Trauma Therapy

Therapy for Trauma, PTSD & C-PTSD

Trauma was at the center of our research and clinical training.
As trauma survivors and specialists, we address trauma at its deepest level.

Does Trauma Feel Like It’s Controlling Your Life?

Are you constantly on edge, struggling to sleep despite feeling exhausted? Do flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts keep pulling you back into painful memories? 

Maybe you're finding it hard to regulate your emotions—lashing out at loved ones or feeling numb and disconnected. Do you ever wonder why you can’t seem to shake the feeling that you’re unsafe, or that you can’t be the parent, partner, or friend you want to be?

If these experiences sound familiar, you’re not alone. Trauma therapy can help you regain control, feel safe again, and reconnect with the person you want to be.

Trauma comes in all shapes and sizes

Sometimes we experience unimaginable moments outside of our control that are terrible. Traumatic events include some aspect of seeing or experiencing serious threat, harm, or death—but it can also include extreme deprivation, neglect or distortion of what we need for basic physical, emotional, and relational safety.

Trauma doesn’t have to be just a war veteran’s experience or a rape survivor, it can be a mother who was unseen and unheard during childbirth, a child who was often yelled at or belittled by a parent, or a partner who was physically abusive.

At its core, exposure to trauma significantly disrupts our sense of self, how we see the world, and our ability to feel safe and cared for.

Our Specialities

We specialize in helping people heal from all forms of trauma to thrive and fully connect with themselves and others.

We have expertise in the following:

  • Childhood Trauma or Abuse (neglect and physical abuse)

  • Children of Narcissistic Parents

  • Sexual Abuse or Assault (in childhood and/or adulthood)

  • Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence

  • Medical Trauma (childbirth, chronic illness, cancer survivorship)

  • Relational Trauma (abusive relationships, narcissistic abuse)

  • Learn about how trauma affects your mind and body, and why it’s been so hard to move past it.

  • We’ll identify the "stuck points" in your thinking, such as “I’m bad” or “It’s my fault,” and work through these distorted beliefs.

  • Together, we’ll develop healthier ways to manage triggers, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation.

  • Telling your story in a safe space helps you make sense of what happened and begin the healing process.

  • Gradually, we’ll confront the things you’ve been avoiding because of the trauma, allowing you to reclaim parts of your life.

  • Whether it’s feeling safe in your body, in your relationships, or in your surroundings, we’ll work on restoring your sense of security.

  • We will highlight the effects of unsafe attachments and relationships or unmet emotional needs that can give insight into the patterns or assumptions you may hold today so you can change them.

Trauma Therapy With EMTG

Trauma therapy with us is structured to create real, tangible change. It isn’t just about coping—it’s about healing deeply so that you can live a fulfilling and connected life. Here’s what we’ll focus on:

Therapeutic Techniques We Use

Our approach to trauma therapy is integrative, using a blend of evidence-based practices that target both the mind and body:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you challenge unhelpful thinking patterns.

  • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), a specialized form of CBT for trauma, addresses beliefs tied to your trauma like guilt, shame, or a lack of trust.

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides skills to manage intense emotions and develop emotional regulation.

  • Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) is an approach designed to help children and adolescents, integrating parents into the healing process when appropriate.

  • Psychodynamic Therapy focuses on making connections between past experiences and their impact on your sense of self or relationships today.

Results From Trauma Therapy

Our clients report: 

  • The ability to sleep again 

  • Fewer or no more nightmares or flashbacks

  • Releasing feelings of guilt / shame

  • Rebuilding trust with others and forming healthier, more connected relationships

  • Changing unwanted relationship patterns such as people pleasing tendencies

  • Feeling grounded and more at peace in their bodies

  • A sense of safety and control over their life

  • Increase in self-esteem and self-worth and new confidence in who they are

  • Feeling more self-acceptance and living life based on personal values not others’ expectations/desires

With time, you’ll stop feeling like the trauma defines you, and instead, you’ll feel empowered and hopeful about the future.

About Dr. Shaneze Gayle Smith

Read More About Me

I’m a trauma survivor and trauma specialist with extensive experience helping both adults and children heal from trauma- licensed for therapy in 41 states.

With a background in trauma research, I’ve spent years studying how trauma impacts the mind and body in childhood and adulthood. My dissertation focused on the physical effects of trauma, particularly how the body stays in a constant state of fight-or-flight, leading to chronic stress and inflammation which is linked to dozens of medical conditions. I’ve worked at trauma-focused treatment centers, including the Regional Diagnostic Treatment Center for Child Abuse, supporting children and families impacted by child sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect and violence.

