Trauma Therapy in Burbank, CA & Online Throughout California
Trauma Therapy for Anxiety, People-Pleasing, and Lasting Healing
Even if what happened was years ago, you may still feel its impact today.
Perhaps you find yourself constantly on edge, struggling to trust others, overwhelmed by emotions, or carrying a harsh inner critic that never seems to quiet down. Maybe you've worked hard to move forward, but certain experiences continue to affect your relationships, confidence, or sense of safety in the world.
You might say your childhood "wasn't that bad" and still remember how important it was to be good, stay quiet, or keep everyone comfortable. Trauma doesn't always look like one terrible event. Sometimes it's the rules you learned about being acceptable.
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone.
Trauma therapy provides a safe, supportive space to explore the impact of difficult experiences, develop a deeper understanding of yourself, and begin moving toward healing and lasting change. Together, we'll work to help you feel more grounded, connected, and empowered in your life.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma isn't only what happened to you.
It's also what you had to become to get through it.
While some trauma results from a single distressing event, many people experience trauma through ongoing experiences such as childhood emotional neglect, criticism, unpredictable relationships, loss, betrayal, or environments where they didn't feel safe, seen, or supported.
Because trauma affects the nervous system, its impact can continue long after an experience has ended.
You may not think of yourself as someone who has experienced trauma, but if you find yourself struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, low self-worth, emotional overwhelm, or difficulty trusting yourself, past experiences may be playing a larger role than you realize.
Childhood Trauma Doesn't Always Look Like Trauma
Many people think trauma only refers to abuse, violence, or life-threatening events. But childhood trauma can also include emotional neglect, chronic criticism, parentification, inconsistent caregiving, or growing up in an environment where your emotional needs weren't met.
As adults, these experiences can contribute to anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism, difficulty trusting others, and struggles with self-worth.
If this sounds like you, you may also be interested in how EMDR therapy can help process early experiences.
Understanding Relational Trauma
Relational trauma occurs when experiences within important relationships leave lasting emotional wounds. This may include betrayal, emotional neglect, criticism, abandonment, inconsistent caregiving, or unhealthy relationship patterns.
Even after those relationships end, their impact can continue to affect self-esteem, boundaries, trust, and emotional regulation.
Trauma Doesn't Have to Be One Big Event
Some people experience trauma from a single event. Others experience repeated experiences over time, such as chronic criticism, emotional neglect, instability, or unhealthy relationship dynamics.
When difficult experiences happen repeatedly, their impact can accumulate and shape how you see yourself and the world.
Signs Trauma May Still Be Affecting You
Trauma can show up in ways that aren't always obvious.
You might experience:
Saying yes before you've checked what you actually want
People Pleasing
Perfectionism
Feeling guilty when you rest or say no
Feeling responsible for how other people react
Difficulty setting boundaries
Telling yourself it wasn't "that bad."
Feeling "too sensitive" or "too much"
Anxiety or chronic worry
Replaying conversations long after they've ended
Feeling constantly on edge or hyperaware
Difficulty trusting others
Shame, guilt, or self-criticism
Emotional numbness or disconnection
Panic attacks
Feeling tired from holding it all together
Most of these started as ways to get through something hard.
They made sense then. They just may not fit the life you want now.
My Approach to Trauma Therapy
I understand that talking about painful experiences can feel vulnerable. You don't have to be good at therapy here. You can ask questions, tell me something doesn't feel right, or say you need to slow down. Especially if you're used to keeping others comfortable, I want there to be room for your honest response.
My approach is collaborative, and we set the pace together. I draw from EMDR, IFS, CBT, and mind-body approaches, and before we work on anything difficult, we'll build trust and practice ways to feel grounded.
Rather than focusing only on symptoms, we'll work together to understand how your experiences have shaped the way you relate to yourself, others, and the world around you.
Throughout our work, I'll help you build tools for emotional regulation, strengthen self-compassion, and reconnect with the strengths that have helped you survive difficult moments along the way. For clients who want it, faith can be part of this work. You can read more about Christian counseling.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Being trauma-informed means recognizing that many struggles make sense when viewed through the lens of someone's experiences.
Rather than asking, "What's wrong with you?" I believe a more helpful question is, "What happened to you?"
This perspective allows us to approach healing with curiosity and compassion instead of shame and self-judgment.
You are not broken. Your responses developed for a reason.
Together, we'll work toward understanding those patterns and creating new ways of responding that better serve the life you want to build.
What To Expect
1. A free consultation. We talk about what's bringing you in and whether we'd be a good fit.
2. Building a foundation. We spend time on trust and grounding skills before doing deeper trauma work.
3. Working through it, at your pace. We process experiences and the beliefs that formed around them, and we connect the work to everyday life: boundaries, decisions, relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have trauma if my childhood wasn't that bad?
Yes. Trauma isn't only about the severity of what happened. It's also about what you had to do to cope. Many women come to therapy after years of staying quiet, being good, or keeping everyone comfortable, without a single event they'd call trauma.
What's the difference between trauma therapy and EMDR?
Trauma therapy is the broader work of understanding and healing how difficult experiences have affected you. EMDR is one method I use within it, to help your brain process distressing memories. We'll decide together whether it fits. You can read more about EMDR therapy.
How long does trauma therapy take?
There isn't one timeline. It depends on your history, your goals, and how much preparation you need before deeper work. We'll check in regularly and adjust the plan together.
How much does trauma therapy cost?
Sessions are $225 and self-pay.
Do you offer trauma therapy in person?
Yes. I see clients in person at my Burbank office and online throughout California.
You Don't Have to Carry the Past Alone
Even if you've learned to push through, stay strong, or keep everything together, you don't have to continue carrying the weight of your experiences by yourself.
Together, we'll create space for healing, self-understanding, and meaningful change so you can move forward with greater confidence, connection, and peace.
Ready To Start?
You don't have to have it all figured out before reaching out. We can start with a free consultation to talk about what's bringing you to therapy and what you'd like to feel different.
You'll have room to ask questions and get a sense of whether you'd feel comfortable working with me.
About Me
I provide counseling in Burbank and support clients throughout Glendale, Pasadena, North Hollywood, Studio City, Toluca Lake, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, and across California through online therapy.
Licensed Provider
Kellie Murry, LPCC.
#8755 Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
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