Trauma treatment in Washington, DC.
Your past does not have to define you
Traumatic events from the past affecting your life today?
Do you feel like there is a constant anxiety just below the surface? Do you find yourself being easily triggered and that little things can set you off, or that you feel on edge much of the time? You want to feel calm and at peace, but inside you feel a dread that something bad is going to happen.
It doesn't have to be this way
If you find yourself experiencing this and repeating the same old unhealthy patterns, and can't understand why, you might be dealing with unresolved childhood relational/attachment trauma.
Early childhood and relational/attachment trauma can have a significant impact your well-being, causing you to experience intense feelings of fear, distress, and anxiety. This can also lead to longer-term mental health problems, such as depression, addictions, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Trauma can also lead to difficulty in forming and maintaining relationships and difficulty managing day-to-day life. Anxiety is a common symptom of trauma, and can manifest in a variety of ways, such as panic attacks, fear of the future, and difficulty concentrating.
Feel like yourself again
If you are struggling with anxiety, trauma, or painful relationship patterns, working with an experienced therapist in Washington, DC can help you create meaningful and lasting change.
Dr. Joseph Cooper provides evidence-based psychotherapy for adults seeking relief from chronic anxiety, unresolved trauma, and emotionally difficult relationships. Using an Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) approach, therapy focuses on identifying the emotional patterns that keep problems recurring—so treatment leads to real progress rather than short-term coping.
Common Symptoms of trauma
Difficulty in relationships. Trust issues.
Feeling easily irritable or losing your temper.
Trouble sleeping, nightmares, and easily fatigued.
Flashback about the event-feeling as if re-experiencing the event
Difficulty concentrating or staying present.
Frequently anxious, worried, or feeling as if something bad is going to happen. Panic attacks.
Avoidance and emotional numbing
Physical symptoms such as headaches, chest pains, stomach aches, etc.
Therapy for PTSD and Trauma can help you:
Reduce the overall symptoms of trauma, such as nightmares, flashbacks and intrusive thoughts.
Improve your overall mental health by reducing anxiety, depression and developing better emotional regulation skills.
Improved relationships with others. Increased trust and feeling more comfortable in your relationships.
Increase in self-esteem. Treatment can help self-esteem and self-confidence by addressing the negative self-beliefs often associated with trauma.
Enhanced Coping Skills: Learn effective coping strategies to manage distressing emotions and triggers related to trauma. This can lead to better emotional regulation and resilience.
Prevention of Long-Term Consequences: Untreated trauma can lead to long-term consequences, such as chronic mental health issues and difficulties in functioning. Trauma treatment can prevent these long-lasting effects and offer a path to recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the Faqs and reach out anytime.
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Trauma therapy focuses on helping individuals process unresolved emotional and physiological responses related to overwhelming or painful experiences, gently working through memories, bodily sensations, and associated beliefs to support healing and improved daily functioning.
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Trauma may show up as anxiety, emotional numbness, relationship difficulties, hypervigilance, or physical stress symptoms, even long after events have passed.
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Yes. ISTDP is an evidence-based approach shown to be effective for trauma and PTSD by addressing emotional avoidance and unresolved emotional responses.
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Therapy proceeds at a pace tailored to your emotional capacity, with careful attention to safety and regulation during our sessions.
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Yes. I provide secure teletherapy for adults residing in Washington, DC. I also provide secure teletherapy for clients residing in Virginia and North Carolina.
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Collaborative, honest, warm, and direct. I combine insight, skill-building, and teamwork.