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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.

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What is Trauma?

Trauma is not defined only by what happened. Trauma is shaped by how an experience affected your sense of safety, connection, identity, and ability to cope. Trauma is anything that overwhelms our system and decreases our capacity to cope and respond to our environment at that moment, which can leave us feeling helpless, hopeless, and generally out of control.  

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
Trauma can result from a single event, or it can develop through repeated experiences over time. Not all people who experience a trauma or even some trauma related symptoms have PTSD. Some individuals do meet criteria for PTSD and/or complex trauma and our licensed experienced therapists will help you navigate and understand your symptoms.  

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

Trauma doesn't look the same for everyone, and there are many ways it can impact 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
Physical and nervous-system responses
  • 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
Thoughts and behaviors
  • 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
Relationships
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.

EMDR and Trauma Therapy

Some Stillpoint therapists are trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a specialized therapy approach frequently used in trauma treatment.

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.

EMDR may be considered when trauma-related experiences continue to contribute to anxiety, distressing memories, avoidance, negative beliefs, or other symptoms.

EMDR is not necessarily the right approach for everyone. Your therapist will help determine whether it is appropriate based on your history, current needs, and treatment goals.

Learn More about EMDR

Trauma, Anxiety, and Relationships

Sometimes people seek therapy because of anxiety, relationship difficulties, anger, perfectionism, depression, or difficulty regulating emotions—not because they identify with the word "trauma."

Past experiences can still influence present-day patterns. For some people, trauma therapy involves understanding the connection between past experiences and current reactions. This can create an opportunity to respond differently rather than continuing to feel controlled by old patterns.

Our therapists can help you explore both where your patterns came from and where you want to go next.

Trauma Therapy at StillPoint

Trauma therapy isn’t about reliving your experience. Trauma therapy at Stillpoint is about creating a safe, supportive space that allows for the integration of all thoughts, emotions, and somatic sensations triggered by traumatic memories, so that the event is no longer driving your day to day behaviors. The traumatic event becomes just a thing that happened to you and not a thing that impacts your current daily life.  

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
Your therapist will work collaboratively with you to determine what approaches are appropriate for your situation.

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.

book with a trauma Therapist

Jessica King, LCSW

Tammy Bentley, PhD LCMHC

Ryan McFall, LCSW

No. People seek trauma-informed therapy for many different reasons. You may be experiencing anxiety, relationship difficulties, emotional dysregulation, intrusive memories, avoidance, or other concerns related to difficult experiences without having a PTSD diagnosis.




back to the questions

Do I need to have PTSD to see a trauma therapist?

No. Trauma therapy should be paced appropriately and collaboratively. Your therapist will work with you to determine what information is important to your treatment and when you are ready to address particular experiences.  You are always in the driver's seat about what and when you want to talk about anything.




back to the questions

Will I have to talk about everything that happened to me?

No. EMDR is one specialized therapeutic approach that can be used in trauma treatment. Trauma therapy may incorporate EMDR as well as other evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches depending on the client's needs.





back to the questions

Is EMDR the same thing as trauma therapy?

Our team includes therapists with different specialties, therapeutic approaches, and areas of experience. If you're unsure where to start, contact us and we can help you identify therapists who may be a good fit based on your concerns, preferences, and availability.






back to the questions

How do I know which Stillpoint therapist is right for me?

Yes. Experiences of trauma can influence trust, attachment, communication, boundaries, emotional regulation, and responses to conflict. Therapy can help you understand these patterns and develop healthier ways of relating.







back to the questions

Can trauma affect relationships?

Absolutely! Depending on your location, clinical needs, and therapist, telehealth may be an option. We can help determine whether virtual therapy is appropriate for you.







back to the questions

Can I do trauma therapy through telehealth?


Yes. Anxiety can occur alongside trauma-related symptoms, and past experiences may contribute to current patterns of fear, hypervigilance, avoidance, or emotional distress. A trauma-informed therapist can help determine whether trauma-focused treatment is appropriate.






back to the questions

Can anxiety be connected to trauma?

Yes!  Somatic therapy can treat trauma symptoms by addressing how stress and the body's survival responses are stored in the body.  In somatic therapy, you will learn a lot about the nervous system and the way you personally manage stress.  You will work with your therapist to reshape your response to stress.










back to the questions

Can somatic therapy help trauma?

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