Trauma Therapy for Autistic & ADHD Adults
Neurodivergent-affirming trauma healing and EMDR in North Carolina
Trauma shapes us, but it doesn’t define us. Healing is possible.
I offer a compassionate, trauma-informed space where every part of you is welcome — even the parts that feel messy, uncertain, overwhelmed, or afraid. Together, we gently explore what your nervous system has been holding and create space for safety, integration, and relief.
You don’t need to have the right words, and you don’t need to tell the whole story right away. Silence, tears, laughter, shutdown, dissociation — all are welcome here. We move at your pace, honoring the wisdom of your nervous system every step of the way.
Many autistic and ADHD adults carry trauma from years of masking, sensory overwhelm, burnout, or feeling misunderstood. I offer trauma therapy for neurodivergent adults across North Carolina, integrating EMDR, nervous system work, and parts-based therapy to support gentle healing.
A Neurodivergent-Affirming Approach to Trauma
Trauma often shows up differently for autistic and ADHD adults. Many people I work with have spent years masking, adapting, or pushing through environments that felt overwhelming, confusing, or invalidating.
In our work together, we focus on helping your nervous system feel safer and more supported — not forcing yourself to “push through.”
My approach integrates several gentle, evidence-based models, including:
Internal Family Systems (IFS) for understanding the different parts of you that developed to survive
Polyvagal-informed nervous system work to help you understand and regulate stress responses
Somatic awareness to reconnect with your body and signals of safety
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support values-based living and self-compassion
EMDR therapy when appropriate to help the brain process unresolved memories
Together we build practical ways to support your nervous system in daily life — including tools for grounding, regulation, and understanding how trauma responses show up in your body.
EMDR Therapy
I also offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as part of trauma treatment.
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that helps the brain process memories that feel “stuck” or frozen in the nervous system. Traumatic experiences can leave emotional and physical reactions activated long after the event has passed.
Through gentle bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, tapping, or sound), EMDR supports the brain’s natural ability to reprocess these experiences so they no longer carry the same emotional charge.
You do not need to talk through every detail of a traumatic experience for EMDR to work. Instead, we follow your internal experience and move slowly, making sure your nervous system feels supported throughout the process.
EMDR can be offered virtually using specialized online tools, and sessions are adapted to support the needs of autistic and ADHD clients.
Trauma can show up as:
Trauma doesn’t always look the way we expect. Many people experience:
chronic anxiety or nervous system overwhelm
shutdown, dissociation, or “freezing” responses
emotional flashbacks
sensory overwhelm or nervous system dysregulation
complex trauma or developmental trauma
shame from years of masking or being misunderstood
difficulty trusting yourself or others
feeling disconnected from your body or identity
burnout from constantly pushing beyond your limits
Trauma healing often begins with learning that safety, rest, and gentleness are allowed.
Your Nervous System Can Learn Safety Again
Your body remembers what it has been through — but it can also learn new experiences of safety, connection, and resilience.
Healing does not mean erasing your past. It means helping your nervous system release what it no longer needs to carry.
If you’re curious about beginning trauma work together, I’d be honored to support you.
I offer trauma therapy for autistic and ADHD adults across North Carolina through secure telehealth.
Your body remembers — but it can also remember safety.
If you’re ready to begin, or just curious, I’d love to connect.