Trauma therapy in Alhambra and online across CA
Let’s make meaning of what you’ve carried and heal from within.
You’ve been enduring quietly for a long time.
Maybe you’ve told yourself:
“This is just how things are.”
“This is normal in my culture, my family, my faith community.”
“Isn’t this just typical, growing up with immigrant parents?”
“Other people have been through much worse.”
You’ve learned to keep things together—to be the strong, responsible one. You’re used to pushing through and getting things done. On the outside, everything seems good, and for the most part, you are functioning just fine.
But maybe, beneath the surface, there’s a heaviness that you’ve gotten used to—the tension in your body, the never-ending exhaustion, and the quiet sadness that always seems to hang over you.
Trauma doesn’t always look like intense flashbacks, nightmares, or panic attacks.
Sometimes, out of nowhere, a memory of something painful from the past pops in your head and catches you off guard. Suddenly, you’re back in the feelings you thought you’d moved past. You find yourself wondering, “Why did I just think about that?”
Sometimes, it’s the constant feeling of doubting yourself, thinking that you’re being a burden to others, and pleasing those around you. Other times, it’s a realization—that something you’ve always thought was “just normal” in your family, culture, or community might have actually left a wound.
This might feel familiar in ways that are hard to name, and that’s okay.
What you’re experiencing could be trauma, even if no one’s ever called it that. I work with people who are carrying:
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You sometimes feel invisible, like your identity or experiences are overlooked or dismissed. Other times, it feels like all eyes are on you, like you’re being watched or judged based on how you look.
You often question whether you’re overreacting to certain comments and interactions, yet you can’t ignore how they make you feel. You’ve gotten so used to code-switching between different environments, adjusting how you speak and present yourself, just to feel safe or accepted.
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You feel like you’ve always been an anxious person; anxiety has just always been there even without a clear cause. Even though logically you know you can face whatever the future holds, you live with a constant fear of not having enough or suddenly losing everything.
In your family, you don’t talk about feelings or have deeper conversations, and a lot is often pushed under the rug. You find yourself stuck in patterns or family dynamics you didn’t choose, repeating cycles you don’t always fully understand.
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You live with a constant fear of making the wrong choice, disappointing others, or not living up to certain standards. You find it hard to say no, feeling like you always have to show up to serve others, then feeling like a bad person when you set boundaries or prioritize your own needs.
Maybe you’ve internalized the belief that you’re only loved and accepted when you’re sacrificing yourself for others. You carry deep feelings of guilt and shame, and you often question if you are unworthy or unlovable.
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You might find it hard to trust people, even those who love and care about you. When someone around you is upset, you often feel anxious, and you work really hard to manage the situation, keep the peace, and avoid conflict.
There are times you notice how disconnected you are from yourself, unsure of what you’re feeling or what you truly want. You’re constantly feeling like you’re either too much, or not enough.
I also have experience working with:
Adoption trauma & Asian adoptees
Infidelity & betrayal trauma
Traumatic loss & grief
Trauma related to a severe accident or injury
Sexual trauma
There’s a reason you feel this way, and there’s a way through.
Imagine a life where…
You can stop questioning your worth or wondering if you belong in spaces that weren’t built for you. You’re better able to recognize and name the microaggressions and systemic harm you’ve experienced, without minimizing your feelings. You start to reconnect with parts of yourself that you’ve had to tuck away in order to stay safe.
Instead of living in fear of punishment or judgment, you learn to trust and tune into your inner voice and wisdom. The shame and guilt begin to lift. You feel safer in your body and in your relationships, no longer needing to walk on eggshells or temperature check the room. You begin to truly believe that you are good just as you are.
You start to understand that the fear, anxiety, and pressure didn’t start with you. When you trace where it all comes from, you’re able to breathe a sigh of relief, “This makes so much sense.” You get better at recognizing the patterns you’ve inherited, and you start choosing differently—for yourself and for the generations that come after you.
When you’ve experienced trauma, different parts of you step in to help you cope, function, and stay safe.
Maybe there’s a part of you that:
Keeps the peace, ensuring that everyone is happy
Disassociates to protect you from feeling overwhelming feelings
Stays busy all the time, because being productive feels safest
Gets angry when threatened
Together, we’ll get to know these different parts of you that have worked hard to protect you. We’ll also make space for the parts of you that may have been wounded, silenced, or hidden away—the younger, tender parts that still carry pain, fear, or insecurity.
What you carry might not just be your own pain, but also the unspoken weight of what your family has endured.
We can untangle what truly belongs to you from what’s been passed down across generations. I’ll support you in releasing the burdens you’ve inherited—the ones your family and generations before could not say, feel, or heal.
Therapy for trauma can help you…
Put words to things you’ve felt, but have never known how to explain
Process and make sense of your experiences
Identify and understand generational cycles of trauma passed on to you
Reclaim a sense of agency over your choices
Cultivate self-compassion and self-trust
Rebuild safety within your body, relationships, and the world
Let’s open the door to healing.
FAQs
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Trauma isn’t only related to “big” or “extreme” events. It’s any experience (or buildup of experiences) that feels scary, painful, or unsafe enough to leave a lasting impact on you. If it affects how you think, feel, or show up in relationships and the world, it absolutely counts. Trauma is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation or circumstance.
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As cliche as this sounds, healing isn’t linear and looks different for everyone. The length of therapy will depend on your goals, your history, and how deeply you’d like to explore. I’ll check in along the way to make sure we’re moving at a pace that feels good for you.
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IFS is an evidence-based approach for treating trauma. It’s a gentle yet powerful approach that helps you get to the root of your pain and really understand where it all comes from. I find IFS to be particularly helpful for BIPOC and children of immigrants, or anyone navigating intergenerational, racial, or cultural trauma.