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Trauma Therapy in Sacramento, CA

Healing at your pace, with compassion, grounding, and evidence-based support.

therapist's couch against a white wall
Silhouette in Fog

Maybe the world that once felt predictable now feels unsafe, overwhelming, or unfamiliar. You are not alone, and it is possible to move from survival mode into healing. Trauma therapy can help you make sense of what happened, reclaim your sense of self, and build a life that feels steady, connected, and truly your own.

When life-changing experiences leave lasting impact, therapy can help you reconnect with safety, trust, and yourself.

Trauma is not just what happened; it’s what stayed with you.

 

It can show up in your body, your relationships, your nervous system, your beliefs, and the way you move through the world. Trauma can make things that seem “simple”...things like: resting, trusting, feeling, asking for help... feel overwhelming or unsafe.

 

You may notice:

  • Feeling on edge, easily startled, or constantly alert

  • Difficulty sleeping or recurring nightmares

  • Flashbacks, intrusive memories, or emotional overwhelm

  • Numbness, shutdown, or disconnection from yourself or others

  • People-pleasing, avoidance, or fear of conflict

  • Shame, self-blame, or confusion about what happened

  • Trouble being in your body or feeling present

  • Struggles with trust, intimacy, boundaries, or relationships

 

Whether your trauma came from a single event or years of cumulative experiences, you don’t have to navigate healing alone.

Who We Help

We offer trauma therapy in-person in Gold River, CA and via telehealth for clients throughout California.

At Humanistic Counseling Collective, we work with people who are navigating the impact of trauma in all its forms, whether the event happened recently or decades ago. Some clients come to therapy knowing exactly what happened and why it still affects them. Others aren’t sure; they just know something feels off, stuck, overwhelming, or unfamiliar.

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We support adults and teens who are experiencing things like:

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  • Ongoing anxiety, hypervigilance, or feeling “on edge”

  • Panic, overwhelm, or sudden emotional floods

  • Dissociation, zoning out, or feeling disconnected from your body or emotions

  • Shame, self-blame, or confusion about your past

  • Relationship challenges, trust issues, or people-pleasing patterns

  • Nightmares, flashbacks, or intrusive memories

  • Difficulty resting, feeling safe, or being present in daily life

 

Whether your trauma was single-event, developmental, chronic, relational, systemic, or identity-based, you deserve care that honors your pace, your boundaries, and your nervous system.

 

If any part of this feels familiar, you’re in the right place.

Trauma is Treatable -- and Healing is Possible

With the right support, trauma symptoms can soften, your nervous system can find balance again, and your story can be held with compassion rather than fear, pressure, or silence.
In therapy, clients often describe feeling:

More grounded and emotionally steady

Safer with others and with themselves

Less controlled by memories or triggers

More able to rest, feel joy, and experience trust

More connected to their body, intuition, and boundaries

You don't have to rust. You don't have to relive everything to heal. You can take this one step at a time.

therapist couch

Our Approach to Trauma Therapy

At Sacramento's Humanistic Counseling Collective, we see you as a whole person, not a list of symptoms to solve, not a diagnosis. Our foundation is humanistic, person-centered therapy, grounded in three core conditions:

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  • Unconditional positive regard: You are worthy of respect and care exactly as you are.

  • Empathy: We work to truly understand your lived experience, not explain it away.

  • Genuineness: Your therapist shows up as a real human, not a distant expert behind a clipboard.

 

​As Dr. Carl Rogers wrote:

“People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying, ‘Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner.’ I don’t try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.”

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We believe the same about you: the work isn’t to control you, but to help you unfold back into yourself.

Residential Bookcase

Evidence-Based Modalities We Use

Alongside this deeply human, relational approach, our therapists are trained in and integrate evidence-based trauma treatments chosen for your specific needs and pace:

01

Trauma-Focused CBT & Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT):


To gently examine fear-based beliefs (“I’m bad,” “I’m doomed,” “I’m unsafe”) and replace them with more accurate, compassionate truths.​

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02

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR):


To help your brain reprocess traumatic memories, so the memories feel less like they’re happening right now and more like something that is truly in the past.​

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03

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT):
 

To reconnect you to your values (not someone else’s rules) and support you in building a life guided by what truly matters to you

04

Internal Family Systems (IFS) / Parts Work:

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To honor the different “parts” of you (like the loyal believer, the terrified child, the angry protector, the exhausted skeptic, etc.) and help them find safety and connection within you.​

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05

Mindfulness & Regulation Skills (often borrowing from DBT):

 

To calm your nervous system, manage overwhelm, and build tools for grounding when triggers show up.

