Welcome to a safe space to explore trauma informed therapy

The trauma-informed therapy approach used at Modern Therapy is always so unique to the individual and therapist. We love bringing our nerdy love for growth and training to the table to continuously introduce new ways of matching what you need. You can feel assured that regardless of the approach you agree upon throughout your partnership with a therapist here, we all prioritize safety, empowerment, and collaboration.

A few principles of a holistic and client-centered trauma-informed therapy approach are:

1. Safety and Trustworthiness: We create a safe environment, both physically and emotionally by establishing trust, and being consistent, reliable, and transparent.

2. Empowerment and Choice: We encourage you to take an active role and can recognize strengths that empower choices about your unique healing journey.

3. Collaboration: We work together to set goals and navigate the healing process, respecting your knowledge of your own experiences and perspectives.

4. Cultural Sensitivity: We recognize and respect the diverse backgrounds of clients, including cultural, social, and historical factors that may influence your personal experience of trauma.

5. Understanding Trauma: We are trained to understand the effects of trauma on the brain and body. We use this knowledge to guide you in processing youexperiences and managing trauma-related symptoms.

6. Holistic Approach: We often incorporate a holistic perspective, addressing not just the emotional aspects of trauma but also physical, social, and spiritual dimensions of healing.

7. Focus on Resilience: We emphasize resilience and the potential for healing, helping you cultivate inner resources and coping strategies.

8. Pacing and Flexibility: We go at a pace according to your readiness and comfort level and you're encouraged to take your time as we remain flexible in adapting the approach as needed.

By integrating these principles, Modern Therapy aims to provide a compassionate and supportive environment that facilitates healing for individuals who have experienced trauma.

The relationship you have with your therapist is just like any other relationship in life. You want to feel safety and the ability to open and be your most authentic self as you explore a complex topic. While an ideal therapist will look different for everyone, there are a few areas you may reflect upon as you get to know potential matches.

• Training and Credentials: Ask about specialized training and knowledge that will inform your care (such as EMDR therapy).

• Compassionate and Empathetic Approach: Look for where you feel warmth, compassion, and empathy.

• Focus on Safety and Trust: Lean into a safe and trustworthy environment.

• Empowerment and Collaboration: Some may want to know their therapist encourages input and respects your choices.

• Understanding of Cultural Differences: You may look at sensitivity to social and cultural factors impacting your experiences. Cultural background can help inform this as well as experience working with various communities.

At Modern Therapy we're looking so much deeper than a treatment process, and really see you for who you are. Depending on the severity of the trauma, we're always looking for ways to support you with thoughtful recommendations for group therapy, alternative health care professionals, or practitioners who specialize in a specific intervention you're curious about to support your unique needs and well-being.

Experiencing varying levels of trauma can impact people in all sorts of ways. It's not as simple as listing symptoms of trauma, because the way you may feel the impact of a traumatic experience involves every other factor of an individual's lifestyle and environment. You might feel this overwhelming fear or anxiety, like something bad is always lurking around the corner. Sometimes, it can be hard to feel anything at all—like you’re just emotionally numb and have no real sense of control.

You might notice you’re super jumpy or on edge, always alert and unable to relax. Intrusive thoughts and flashbacks can pop up, making you feel like you’re reliving those moments again, which can be so exhausting. Sadness or feelings of hopelessness can come up, and some find themselves getting angry or irritated over little things that wouldn’t normally bother them.

Guilt and shame can creep in too, even if it doesn’t make sense in the aftermath of trauma. Some people might also have physical symptoms—like headaches or fatigue—that just won’t go away. Sometimes, it feels easier to withdraw from friends and family because social interactions can feel overwhelming.

Trusting others can become really challenging, and you might find it tough to concentrate or remember things. It may also change the way you see yourself, making you feel less valuable or different from others.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it may help you to visualize what trauma can feel like across diverse human experiences. Part of healing is honoring the way experiences and root causes of distress live within you, and understanding them to better understand yourself and how to move forward toward the mental health outcomes you desire.

Okay, so let’s talk about EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It might sound a bit intimidating, but it’s an incredibly empowering and effective form of trauma therapy. The idea behind EMDR is to help people process and heal from memories that feel stuck in their minds or the lingering impact of trauma thoughts. EMDR paired with talk therapy for emotional regulation can support many experiences of trauma.

Here’s how it works: during a session, you’ll focus on a specific traumatic memory while your therapist guides you through a series of eye movements—such as following their finger back and forth or tapping the body to signal the eyes to move from left to right. This process is designed to help your brain reprocess the memory, making it feel less intense and more manageable. (If you are pausing and wondering what the heck, it sounds like some weird magic trick, well yeah we have had that reaction too. Brains are so interesting and unique, they process and respond in ways that we yet have to fully understand.)

You can think of it like your brain getting a little tune up to access places it may not have gone in a while. As you go through this, many people find that they can start to think about the trauma without all the heavy emotional baggage that usually comes with it.

The cool thing about EMDR is that it can often lead to pretty quick relief from distressing symptoms, sometimes even after just a few sessions. It’s not just about talking things through; it’s a more dynamic way to help your brain heal.

So if you’ve been feeling stuck because of a past experience, EMDR might be worth considering! Just remember, it’s always good to talk to a trained therapist to see if it’s the right fit for you.

MT is an out-of-network provider so your mental health professional does not accept insurance outright, but we can empower you with how to make best use of your insurance benefits. In fact, we’ve laid out a 4-part process for out-of-network coverage here.

Many of our clients are able to file and receive a reimbursement for individual therapy on a sliding scale anywhere between 50-80% of session cost after meeting their deductible. Many quality therapists are out-of-network so it’s worth asking the question about mental health coverage as you seek the best depression therapist or other type of therapist fit for you. 

If you plan to file for out-of-network reimbursement for mental health services, please make this clear when scheduling with us to ensure your clinician’s specific license and service is eligible for insurance reimbursement.