When Traditional "talk" therapy isn't enough - Call (919) 756-6210
Trauma & PTSD Therapy
What Helped You Survive May Now Be Making It Harder to Live
Trauma therapy helps you understand the protective patterns your mind and body built, process what remains unresolved, and respond to the present with greater safety, flexibility, and choice — using integrative approaches like Cognitive Processing Therapy, Trauma-Focused CBT, Mindfulness-Based CBT, and Interpersonal Neurobiology, chosen to fit you.
Trauma isn't only about what happened.
💠It's shaped by what the experience required of you.
💠By whether you had support at the time.
💠By what your brain and body learned to do to survive.
💠And by how those lessons still affect your life today.
✓ In-person in Raleigh & virtual statewide
✓ Most major insurance accepted
✓ Immediate appointments available
Do any of these feel familiar?
Trauma can show up in many ways.
You don't need to compare your experience to anyone else's to deserve help. Sometimes trauma follows one event; sometimes it builds through repeated exposure to fear, instability, neglect, loss, or relationships where safety was uncertain.
🛡️Feeling constantly alert, watchful, or braced for something to go wrong
⚡Intense reactions to conflict, criticism, rejection, or loss of control
🌙 Nightmares, intrusive memories, or unwanted reminders
🔒Difficulty trusting others or feeling safe in close relationships
🌫️ Avoidance, emotional numbness, or gaps in memory around an experience
🌀Shutting down, dissociating, or feeling disconnected from your body
🤝People-pleasing, perfectionism, or difficulty setting boundaries
💭Shame, guilt, grief, or a persistent sense something is wrong with you
"We don't begin by asking only, 'What is wrong?' We also ask: what happened, what did you learn to do to survive, and what do you need now?"
A brain-wise understanding of trauma
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if what I experienced "counts" as trauma?
There is no severity threshold you have to clear. Trauma is not defined by the size of the event, but by what happened in your nervous system during it and afterward. Two people can go through the same experience and come out differently, because what matters is whether you had the capacity, support, and safety to process it at the time. If you find yourself minimizing what happened while still living with the effects of it, that gap is worth paying attention to.
What is the difference between EMDR and regular talk therapy?
Talk therapy works largely through understanding: putting language to an experience, making sense of it, seeing the patterns. That is genuinely useful, and for many people it is enough. But trauma often lives somewhere language does not reach. You can understand exactly why you react the way you do and still react that way. EMDR works differently. Instead of analyzing the memory, it helps your brain finish processing it, using bilateral stimulation such as guided eye movements or alternating taps, while you briefly hold the experience in mind. The goal is not insight. It is that the memory stops carrying the same charge.
Will I have to describe what happened in detail?
No. This is one of the most common fears, and it is worth answering plainly: EMDR does not require you to narrate your trauma out loud. Your therapist needs enough to help identify what to target, not a full account. Some people want to talk about it. Some do not. Both work.
What if I get overwhelmed during a session?
You can stop at any point. That is not a courtesy, it is built into how the treatment is structured. Before any processing begins, you and your therapist spend time building regulation and grounding skills, so you have somewhere to go if things intensify. During processing, your therapist is actively tracking how you are doing and helping you stay oriented to the present. Feeling something is expected. Being flooded by it is a signal to slow down, and slowing down is part of the work, not a failure of it.
How long does trauma therapy take?
It depends on what you are working with. A single recent event, such as a car accident, a medical procedure, or one frightening experience, often resolves in a relatively short course of treatment. Trauma that is layered across years, or that began in childhood, takes longer, because there is more to work through and more foundation to build first. We will give you an honest read after the assessment rather than an estimate on day one.
What's the difference between PTSD and complex trauma?
PTSD typically follows a specific event or set of events, and shows up as intrusive memories, avoidance, hypervigilance, and changes in mood and thinking.
Complex trauma — sometimes called C-PTSD or developmental trauma — comes from repeated or prolonged experiences, often in relationships you couldn't leave, often beginning early. It includes the symptoms above, but usually also affects your sense of self, your capacity to regulate emotion, and how safe close relationships feel.
The distinction matters because the treatment sequence is different. Complex trauma generally needs more groundwork before processing begins.
What happens in the first session?
Mostly, we listen. The first session is about understanding your history, what's bringing you in now, what you've already tried, and what you want to be different. We'll ask about symptoms, but also about your strengths and supports — those shape the treatment plan as much as the difficulties do.
You will not be asked to dive into your worst memory in the first hour. Nothing gets processed until you're ready and we've agreed on where to start.
Can trauma therapy work over telehealth?
Yes. EMDR and other trauma approaches have been adapted for telehealth and are delivered effectively online. We see clients in person in North Raleigh and by telehealth throughout North Carolina.
Telehealth is often the better option if you're outside the Triangle, if getting to an office is hard, or if you simply feel steadier doing this work from your own space.
Do you take my insurance?
We are in-network with most BCBS plans; Aetna; Cigna; Medicare; Tricare; and ChampsVA . Individual clinicians may have different in-network participation. Coverage and out-of-pocket costs vary by plan, so the most reliable way to find out is to call us at (919) 756-6210 or check our Fees & Insurance page. If we're out of network with your plan, we can talk through what that would look like.
How soon can I get in?
Right now, Susan Stephens, LCMHCA — our EMDR-trained trauma therapist — has immediate openings for new clients and offers a free 15-minute consultation. Availability changes, so call (919) 756-6210 or reach out through our contact page for current openings. If we're not the right fit — whether that's scheduling, insurance, or clinical need — we'll help point you somewhere that is.