Trauma Therapy in
Wilmington, NC
You don’t have to keep carrying what happened to you alone.
Trauma can affect much more than the way we remember a difficult experience. It can influence how we feel in our bodies, how we relate to other people, how safe we feel in the world, and how we respond to everyday situations.
Sometimes you know exactly what happened and how it continues to affect you. Other times, you simply know that something feels different—that you're anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, on edge, or struggling in relationships, without fully understanding why.
At Stillpoint Counseling & Wellness, our trauma therapists in Wilmington, NC provide compassionate, trauma-informed therapy designed to help you better understand your experiences, develop greater emotional and nervous-system regulation, and work toward healing at a pace that feels safe for you.
You don't have to navigate that process alone.
What is Trauma?
Traumatic experiences can include:
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Sexual or physical abuse
- Domestic or interpersonal violence
- Accidents or serious injuries
- Medical trauma
- Birth or reproductive trauma
- Sudden loss or grief
- Military or first-responder experiences
- Natural disasters
- Witnessing violence or traumatic events
- Relational trauma
- Bullying or prolonged emotional abuse
- Experiences of abandonment or betrayal
- Chronic stress or repeated exposure to overwhelming situations
You don't have to decide whether what happened to you was "bad enough" to deserve support. If an experience continues to affect your life, relationships, emotions, or sense of safety, therapy may be helpful.
Signs Trauma May Be Impacting Your Life
You might experience:
Emotional symptoms
- Anxiety or persistent worry
- Irritability or anger
- Shame or guilt
- Sadness or depression
- Emotional numbness
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Difficulty identifying or expressing emotions
- Feeling constantly "on alert"
- Trouble relaxing
- Sleep difficulties or nightmares
- Feeling easily startled
- Racing heart or physical anxiety
- Feeling disconnected from your body
- Feeling frozen, shut down, or emotionally numb
- Intrusive memories
- Avoiding people, places, or situations
- Difficulty concentrating
- Negative beliefs about yourself
- Perfectionism or people-pleasing
- Difficulty setting boundaries
- Feeling responsible for other people's emotions
- Repeating relationship patterns that don't feel healthy
Trauma can also affect the way we connect with others. You may find yourself struggling with trust, intimacy, communication, conflict, boundaries, or fear of abandonment. You may feel drawn to relationships that recreate familiar patterns—or find yourself pulling away when you want connection.
These responses can make sense in the context of what you've experienced. Therapy can help you understand those patterns without judgment.
Trauma Therapy at StillPoint
Our therapists begin by getting to know you, understanding what you're experiencing now, and identifying what you want to be different.
Depending on your needs and goals, therapy may focus on:
- Developing emotional regulation skills
- Increasing awareness of triggers and patterns
- Building a greater sense of safety
- Understanding the connection between thoughts, emotions, and physical responses
- Processing difficult experiences
- Developing healthier boundaries
- Strengthening relationships
- Reducing avoidance
- Building self-compassion
- Reconnecting with your sense of identity
- Developing healthier ways of coping
Some evidenced based approaches for trauma-informed therapy that may be appropriate for you are:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - EMDR is designed to help people process distressing memories and experiences that continue to affect them in the present. Rather than simply talking about what happened, EMDR uses structured therapeutic procedures, including bilateral stimulation, to support the processing of distressing memories.
- Somatic Experiencing - SE is a a body-centered therapy designed to help heal trauma and chronic stress
- Internal Family Systems - IFS views the mind as made of different "parts" and a core "Self" that are all good and protective. In treating trauma, IFS helps you inner Self safely heal the wounded parts of your instead of forcing you to relive painful memories repeatedly
- Cognitive Processing Therapy - CPT is an trauma model to treat PTSD that helps people identify and challenge unhelpful, trauma-related thoughts, or "stuck points”, to regain a healthier perspective on safety, trust, and self-worth
- Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - TF-CBT is a short term evidenced based approach to treat trauma in children that incorporates parents and caregivers to help resolve emotional and behavioral problems that can arise after a trauma
- Trauma-informed perspective - Our therapists meet you where you are with a trauma-informed lens to make therapy work for you!
Find a Trauma Therapist at StillPoint
We can help you find the best fit trauma-informed therapist for you at Stillpoint Counseling and Wellness. We offer therapy in Wilmington, NC, as well as telehealth options for eligible clients throughout North Carolina. We have therapists who treat single incident trauma and complex trauma in both adults and children.
You do not have to be alone in navigating childhood developmental trauma, sudden shock trauma, or even chronic persistent stress impacting your nervous system just as a traumatic event would. We are here to help you.
Call our office for a free phone consultation or request an appointment through our secure online portal.
Let's Connect!
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