Some experiences cannot be processed by our system in the way it would need to. They get stuck — in the body, in our emotions, in the nervous system — and leave traces that cannot simply be thought away. Traces that sometimes only show up years later: as fears that appear out of nowhere, as a physical tension that never fully subsides, as sleep problems, hypersensitivity, or the quiet feeling of never quite arriving in your own life. If you recognise something of yourself in this, you are in the right place.
How I work
My approach is integrative and resource-oriented. That means we do not start with the heaviest topic, but first make sure you are stable enough to approach what is burdening you. Then we work specifically on the places where it hurts. We use methods that go far beyond conversation, and if you prefer, we can also work content-free: you do not have to tell me what happened. Methods like WingWave, EMDR or hypnosis can work with the emotional and physical charge of an experience without you having to put it into words. You think of the situation, I guide the process, and your nervous system can process what often remains unreachable through conversation alone. This is especially valuable when shame, missing memories, or the fear of reliving the experience have kept you from seeking help until now.
Three phases of trauma therapy
Good trauma therapy follows a clear structure. This provides safety, even when much feels uncertain inside.
Stabilisation: In the first phase we build safety: in your body, in your daily life, and between us. You learn techniques that calm your nervous system and help you stay present even in difficult moments. This may sound small, but for many people it is the first thing that has truly changed in a long time: realising that they can regulate themselves.
Approach and processing: Once the ground is stable enough, we approach what is burdening you. This does not happen all at once and not without protection. We work in measured doses, with methods that make it possible to process distressing material without being overwhelmed by it. Depending on the issue, EMDR, IFS, hypnosis or Transpersonal Regression Therapy are used here.
Integration: What has been processed needs to arrive in your life today. We anchor what has changed, translate insights into your daily life, and make sure together that it truly stays. Many people describe this phase as the one where they feel, for the first time, that they are truly standing in their own life.
Which methods do I use?
Trauma therapy is not a single technique but a framework in which different approaches work together. Which method is used when depends on the issue, and on what you need right now.
With IFS we work with the inner parts that emerged from the distressing experience: the wounded parts that have withdrawn, and the protective parts that have been making sure you keep functioning ever since. IFS is one of the deepest and most gentle approaches I know, especially when burdens originated early in life or have built up over many years.
I use EMDR to release the emotional charge of distressing memories. The method is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the most effective treatments for trauma-related conditions. Through bilateral stimulation, your brain can process what it has not been able to process until now: images that will not stop, sounds that have lodged themselves deep, physical reactions that come as if at the press of a button. With hypnosis we create a space in which your nervous system can come to rest and inner resources can be activated (the German Medical Journal rates hypnotherapy as highly effective for anxiety and pain). This is especially important when the tension sits so deep that you barely notice it any more in your waking state, because it has become your normal.
When the themes reach deep into personal history — into early childhood, into family patterns that have been passed down across generations — we turn to TRT. And meditation and relaxation accompany the entire process, because a regulated nervous system is the foundation on which everything else is built.
When is trauma therapy right for you?
Perhaps you recognise yourself in one of these:
- You have experienced something distressing — an accident, a loss, violence, a significant medical procedure — and it will not let you go
- You have fears that keep returning, but you cannot find a clear trigger in your current life
- Your nervous system overreacts, with symptoms typical of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): hyperarousal, startle responses, nightmares, flashbacks, or the feeling of constantly being on guard
- You avoid certain places, situations or memories because they overwhelm you
- You have physical symptoms for which no purely medical explanation can be found
- You notice that you keep falling into the same emotional patterns — in relationships, at work, in how you treat yourself
- You are exhausted, and behind a possibly approaching burnout deeper burdens are emerging that rest alone will not resolve
You do not have to recognise all of these. Sometimes it is just a quiet feeling that there is something that needs to be worked through. That is enough as a starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions about Trauma Therapy
What is the difference from "regular" coaching?
In regular coaching, we mainly work with what is happening right now: current challenges, goals, blocks. Trauma therapy goes a step deeper. We include distressing experiences from the past, build inner stability first, and work more slowly, in more measured doses, and with more safeguarding. Which of the two is right for you usually becomes clear in the initial consultation, but sometimes only as the process unfolds.
Do I need to know exactly what happened?
No, you don't. Many people just sense that "something isn't right", without having a clear memory of a specific event. That is enough as a starting point. We work with what shows up: in the body, in feelings, in inner images. You don't have to force anything or reconstruct anything. Your system knows where it needs to go when it is given the space to do so.
How long does trauma therapy take?
There is no blanket answer, because it depends very much on what is burdening you and how deep it reaches. Clearly defined experiences — an accident, a single event — can often be worked through in a few sessions. When the burden goes further back, into childhood or family patterns, it takes more time. What matters to me is that we work at a pace that feels right and that nothing is rushed at the expense of your stability.
Is trauma therapy possible online?
Yes, with clear agreements that ensure your safety. Many people actually appreciate being able to work from the familiar space of their own home, it can be an additional stabilising factor. In acute crisis situations, however, I recommend in-person sessions or additional medical support.
Could the therapy destabilise me?
That concern is understandable and important. Responsible trauma therapy is structured precisely so that this does not happen: we build stability first, approach distressing material gently and in small steps, and we only ever go as far as feels right to you.
My concern might not be serious enough.
There is no such thing as a trauma that is too small. What matters is not how dramatic an experience looks from the outside, but whether it still burdens or limits you today. In the free initial consultation, we look together at where you stand and what might help.
I've already tried many things.
Then you probably know the feeling of having understood everything, but you still cannot move forward... You know what happened. You have talked about it, perhaps in therapy, perhaps with someone you trust. You have placed it, reflected on it, analysed it. And yet your body still reacts as though the danger is not over. You startle, you tense up, you avoid, even though you have long known there is no reason for it any more. That is not failure, and it is not a sign that you haven't done enough. It simply shows that traumatic burdens are stored where conversation alone cannot reach: in the nervous system, in the way your body responds to certain triggers, in emotional patterns that run faster than any conscious thought. That is exactly why I work with methods that address this directly: at the point where real change can happen: methods like EMDR, IFS, WingWave or hypnosis, which achieve what talking alone often cannot.
Ready for the next step?
In the first session, we'll clarify whether and in what form trauma therapy is right for you.
Related Topics
- IFS – Working with inner parts
- EMDR – Bilateral stimulation
- WingWave & EMDR – Methods focus
- TRT – Deep biographical work
- Hypnosis – Resource-oriented trance