Trauma Therapy in Philadelphia, PA
At The Healn Space, our team of trauma therapists offers trauma therapy in person at our Northwest Philadelphia office and by telehealth. We go at a pace that feels safe to you, and you decide what to share.
The contact form is short, and you don’t need to say what happened. We’re accepting new clients and reply within 24 hours. In crisis right now? Call or text 988.
Serving Families Since 2015
5,000+ people served each year
501(c)(3) nonprofit
EMDR, CBT, DBT, and BWRT
In person and virtual
Medicaid (CBH) and major insurance plans accepted
What Is Trauma Therapy?
Trauma therapy is counseling that helps you recover from overwhelming or painful experiences. You work with a trained clinician, using trauma-focused approaches such as EMDR and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to ease symptoms like flashbacks, constant tension, and avoidance, and to start feeling safe again.
Is Trauma Therapy Right for You?
After something overwhelming, your mind and body adapt to get you through it. That can look like fight, flight, or freeze, and it can stay switched on long after the danger has passed. You might notice:
-
Memories, nightmares, or flashbacks that show up uninvited
-
Feeling on edge or jumpy, even when you’re safe (sometimes called hypervigilance)
-
Being set off by triggers, like sounds, places, dates, or conversations
-
Avoiding people, places, or topics that remind you of what happened
-
Feeling numb, spaced out, or cut off from yourself (sometimes called dissociation)
-
Trouble sleeping, or a body that stays tense
-
Guilt, shame, or a sense that something is wrong with you
If you recognize yourself in this list, you don’t need a diagnosis to reach out, and you can go at your own pace.
Trauma can come from a single event, such as an accident, an assault, or a sudden loss. It can also build over time through violence, neglect, or ongoing fear, which is often called complex trauma. Either kind can be treated.
If symptoms like these last and keep getting in the way of daily life, it may be PTSD. We cover that on our PTSD treatment in Philadelphia page. You don’t have to work out which applies before you call. A clinician can help with that.
Trauma often goes along with anxiety, depression, or trouble sleeping, and your clinician will talk with you about these and about your safety so your plan fits what you’re dealing with.
Childhood Trauma in Adulthood
Some people don’t feel the effects of a hard childhood until years later. Early adversity can raise the chance of lasting effects, including PTSD, later in life. It can show up as trouble trusting people, strong reactions in relationships, or a constant sense that something bad is about to happen. If you’re looking for a childhood trauma therapist for adults, or adult trauma counseling, this page is for you. Therapy can help you make sense of what happened and build steadier relationships and routines.
This page is for adults. If you’re looking for support for a child or teen, see our Youth Services for ages 8 to 17.
How Trauma Therapy Works Here
Our approach is trauma-informed, which means safety, transparency, and choice guide every step. Therapy at The Healn Space usually moves through three overlapping phases: stabilize, process, and integrate. It’s normal to circle back. Adult sessions run 60 minutes.
Stabilize
We start by helping you feel safe enough. You and your therapist build grounding skills, work on sleep, and practice emotional regulation, which means ways to calm your body and mind when things feel like too much. Together you also work on widening your window of tolerance, the range where you can feel your feelings without being overwhelmed or shutting down.
Process
When you feel ready, and not before, you begin working through what happened. You choose how much to share.
Integrate
As things settle, the work turns to everyday life: your relationships, your routines, and what you want next.
Your therapist checks in as you go and adjusts the plan when needed. If a different kind of care would fit you better, we’ll tell you and help you find it.
EMDR Therapy in Philadelphia
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) was developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s. It is one of several evidence-based therapies for trauma, and it is recommended for PTSD in guidelines from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense (VA/DoD). You briefly focus on a difficult memory while following a back-and-forth pattern, such as side-to-side eye movements or tapping, which is called bilateral stimulation. Over time, many people find the memory becomes less distressing and less intrusive. You don’t have to describe every detail for EMDR to work.
At The Healn Space, EMDR is provided by trauma therapist Tyreese Nugent, and you can read more about his background on our team page. EMDR isn’t the only path, and your clinician will help you decide whether it suits you. You can also learn more about the method from the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA).
What Does an EMDR Session Look Like?
EMDR has eight phases. Memory work doesn’t start right away, and the full process usually takes more than one session. In the early sessions you set goals and build coping skills. Once you’re ready, you process one memory at a time with your therapist guiding the pace and checking in often.
What Are the Eight Phases of EMDR?
