the past keeps arriving uninvited.
If something happened to you and your body still seems to think it's happening, that's not weakness. That's how trauma works. The same nervous system that protected you then is having a hard time learning that you are, in fact, somewhere else now.
PTSD is a condition that develops after exposure to traumatic events, marked by intrusive memories, avoidance, hyperarousal, and changes in mood. Treatment in Los Angeles uses evidence-based approaches including EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Trauma-Focused CBT. Care is paced, trauma-informed, and consent-led — none of these treatments require you to relive everything in graphic detail.
You don't have to make a case for what you're carrying.
Some recognizable moments, in the words other people have used. If a few of these land — that's information, not a verdict.
Something small reminds you of something big, and your body reacts before your mind catches up.
Sleep is hard. So are crowds, certain places, certain people, sometimes for reasons you can't explain.
You feel detached — from your body, from people, from the day in front of you.
Anger or numbness shows up at the wrong moments and won't always leave when asked.
You've worked hard to be functional. Most days you are. The cost of it is hidden.
You're not sure what you went through "counts" as trauma. You weren't in combat. You weren't…
Talking about it has felt like making it real, so you mostly haven't.
How this kind of anxiety usually develops.
PTSD affects approximately 3.6% of US adults in any given year, and a much larger fraction will meet the criteria at some point in their life. Trauma is significantly more common than the public conversation suggests, and what counts as 'trauma enough' is set by the body, not by external comparisons.
It is not the size of the event that determines whether PTSD develops — it's whether the body finished processing the experience or got stuck. Variables that affect this include support available at the time, prior trauma history, the meaning the event took on, and biological factors like genetics and pre-existing conditions.
What we see most often: clients who have spent years working hard to be functional, and who only recently realized the cost. Or clients who experienced something that 'shouldn't have' affected them this much, and feel embarrassed asking for help. Both are welcome here. The size of the event is not the qualifier.
"Pacing matters. Consent matters. The therapeutic relationship matters. Stabilization comes before any deeper processing."
Distinguishing it from adjacent patterns.
A small clarification, in plain language, of where this condition lines up against patterns that look similar.
What PTSD is: the persistent presence of intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thought and mood, and hyperarousal — for more than a month after a traumatic event, with significant impact on daily life.
What PTSD isn't: only military combat (that's a small fraction of who develops PTSD). A normal grief response (which has its own arc). General anxiety unconnected to a specific event or events. A character flaw or a sign of weakness. Something you have to have experienced extreme violence to have.
How therapy can help
There are several evidence-based treatments for PTSD, and which one is right depends on the person and the kind of trauma. We use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Trauma-Focused CBT. Each has strong research behind it. None of them require you to relive everything in graphic detail to get better.
We are a trauma-informed practice, meaning the structure of treatment itself is designed not to re-traumatize. Pacing matters. Consent matters. The therapeutic relationship matters. We start with stabilization — building the resources to do the harder work — before any deeper processing.
Group therapy for trauma is held with extra care. We use specific kinds of trauma-informed groups where the structure protects everyone in the room. For many people, the group is where they finally hear the words they've never been able to say.
Approaches we draw from
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Evidence-based protocol that helps the brain finish processing traumatic memories. Particularly useful for single-incident trauma but effective for complex trauma too.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Evidence-based protocol focused on the meaning the trauma made — the beliefs about yourself, others, and the world that shifted as a result.
Trauma-Focused CBT
Structured approach combining cognitive work with paced, careful exposure. Works well when there's specific, identifiable trauma content to address.
Common shapes PTSD takes
No two presentations are exactly alike. Below are the common shapes we see in our practice — included so you can find the version closest to what you're carrying.
Single-incident PTSD
Symptoms tied to one specific event — accident, assault, medical event, natural disaster. Often responds quickly to EMDR or CPT.
Complex / developmental PTSD (C-PTSD)
Symptoms tied to chronic or developmental experiences — childhood neglect, abuse, prolonged unsafe environments. Treatment is longer; same evidence-based modalities apply.
