Therapy for trauma in California & Minnesota

We believe that in order to work through difficult things, a safe & strong therapy relationship is the first step to success. Once you feel safe and connected within the therapy relationship, you’ll notice that it’s a little less intimidating to tackle your problems because you don’t have to do this alone.

Our therapists use a unique approach of empathy, compassion, and a dash of humor (we can’t be serious all the time, right?) to help you navigate your stressors. In addition to traditional talk therapy, Bethany is also incorporate Accelerated Resolution Therapy. All of this is done at your own pace.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a technique that helps people feel better faster. It is incredibly effective for resolving trauma memories and symptoms. For some people, that means relief in as little as one ART session! Bethany uses a combination of traditional talk therapy and ART to approach trauma therapy. No matter which therapist you choose to work with, doing Accelerated Resolution Therapy with Bethany as an adjuct to talk therapy is always an option!

Trauma is the emotional and physical response to a distressing or overwhelming experience. One that leaves you feeling unsafe, helpless, or disconnected from yourself or the world around you. While some trauma stems from a single, clearly identifiable event (like an accident, assault, or sudden loss), other forms of trauma develop over time through repeated experiences such as emotional neglect, unstable relationships, chronic stress, or ongoing abuse.

Trauma isn’t defined by the event itself, but by how your nervous system processes and stores the experience.

In the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event, you might feel numb, in shock, or like you're moving through life on autopilot. As time passes, you may notice ongoing symptoms that impact your daily life, such as:

• Flashbacks or intrusive memories

• Nightmares or trouble sleeping

• Anxiety, panic, or hypervigilance

• Difficulty trusting others or feeling emotionally close

• Feelings of guilt, shame, or self-blame

• Disconnection from your body or emotions

• Difficulty regulating emotions or feeling easily overwhelmed

It's also common for people with trauma to struggle in relationships, feel chronically unsafe even in safe environments, or have a persistent sense that something is “wrong” but can’t quite name what it is.

Trauma looks different for everyone. At Cedar & Ivy Counseling Services, we approach it with deep care, empathy, and expertise. We believe healing is possible. You don’t have to keep carrying the weight of what happened on your own.

At Cedar & Ivy Counseling Services, we recognize that trauma can take many forms. We also recognize that no two people experience it the same way. We are here to hold space for your unique story, whether your trauma stems from a single incident or a series of painful experiences over time.

Our team is trained to support clients working through a wide range of traumatic experiences, including (but not limited to):

• Sexual, physical, and emotional abuse — including childhood abuse, intimate partner violence, and other forms of interpersonal trauma that deeply impact your sense of safety, trust, and self-worth

• Religious and spiritual abuse — when faith communities or belief systems are used to control, shame, or silence, leaving behind deep emotional and psychological wounds

• Shootings and targeted hate crimes — traumatic experiences rooted in identity-based violence, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, or other acts of targeted harm that threaten your safety and belonging

• Vicarious trauma (on-the-job trauma) — common in helping professions like healthcare, mental health, education, and first response, where repeated exposure to others’ pain and crisis can take a deep toll

• Traumatic death and loss — including sudden deaths, suicide loss, overdose, or any kind of grief that feels complicated, unresolved, or overwhelming

We also work with trauma that may not fit into neat categories. Things like relational betrayal, medical trauma, emotional neglect, or growing up in a chronically unstable or invalidating environment.

Whatever you've been through, you deserve care, support, and healing. Our therapists will meet you with compassion and skill, helping you move through the pain of the past and reconnect with your strength, clarity, and sense of self.

Fill out a Contact Form or email us at cedarandivycounseling@gmail.com so we can set up a free consultation!