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At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, I provide deeply personalized, trauma-informed care for clients seeking a thoughtful and effective path toward healing. My practice is designed to offer a calm, private, and supportive therapeutic environment where individuals, couples, and teens can engage in meaningful inner work with depth, intention, and care.
I believe therapy should be both clinically grounded and highly individualized. My approach integrates evidence-based modalities with a nuanced understanding of trauma, creating a therapeutic experience that is compassionate, attuned, and tailored to the unique needs of each client. Every aspect of care is approached with sensitivity, professionalism, and respect for the complexity of each person’s healing process.
I am committed to offering a standard of care that feels both deeply supportive and exceptionally intentional. My goal is to help clients move beyond patterns of distress and toward greater clarity, resilience, emotional balance, and lasting well-being. Through a refined, relational, and trauma-informed approach, I strive to create a space where genuine healing and meaningful transformation can unfold.
Trauma can have profound effects on individuals, impacting their emotional, mental, and physical well-being. At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, we understand the complexities of trauma and are dedicated to providing effective therapies to assist in the healing process. One of the most transformative approaches we utilize is Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS). This article explores how IFS works in addressing trauma, offers coping strategies, and provides resources for further support.
When navigating trauma, Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) provides a structured framework for understanding and addressing the feelings and behaviors that arise. It recognizes that our psyche is made up of different parts, each with its own perspectives, emotions, and roles, particularly shaped by our experiences, especially traumatic ones. Here’s how it typically works:
IFS therapy is particularly effective in trauma scenarios because it allows individuals to process their experiences without re-traumatization. Traditional talk therapy may sometimes trigger painful memories, but IFS creates a safe internal environment where the individual can explore these memories with the support of their Self. The Self is characterized by qualities such as confidence, calmness, and compassion, serving as a guiding force in the healing journey.
Another vital aspect of IFS in trauma work is the emphasis on self-compassion. Many individuals who have experienced trauma carry feelings of guilt or shame, believing they should have acted differently or that they are to blame for their suffering. IFS encourages individuals to cultivate a compassionate perspective towards their parts, acknowledging that their responses to trauma were valid and necessary for survival at that time. This shift in perspective can be incredibly liberating and is often a key component in the healing process.
Practical exercises can further enhance the IFS process in trauma scenarios. For example:
Incorporating these practices into daily life can reinforce the insights gained during therapy sessions. By regularly checking in with their parts, individuals can maintain a sense of balance and emotional regulation outside of therapy, making the healing process more integrated and sustainable.
Internal Family Systems Therapy offers a profound and compassionate approach to navigating trauma. By recognizing and honoring the complexity of our internal landscape, individuals can embark on a transformative journey towards healing, self-acceptance, and emotional resilience. Through the structured yet flexible framework of IFS, clients can find hope and empowerment, reclaiming their narratives and fostering a deeper connection with themselves and others.
Experience compassionate trauma-informed therapy designed to support your emotional healing and recovery, helping you navigate psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress with expert guidance and understanding.
Experience compassionate self-esteem counseling that empowers you to build confidence, enhance your self-worth, and improve your body image through personalized therapy tailored to your unique journey.
Experience compassionate anxiety therapy designed to help you manage anxiety disorders, overcome challenges, and find peace through personalized support and effective treatment strategies.
Incorporating Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) into your healing journey can provide essential coping strategies for managing trauma. By identifying and understanding the various parts within ourselves, we can cultivate a compassionate internal environment that fosters healing. Here are some practical techniques to help you navigate your trauma using IFS:
Mindfulness Practices: Engaging in mindfulness can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, allowing you to recognize when certain parts are activated. Mindfulness encourages you to observe your internal landscape without judgment. You might practice mindfulness through meditation, where you focus on your breath or a specific mantra. This awareness can help you identify which part of yourself is speaking or reacting in a given moment. For instance, when feeling anxious, you might notice a 'worried child' part trying to protect you. Understanding this can help you respond with kindness rather than criticism.
Consider incorporating body scans into your mindfulness practice. This technique involves focusing on different parts of your body and noticing any sensations or feelings. It can help ground you in the present moment and connect you with the emotions residing in various parts of your internal system.