You won’t be pushed into exposure before you’re ready, and you won’t be asked to tell your story until you feel safe enough to do so. Healing doesn’t have to be retraumatizing. It can be steady, compassionate, and empowering.

Specialized Trauma Support

Every trauma experience is unique.
Below are focused specialties within our practice.

Adult Sexual Trauma

Sexual trauma can leave survivors feeling ashamed, disconnected from their body, or unsure of their worth or boundaries. Many people question whether what happened “counts”, or they blame themselves.

 

In this work, we begin with nervous system stabilization and emotional safety.


From there, we support rewiring beliefs, strengthening voice and boundaries, and rebuilding connection with your body, relationships, and self.

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Common themes we support:

  • Shame, confusion, or self-blame

  • Difficulty with intimacy or trust

  • Flashbacks, avoidance, or dissociation

  • Fear around touch or vulnerability

  • Rebuilding identity, agency, and relationship with your body

 

Healing doesn’t erase the past; it restores your power.

What a Session Can Look Like

Every survivor’s story is different, but a typical session might include:

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  • Talking through experiences at your pace

  • Learning regulation and grounding skills

  • Working with protective parts of yourself

  • Identifying triggers and navigating them differently

  • Processing memories or themes with safe structure

  • Restoring connection with your body and emotions

  • Building trust, boundaries, and relational safety

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We move at your pace. You don’t have to share everything at once. You’re allowed to pause, shift topics, or spend time just building safety in the room.

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Sessions typically last around 50 minutes and can be held in person at our Gold River office or virtually anywhere in California. Some clients come weekly, others biweekly. We’ll find the rhythm that fits your needs.

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Some clients work with us short-term around a specific trauma. Others choose longer-term work focused on deeper identity, attachment, trauma, or dissociation.

Childhood Psychology

Common Goals in Trauma Therapy

While every person’s story and needs are different, many clients come to trauma therapy hoping to:

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  • Reduce symptoms like hypervigilance, panic, nightmares, or dissociation

  • Feel more grounded in their body rather than overwhelmed, numb, or disconnected

  • Build emotional regulation skills and confidence navigating triggering situations

  • Heal from shame, self-blame, or the belief that the trauma was their fault

  • Reconnect with their identity, values, and sense of self outside of survival mode

  • Improve relationships, boundaries, communication, and trust

  • Break patterns like people-pleasing, avoidance, emotional shutdown, or perfectionism

  • Learn tools that support safety, self-compassion, and nervous-system balance

  • Replace fear-based coping with supportive practices that feel aligned and sustainable

  • Experience more ease, rest, joy, and presence in daily life, not just endurance

 

We’ll collaboratively identify what matters most to you right now and adjust goals as healing unfolds. There is no timeline, no rushing, and no expectation. We will offer support at a pace that honors your nervous system and your story.

What Healing Can Look Like Over Time

Trauma healing is rarely a straight line, but with consistent, compassionate support, many people begin to notice:

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Early progress may look like:

  • Easier sleep or fewer nightmares

  • Reduced overwhelm or emotional intensity

  • More ability to stay present

  • Feeling safer in your body or relationships

 

Over time, people describe:

  • A sense of stability and self-trust

  • Increased joy, rest, and connection

  • Clearer boundaries and emotional confidence

  • A life that feels fuller, calmer, and more authentic

 

Trauma becomes part of the story, not the defining center of it.

Why Trauma Survivors Choose Humanistic Counseling Collective

Trauma Therapy in Sacramento, California

People tell us they chose (and stayed with) our practice because they felt safe to move slowly, supported without pressure, and respected as whole, complex humans, not diagnoses. Our work is relational, collaborative, and deeply grounded in compassion.

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We don’t ask you to “get over it.” We walk with you as you learn to live more freely.

You deserve care that feels safe, authentic, and empowering. Reach out today to schedule a consultation and begin your journey toward healing.

ready to GET support?

You're not broken. You're healing. And you don't have to do it alone.

woman walking into therapist's office with coffee in hand
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