Medical PTSD
PTSD following ICU admission, serious illness, traumatic birth, surgical complications. Often missed because the focus stays medical rather than psychological.
Vicarious / secondary trauma
Common in healthcare workers, first responders, attorneys, journalists, social workers. Cumulative, not single-incident; specific treatment frameworks apply.
Combat / military trauma
We work with veterans and active-duty service members; coordination with VA care when applicable.
Trauma without PTSD
Many people have trauma histories without meeting PTSD criteria but still benefit from trauma-informed care. Same modalities, calibrated to what fits.
A typical course of treatment, week by week.
Every person moves at their own pace. The phases below are an honest sketch of how the work usually unfolds — not a prescription.
Stabilization (weeks 1–6)
Build the resources — physical, emotional, relational — to do the deeper work safely. This phase is non-negotiable. Some clients stay here for longer, and that's fine.
Processing (weeks 6–20)
The active trauma-processing phase. EMDR, CPT, or TF-CBT depending on what fits. Many clients describe this phase as harder than expected and more relieving than expected.
Integration (weeks 20+)
Reorganizing life around the new internal landscape. The trauma is no longer running things in the background. The work shifts to building forward.
Patterns specific to the LA population we serve.
In our LA practice, the most common trauma presentations are: medical PTSD following ICU admissions or traumatic births at LA hospitals; complex trauma in clients from immigrant or refugee backgrounds (we work in eight languages, which often matters); vicarious trauma in our healthcare and entertainment-industry clients; and post-pandemic complicated grief that has matured into a trauma response. Our trauma-informed group options are held with extra care around screening and structure.
Where in the LA metro this care happens.
Our office is in Pasadena (301 N. Lake Ave, Suite 600) with parking on site and easy access from the 134, 210, and 110 — most of our in-person clients commute from the San Gabriel Valley, the Eastside neighborhoods (Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Atwater Village), the Glendale–Burbank corridor, and central Los Angeles. For clients in the Westside, the San Fernando Valley, the South Bay, Long Beach, and Orange County, telehealth is often the more practical format. California has strong telehealth parity laws (Bus. & Prof. Code §2290.5) — most major insurance plans cover telehealth at the same in-network rate as in-person care, and our clinicians see clients across the full state.
What people often ask before reaching out.
I don't think what happened to me 'counts' as trauma.
Many people who arrive saying this turn out to have something that responds to trauma-informed treatment. Trauma isn't defined by the size of the event; it's defined by what your nervous system did with it. We'll figure that out together — there's no gatekeeping.
Will I have to relive everything?
No. Modern trauma treatment specifically does not require detailed retelling for healing to occur. EMDR, in particular, can be effective with relatively minimal verbal content. We move at the pace your nervous system can carry.
Is group therapy safe for trauma?
Yes, when held correctly. We use specific kinds of trauma-informed groups with extra care around structure and boundaries. Many clients find the group deeply healing — saying things they've never said and being heard without judgment.
What about complex / developmental trauma?
We work with complex trauma extensively. The course is usually longer and the stabilization phase is more substantial, but the same evidence-based modalities apply. Many of our clinicians have specialized training in this area.
How long does PTSD treatment take?
Single-incident PTSD often resolves in 12–20 sessions of EMDR or CPT. Complex trauma is typically longer — 6 months to several years depending on history. Either way, you should feel meaningful change well within the first 12 weeks.
If this resonates, these often do too.
Panic Disorder & Panic Attacks
Most people who've had a panic attack remember it the way you remember a bad fall.
Read about Panic Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
If your mind has been busy for so long you can't remember when it wasn't, you're describing what we treat every week.
Read about Generalized Anxiety (GAD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
OCD is often misunderstood as being neat or particular about things.
Read about OCDThe first conversation is short. We'll take it from there.
Whatever you've tried before, however long this has been going on — reach out by phone, email, or the contact form. Our healthcare coordinator answers questions, checks insurance, and helps you find a clinician who fits.