Journaling: Writing about your experiences and the different parts you identify can facilitate healing. Journaling offers a safe space to articulate your feelings, track your progress, and explore your internal dialogues. Start by setting aside time each day for free writing. Allow your thoughts to flow without censoring or editing them. You might begin with a prompt such as, "What is my inner critic saying today?" or "How does my nurturing part feel about my current challenges?"
As you write, try to differentiate between the various parts. You could use different colors for each part or create a visual representation, like a mind map, to illustrate how these parts interact with one another. This practice not only helps clarify your thoughts but also provides insights into how your parts influence your emotions and behaviors.
Visualization: Visualizing your Self as a compassionate leader can be a powerful tool in IFS. Picture your Self as a wise, nurturing figure who can guide and support the various parts within you. This visualization can be done during meditation or as a standalone exercise. Imagine approaching a frightened child part of yourself with kindness and understanding. Ask that part what it needs to feel safe and cared for. This compassionate approach can help create a sense of safety and promote healing.
To deepen this practice, consider creating a safe space in your mind where all parts can gather. Visualize a serene environment—perhaps a tranquil forest or a cozy room—where you can meet and dialogue with your parts. This safe space can serve as a refuge, allowing you to build trust and foster communication among your internal system.
Grounding Techniques: Use grounding techniques to stay present when overwhelming feelings arise. Grounding helps anchor you to the present moment, reducing anxiety and distress. Techniques could include deep breathing, focusing on your surroundings, or engaging in physical activity. For instance, when you feel triggered, pause to take several slow, deep breaths. Focus on the sensation of air filling your lungs and the feeling of your feet on the ground.
Another effective grounding technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 method, where you identify:
This method encourages you to engage your senses, which can help distract your mind from distressing thoughts and reconnect you with the here and now.
Dialogue with Parts: Engaging in internal dialogues with your parts can be a transformative practice. Begin by identifying a specific part that feels prominent or demanding attention. Create a safe mental space where you can interact with this part. Ask it questions such as, "What do you need from me?" or "How can I support you?" Listen deeply to the responses, acknowledging the part's feelings and experiences. This dialogue can foster understanding and compassion, allowing you to address the needs of each part.
Consider writing down the conversation or recording it. This documentation can help you reflect on the insights gained and track the evolution of your internal relationships over time.
Seeking Professional Support: While self-guided techniques can be beneficial, working with a trained IFS therapist can provide additional support and depth to your healing journey. A therapist can help you safely navigate complex emotions and facilitate deeper connections with your parts. They can also introduce you to advanced IFS techniques, such as unburdening, where you help parts release negative beliefs or trauma they carry.
In therapy, you may explore the concept of "Self-leadership," where your Self becomes the primary decision-maker in your internal system, fostering harmony among your parts. This process can lead to profound shifts in how you relate to yourself and others.
Integrating these coping strategies into your life can enhance your ability to manage trauma through Internal Family Systems Therapy. By nurturing a compassionate relationship with your parts and employing practical techniques, you can create a supportive internal environment that fosters healing and resilience. Remember, your journey is unique, and it's essential to honor your pace as you explore and implement these strategies.
Incorporating IFS into your healing journey can provide essential coping strategies for managing trauma. Here are some practical techniques:
Clear, practical answers for people considering Trauma Therapy and looking for a thoughtful next step.
Touchstone Trauma Therapy is a mental health practice located in Montrose, CA, specializing in trauma therapy. We provide personalized care to help clients navigate challenges such as trauma, anxiety, and depression through holistic, trauma-informed approaches.
Our services are designed for individuals, couples, and teens who are facing mental health challenges. Whether you are struggling with trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use concerns, relationship difficulties, self-esteem issues, emotional overwhelm, chronic stress, perfectionism, or feelings of disconnection, we are here to support you on your healing journey.
At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, we offer a range of trauma-informed therapies tailored to individual needs. Our approaches may include EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness and Somatic therapies, and other holistic methods aimed at promoting healing and resilience.
If you are experiencing persistent feelings of anxiety, depression, or distress related to past experiences, trauma therapy may be beneficial. Our team can help assess your needs and guide you toward appropriate support.
During your first session at Touchstone Trauma Therapy, you will meet with a therapist who will discuss your background, current challenges, and goals for therapy. This initial assessment helps us create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs.