I also have experience in medical trauma, having worked in a cancer institute with survivors facing long-term emotional and physical effects of their treatment. My practice is informed by a deep understanding of how trauma impacts both the body and mind, and how healing needs to be holistic.

Education

  • PhD in Clinical Psychology, Seton Hall University (Health Psychology & Child/Adolescent Focus)

  • Psychology Residency, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center

  • MS in Forensic Psychology, Walden University

  • Medical School (3 years), Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School

  • BA in Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University

Credentials

  • Certified in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

  • Expertise in relational trauma, childhood trauma, medical trauma, and complex PTSD

  • Over a decade of experience working with trauma survivors in clinical and research settings

About Vernee Brooks, LPC, LMHC

Read More About Me

As a survivor of childhood sexual trauma and other traumas in young adulthood, I have been where you are. I have 10 years of extensive experience helping adults heal from trauma- licensed for therapy in New Jersey & Texas.

The traumas I experienced caused a multitude of trauma responses leading to low self worth, difficulty acquiring and maintaining healthy romantic relationships, people pleasing behaviors and a host of others. That is, until I healed that part of my story. Now, I have spent the last decade aiding others in growing through the scars that trauma leaves behind.

With these years in the field, I have honed my skills in various therapeutic techniques including Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and more. During this time I worked in Mental Hospitals, Group settings, Inpatient and Outpatient facilities and in home. I mostly help people identify, process, and grow through their past traumas and uncover who they were meant to be outside of their normal reactions to these abnormal events.

Our past traumas do not define us… let’s get to work!

Education

  • MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Walden University

  • BA in Psychology, Rutgers University

Credentials

  • Expertise in relational trauma, childhood trauma, narcissistic parents, and complex PTSD

  • Over a decade of experience working with trauma survivors in various clinical settings

Getting Started Together

We’ll meet you where you are—whether you’ve never spoken about your trauma before, or you’ve been in therapy for years but are still struggling. Our approach is compassionate and collaborative, with a focus on building trust in the therapeutic relationship. Our connection will be one that is authentic and real in which you’ll feel seen, heard and understood. 

You don’t have to continue feeling trapped by your past. Trauma therapy can help you feel safe, confident, and free to live the life you were meant to.

Trauma Therapy & PTSD
FAQs

  • C-PTSD is characterized by core features of PTSD, in addition to difficulty with emotion regulation, a persistently negative sense of self, and chronic difficulty in relationships. C-PTSD often occurs after repeated and prolonged exposure or experience of traumatic events, often starting in childhood where escape from the situation was not possible. C-PTSD is not a universally accepted diagnosis - it was only accepted to the ICD-11 in 2018. It recognizes that someone’s experience of trauma may not have a beginning and end, and they must manage the effects of enduring trauma compounded over time.

  • Absolutely. Having flashbacks can be really disorienting and terrifying, and it feels even worse if you don’t understand why it’s happening. Sometimes the things you are trying to manage your flashbacks may be unintentionally making them worse. Sometimes we avoid things that might trigger the flashbacks which can really limit your quality of life. By getting professional support on what is happening and learning how to respond in healthy ways, you can regain a sense of control of your body and emotions.

  • Flashbacks and nightmares are some common signs of PTSD; however, trauma doesn’t automatically mean PTSD. PTSD is a specific diagnosis given to people who experience a specific combination of active symptoms for over a month following a traumatic event. A trauma isn’t limited to one kind of experience. Sometimes while you are going through something, it doesn’t seem like that big a deal. Calling it “trauma” might feel like overkill—but trauma comes in all shapes and sizes. Anything that has a lasting negative emotional impact can be traumatic. It’s how YOU experienced it.

  • Yes! Even if your trauma(s) happened years ago and you’re in a very different place in life, therapy can still be helpful. Sometimes the effects of trauma are obvious, while sometimes they are not—learning more about the range of ways trauma can affect us, can be very illuminating to what you’re going through. Having an outside person give you a different perspective can really help you connect the dots.

    Additionally, even though trauma might not impact you right now, certain life experiences/stressors can trigger it such as new relationships, parenthood, grief. When you’re proactive and get the support ahead of time, it helps so that when big life changes occur—your unresolved traumas don’t come out of nowhere.

  • Absolutely not. It’s normal to have trouble moving past things that have happened. Nothing is wrong with you. Often people use distraction, avoidance, workaholism to cope but those only provide temporary relief. You just need support in helping you cope with what happened in a healthy way that's sustainable.

  • Talking about unresolved trauma may feel painful and bring up a lot of intense feelings at first, but these feelings lessen over time as you learn to process and cope with support.