How do I know if trauma therapy is right for me?

You do not need a diagnosis of PTSD or a single traumatic event to benefit from trauma therapy. If you feel emotionally overwhelmed, disconnected, stuck in recurring relationship patterns, constantly on edge, or find yourself responding in ways you do not fully understand, therapy may help you make sense of those experiences and move toward something different.

Do I have to talk about everything that happened?

No. Therapy moves at a pace that feels safe and manageable. Building trust and safety is an important part of the process, and there is no pressure to share more than you are ready to share.

What if I do not remember everything that happened?

You do not need a complete memory of your experiences for therapy to be effective. Therapy can focus on what you notice today, including your emotions, relationships, physical responses, and recurring patterns, without forcing memories or filling in missing pieces.

What types of trauma do you work with?

Courtney works with adults experiencing complex trauma, attachment trauma, childhood trauma, generational trauma, relational trauma, emotional abuse, grief and loss, sexual trauma, traumatic stress, and other overwhelming life experiences.

How long does trauma therapy take?

There is no single timeline for trauma therapy. Some people come to therapy with a specific concern, while others want to understand lifelong patterns or heal from more complex experiences. Goals can be revisited regularly as the work develops.

Is online trauma therapy effective?

Many people find online trauma therapy to be meaningful and effective. Through Therapy offers virtual therapy for adults located throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.

Can trauma therapy help if I do not have PTSD?

Yes. Many people seek trauma therapy because they notice recurring patterns in their relationships, emotions, or daily lives, even without a PTSD diagnosis. Therapy can focus on how past and present experiences continue to affect you today.

Can trauma affect relationships?

Yes. Trauma can shape how you experience trust, intimacy, boundaries, conflict, and emotional closeness. Therapy can help you understand these patterns and develop more secure and flexible ways of relating.

Life Transitions and Stress Therapy

Why Transitions Can Be Emotionally Challenging

Life transitions often involve more than adjusting to a new situation. They can change the routines, relationships, and roles that once gave life a sense of familiarity. Even when a change is welcome, it can leave you feeling untethered as you adjust to what comes next.

At the same time, transitions often invite us to reconsider who we are. A new career, becoming a parent, ending a relationship, or moving to a new city can bring questions that don't always have immediate answers: Who am I now? What do I want? What matters most to me? Feeling uncertain often means you're in the process of growing into a new chapter of your life.

Many people are also surprised by the grief that can accompany change. You can deeply want something new while still missing what you're leaving behind. It's possible to feel excited about a promotion while grieving the familiarity of your old job, or relieved after a divorce while mourning the life you imagined. These experiences can exist side by side.

It's also common to wonder why you're struggling during a season that others expect to be joyful. You might think, "I should be happier," or compare yourself to people who seem to be adjusting with ease. In reality, most life transitions are emotionally complex. Feeling hopeful, anxious, grateful, and uncertain at the same time is often part of what makes change so challenging.

How Stress and Life Transitions Can Show Up

During times of change, you may notice yourself:

Questioning who you are or what you want
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed or unusually reactive
Losing motivation or feeling disconnected from yourself
Feeling stuck between who you've been and who you're becoming
Overworking or staying busy to avoid uncertainty
Grieving a chapter of life that has come to an end
Feeling pressure to have everything figured out
Wondering why a transition that "should" feel exciting feels so difficult

Life transitions often bring us into contact with parts of ourselves that have been easy to ignore while life felt familiar. They can reveal old ways of coping, longstanding relationship patterns, or beliefs about ourselves that no longer fit.

In therapy, there is space to slow down and understand what this season of life might be asking. Rather than rushing toward answers, we'll become curious about your experience, explore the meaning beneath your stress, and help you move through uncertainty with greater clarity, self-understanding, and intention.

How Therapy Can Help

My Approach to Life Transitions and Stress Therapy

I approach therapy from a relational, psychodynamic, and attachment-based perspective. I believe that periods of change often invite deeper questions about identity, relationships, and the ways we've learned to navigate the world.

Our work won't focus solely on managing stress. Together, we'll explore the experiences that have shaped you, recognize patterns that may no longer serve you, and create space for new ways of relating to yourself and others. My goal isn't to tell you who you should become, but to help you discover what feels most authentic to you.

WORK WITH COURTNEY

Even positive life transitions can be emotionally demanding. Starting a new job, getting married, becoming a parent, moving to a new city, or reaching a long-awaited goal often means adjusting to new responsibilities, expectations, and uncertainty. It's also common to miss parts of your old life while feeling excited about what's ahead. Feeling both hopeful and overwhelmed at the same time is a normal part of navigating major life changes.
Yes. Grief, and all parts of grief, isn't limited to the loss of a loved one. Many life transitions involve letting go of something familiar, whether that's a relationship, a career, a home, a routine, or a version of yourself. Even if the change is one you chose, it's natural to experience sadness alongside relief, excitement, or hope. Therapy can help you make space for both without feeling like you have to choose one emotion over another.
Major life changes can shift the roles, routines, and relationships that once helped you define who you are. After a career change, divorce, becoming a parent, burnout, or another significant transition, it's common to wonder what you want, what matters to you, or where you fit next. Rather than seeing this as something that's gone wrong, therapy can help you explore these questions and reconnect with a stronger, more authentic sense of self.
Depth-oriented therapy looks beyond the immediate stress to understand the experiences, relationships, and patterns that may be shaping your response to change. Whether you're navigating burnout, a relationship change, a career transition, or feeling lost in this stage of life, we'll explore not only what's happening now, but why this transition feels meaningful to you. I integrate psychodynamic therapy, attachment theory, AEDP, and evidence-based approaches to support lasting change rather than focusing only on short-term coping.
Absolutely. Many people begin therapy because they feel stuck, disconnected, or uncertain about what comes next. You don't need to have a clear goal before reaching out. Therapy can help you better understand yourself, untangle competing thoughts and emotions, and gain clarity about what feels meaningful and aligned with the life you want to build.
I work with adults experiencing a wide range of life transitions, including career changes, burnout, relationship changes, divorce, becoming a parent, infertility, grief and loss, moving, caregiving, empty nest, retirement, and identity shifts.
Life transitions often bring unresolved experiences into the present. A new relationship may make it harder to ignore fears of rejection. Becoming a parent can stir memories of your own childhood. A career change might raise questions about self-worth or success. While these reactions can feel confusing, they're often invitations to better understand yourself. Rather than pushing these emotions aside, therapy creates space to explore them.

Life Transitions and Stress Therapy FAQ

Begin Therapy for Life Transitions and Stress Today

Change can feel disorienting, and it can also become an opportunity to know yourself more deeply.

If you're ready to begin, I’d be happy to book a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to see if we’re a good fit.

BOOK A CONSULTATION