Yes, therapy sessions at Touchstone Trauma Therapy are confidential. We adhere to strict ethical guidelines to ensure your privacy and safety, allowing you to share your experiences in a secure and supportive environment.
Somatic Therapy is a form of body-centered therapy that emphasizes the connection between the brain, mind, and body. It utilizes body awareness as a therapeutic tool to explore and resolve the somatic (physical) symptoms of psychological issues. This approach helps individuals recognize and release the physical tension that remains in the body due to past trauma and stress.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a transformative therapeutic model of psychotherapy that helps individuals understand and harmonize the various parts within themselves. According to IFS, we all have different parts within us that carry different thoughts, emotions, and beliefs. These parts can sometimes conflict with each other and create internal struggles and difficulties in our lives. IFS is commonly utilized to work with trauma memories or difficult childhood experiences.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured approach that treats trauma by safely reconnecting individuals with the traumatic images, thoughts, emotions, and body sensations they experienced, leveraging the brain’s natural healing process—Adaptive Information Processing (AIP).
Unlike traditional talk therapy, which often focuses on the traumatic event itself, EMDR targets the emotional disturbances and symptoms stemming from the trauma. The goal is to process these troubling memories, reduce their impact, and help clients develop healthier coping mechanisms.
Through EMDR, memories are transferred from the emotional part of the brain (limbic system) to long-term storage, transforming them from intrusive relived experiences into memories of past events that no longer wield disruptive power.
At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, we believe in providing comprehensive support for those navigating trauma. Here are some valuable resources that complement the IFS approach:
Experience compassionate depression counseling and effective clinical depression therapy tailored to your needs, utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help you overcome major depressive disorder and mood disorders.
Experience compassionate EMDR therapy tailored for healing from PTSD, anxiety, phobias, grief, and abuse recovery, helping you navigate complex trauma and reclaim your life with confidence.
Experience healing through Somatic Experiencing Therapy, a holistic approach that combines body-oriented psychotherapy and mind-body techniques to alleviate stress and anxiety, promoting deep relaxation and emotional well-being.
At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, seeking support is an important first step toward healing. Whether you are navigating Trauma Therapy, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm, this is a calm place to begin with trust, care, and intention.
Talk with a trusted therapist and take the next step forward with confidence.
Trauma-informed care is an approach to therapy that recognizes how past trauma can affect a person’s thoughts, emotions, relationships, and physical responses. It focuses on creating a safe, supportive, and respectful environment where clients feel heard, empowered, and never pressured. At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, trauma-informed care means tailoring treatment to each person’s needs while using approaches that support healing at a pace that feels manageable and safe. At TTT, we utilize Evidence Based modalities such as EMDR, IFS and Somatic/Mindfulness that are effective in addressing and healing from trauma, including complex trauma.
Starting therapy begins with reaching out to schedule an initial consultation or first appointment. During that first step, we will talk about what brings you to therapy, your goals, and any questions you may have about the process. From there, we can determine the best approach for your needs and begin creating a treatment plan that feels supportive, personalized, and manageable.
Yes, therapy sessions are confidential. Protecting your privacy is an important part of creating a safe and supportive therapeutic space. There are a few legal and ethical limits to confidentiality, which will be reviewed with you at the beginning of therapy, but in general, what you share in session is kept private and treated with care and respect.
Somatic therapy supports trauma healing by helping clients notice and work with how trauma is held in the body, not just in thoughts or memories. Trauma can affect the nervous system in ways that lead to tension, overwhelm, numbness, or feeling constantly on edge. Through gentle body-based awareness and regulation techniques, somatic therapy helps clients reconnect with their bodies, build a greater sense of safety, and process trauma in a way that feels grounded and manageable.
That is completely understandable. Not every therapy experience is the right fit, and a previous approach that did not feel helpful does not mean therapy cannot be meaningful for you now. At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, I offer a personalized, trauma-informed approach tailored to your unique needs, goals, and pace. Together, we work to create a safe and supportive space that feels more aligned with the healing you are seeking.
