Office hours: 10:00am - 6:00pm
- new York, USA
- Support@ThoughtshiftTherapy.com
- 914-215-5409
Experiencing trauma can change the way you see yourself, others, and the world. You might find yourself feeling constantly on edge, disconnected, or replaying painful memories that seem impossible to escape. Even if time has passed, your body and mind may still be holding onto the impact of what happened.
Trauma isn’t defined only by what happened. It’s also about how your mind and body responded. Whether you’ve experienced a single overwhelming event or years of ongoing stress, your nervous system may still be working overtime to protect you.
Grief is a natural response to loss, not just the death of a loved one, but also the loss of a relationship, identity, faith, safety, or sense of self. It can feel heavy, unpredictable, and isolating. Some days may feel manageable, while others bring unexpected waves of sadness, anger, or numbness.
Like trauma, grief affects both the mind and body. It can leave you feeling disoriented or stuck in time, unsure how to move forward. Therapy creates a space to honor what was lost while gently finding ways to reconnect with meaning and hope.
• Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
• Difficulty feeling safe or trusting others
• Emotional numbness or detachment
• Sudden bursts of anger, sadness, or fear
• Changes in sleep, appetite, or focus
• Avoidance of reminders or conversations
• Guilt or shame related to the past
• A sense of emptiness or loss of purpose
• Adults or teenagers navigating childhood or relationship trauma
• Survivors of religious, cultural, or identity-based trauma
• Individuals coping with the loss of a loved one, relationship, or sense of purpose
• Those experiencing prolonged grief, or grief tied to trauma or abuse
• People who feel “stuck” in their healing process
Before exploring painful memories, we begin by helping your body and mind feel safe again.
Modalities that support this stage:
Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques: These practices teach you to anchor yourself in the present moment and regulate overwhelming sensations. You’ll learn how to recognize when your nervous system is activated and bring yourself back to calm.
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): CBT helps you identify thought patterns that keep your body on high alert, like self-blame or constant fear, and replace them with thoughts that promote safety and balance.
Healing outcome:
You begin to feel more in control of your emotions, less reactive to triggers, and more capable of self-soothing when distress arises.
Once you feel grounded, we start to explore how trauma or loss shaped your beliefs about yourself, others, and the world.
Modalities that support this stage:
Narrative Therapy: We gently work through your story; not to relive it, but to make sense of it. Together, we look at how your experiences shaped your identity and discover new ways to relate to your past.
CBT: Continues to help you challenge distorted or self-critical beliefs (“It was my fault,” “I’ll never feel okay again”) and build healthier, more compassionate internal dialogue.
Healing outcome:
You start to understand that what happened to you does not define who you are. The story begins to shift from one of pain to one of strength and meaning.
When you’re ready, we work on safely facing the memories, situations, or emotions that have felt too painful to confront.
Modalities that support this stage:
Exposure Therapy: This approach helps you gently approach avoided memories or fears, with support and structure, so they lose their power over you.
Somatic and Mindfulness-based Practices: Help you notice how trauma lives in your body, through tension, restlessness, or shutdown, and release those responses slowly, at your pace.
Healing outcome:
Your body learns that it’s safe to feel again. The emotions you once avoided begin to move through instead of getting stuck, allowing relief and integration to occur.
As you gain safety and emotional clarity, we explore the parts of yourself that developed to survive pain or loss; “the protector, the pleaser, the avoider” and invite them into healing.
Modalities that support this stage:
Parts Work / Inner Child Exploration: We compassionately engage with the younger or wounded parts of you that carry fear, shame, or sadness. This helps you respond to yourself with care instead of criticism.
Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices: Strengthen your ability to meet all parts of yourself with kindness and understanding.
Healing outcome:
You develop a more integrated, accepting relationship with yourself. Instead of feeling fragmented or “stuck,” you begin to feel whole; like you can trust yourself again.
The final phase of healing focuses on reconnecting with life, relationships, joy, purpose, and meaning.
Modalities that support this stage:
Narrative and Meaning-Making Approaches: We explore what healing means for you and how to carry your story forward with self-respect and hope.
Mindfulness & Grounded Action: Encouraging presence, engagement, and forward movement in your daily life.
Healing outcome:
You begin to live more fully. Not defined by what happened to you, but guided by who you are becoming.