Your first therapy session is an opportunity for me to begin building a thoughtful understanding of your experiences, concerns, and goals. I will guide the conversation with care, creating space to discuss what brings you to therapy, your personal history, and any questions you may have about the process. This initial session is designed to help you feel at ease while laying the foundation for a therapeutic approach that is personalized to your needs.
Experience transformative healing with Internal Family Systems Therapy, a compassionate approach that nurtures your inner parts, promoting personal growth and resilience through effective trauma healing and self-led therapy.
Experience compassionate and evidence-based PTSD treatment, including trauma-focused therapy and clinical counseling, designed to support your journey towards healing and recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Experience compassionate relationship trauma counseling that focuses on healing interpersonal wounds, fostering secure attachments, and promoting resilience through specialized attachment-based therapy tailored to your unique journey.
Experience compassionate grief and loss counseling that supports your healing journey, helping you navigate bereavement, cope with loss, and find peace through specialized therapy tailored to your needs.
Experience compassionate support with our Stress and Emotional Overwhelm Therapy, designed to help you manage stress, regulate emotions, and overcome burnout through effective techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Navigating trauma is a complex journey, but you don’t have to do it alone. At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, located in Montrose, CA, we specialize in trauma therapy and are committed to helping you find healing through Internal Family Systems Therapy. Our dedicated team, led by Kristin, is here to offer personalized care tailored to your unique needs.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your healing journey, contact us today at 626-824-8572 or visit our website at touchstonetraumatherapy.com. Let us help you uncover the strength within and navigate your trauma towards a path of resilience and emotional well-being.
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Individual therapy for clients ages 14 and older offers a personalized space to work through life's challenges, deepen self-understanding, and support lasting emotional well-being.
Trauma-informed care is an approach to therapy that recognizes how past trauma can affect a person’s thoughts, emotions, relationships, and physical responses. It focuses on creating a safe, supportive, and respectful environment where clients feel heard, empowered, and never pressured. At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, trauma-informed care means tailoring treatment to each person’s needs while using approaches that support healing at a pace that feels manageable and safe. At TTT, we utilize Evidence Based modalities such as EMDR, IFS and Somatic/Mindfulness that are effective in addressing and healing from trauma, including complex trauma.
Starting therapy begins with reaching out to schedule an initial consultation or first appointment. During that first step, we will talk about what brings you to therapy, your goals, and any questions you may have about the process. From there, we can determine the best approach for your needs and begin creating a treatment plan that feels supportive, personalized, and manageable.
Yes, therapy sessions are confidential. Protecting your privacy is an important part of creating a safe and supportive therapeutic space. There are a few legal and ethical limits to confidentiality, which will be reviewed with you at the beginning of therapy, but in general, what you share in session is kept private and treated with care and respect.
Somatic therapy supports trauma healing by helping clients notice and work with how trauma is held in the body, not just in thoughts or memories. Trauma can affect the nervous system in ways that lead to tension, overwhelm, numbness, or feeling constantly on edge. Through gentle body-based awareness and regulation techniques, somatic therapy helps clients reconnect with their bodies, build a greater sense of safety, and process trauma in a way that feels grounded and manageable.
That is completely understandable. Not every therapy experience is the right fit, and a previous approach that did not feel helpful does not mean therapy cannot be meaningful for you now. At Touchstone Trauma Therapy, I offer a personalized, trauma-informed approach tailored to your unique needs, goals, and pace. Together, we work to create a safe and supportive space that feels more aligned with the healing you are seeking.
Your first therapy session is an opportunity for me to begin building a thoughtful understanding of your experiences, concerns, and goals. I will guide the conversation with care, creating space to discuss what brings you to therapy, your personal history, and any questions you may have about the process. This initial session is designed to help you feel at ease while laying the foundation for a therapeutic approach that is personalized to your needs.
Our services are designed for individuals, couples, and teens seeking support for mental health challenges.
Whether you are dealing with trauma, relationship issues, or self-esteem concerns, Touchstone Trauma Therapy is here to guide you on your journey to healing.
TTT offers services to the cities of Montrose, Glendale, La Crescenta, La Canada, Burbank and Pasadena. TTT also offers remote video sessions throughout the state of California.
Individual therapy for clients ages 14 and older offers a personalized space to work through life's challenges, deepen self-understanding, and support lasting emotional well-being.