-
These are the standard phases of EMDR. The first two usually happen before any memory work, and the middle phases take place in processing sessions.
-
History taking and treatment planning: Your therapist learns your history, identifies the memories to work on, and builds a plan with you.
-
Preparation: You learn how EMDR works, build trust with your therapist, and practice grounding and coping skills.
-
Assessment: You identify the target memory, the negative and positive beliefs linked to it, and the emotions and body sensations that come with it.
-
Desensitization: You process the memory with bilateral stimulation while your therapist monitors your distress.
-
Installation: You strengthen the positive belief you want to hold about the memory.
-
Body scan: You notice and work through any physical tension still connected to the memory.
-
Closure: Your therapist helps you feel steady again and reviews coping strategies before the session ends.
-
Reevaluation: At your next session, you review your progress and decide what’s needed next.
EMDR vs CBT and Talk Therapy: What’s the Difference?
Talk therapy and CBT work through conversation, skill-building, and changing thought patterns. EMDR follows a structured process that works with how your brain stores and revisits memories, and it often involves less retelling. Neither is better for everyone. The two can work well together, and your clinician can help you choose where to start.
What to Expect After an EMDR Session
Some people feel tired or emotionally stirred up after a session, and some notice vivid dreams or memories for a few days. Your therapist will teach you grounding skills to use between sessions and will check in at the start of the next one. If you ever feel unsafe, call or text 988.
Other Approaches We Offer
Your clinician may combine approaches or start with the one that feels most comfortable. We offer trauma-informed CBT, DBT, and BWRT in person and by telehealth.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you notice how trauma has shaped your thoughts, reactions, and habits, and gives you practical tools for changing patterns that no longer help. The work often involves questioning harsh beliefs about yourself, such as “it was my fault,” and practicing new ways to respond when something stirs up the past.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT builds practical skills for managing intense emotions and getting through hard moments. Some people find it useful alongside trauma work.
Brain Working Recursive Therapy (BWRT)
BWRT is a newer, brain-based approach that focuses on how you respond in the moment to specific triggers. It has a smaller research base than EMDR or CBT, so it’s used alongside other therapies, never in place of them. Ask your clinician whether it might suit a pattern you’d like to change.
Movement and Body-Based Wellness (Not Psychotherapy)
Alongside therapy, The Healn Space offers wellness classes that include chair Pilates, stretch and mobility, and guided breathwork. They support flexibility, posture, relaxation, and body awareness. This programming is wellness, not psychotherapy, and it does not treat any condition. Some people take these classes alongside therapy, and others start there if they aren’t ready for therapy yet.
Contact us to ask about current classes.
Trauma in Philadelphia: What Local Research Shows
The Philadelphia Urban ACE Survey, run in 2012 and 2013 by Public Health Management Corporation for the Institute for Safe Families, asked 1,784 city adults about their childhood experiences. Using the survey’s expanded list, which includes community stressors, more than 37% reported four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). And 40.5% said they saw or heard someone being beaten up, stabbed, or shot while growing up.
ACEs can affect health and well-being well into adulthood. If you grew up around this kind of stress, you’re not alone. The survey is more than a decade old and covers the whole city, not just Northwest Philadelphia.
Findings from the Philadelphia Urban ACE Survey (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
Trauma Therapy in Northwest Philadelphia and by Telehealth
We see adults in person at our office at 6600 Lincoln Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19119. We welcome people from Northwest Philadelphia neighborhoods like Mount Airy, Germantown, Chestnut Hill, Roxborough, and East Falls, and from nearby Montgomery County communities including Abington, Wyncote, Willow Grove, Hatboro, Bryn Mawr, and Wynnewood. We serve people across Philadelphia and in Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester counties. Sessions are available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Virtual sessions are available to individuals and families in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, and New York.
We accept Medicaid through Community Behavioral Health (CBH) for Philadelphia residents
Trauma Therapy FAQs
What is the best therapy for trauma?
How long does trauma therapy take?
Do I have to talk about my trauma in the first session?
Do I need a diagnosis to start trauma therapy?
What if I’m not sure what I went through counts as trauma?
Does EMDR work for trauma, and how many sessions do I need?
How do you heal trauma in the body?
Is trauma therapy covered by insurance, and what if I can’t afford it?
Ready to Get Started?
Call, schedule online, or send the short form below. You don’t need to share what happened to reach out.
We’ll check your coverage before your first session.
Please don’t include private health details in this form. We’ll talk through everything by phone or at your first session.
Need support right now? If you’re in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line), or call 911 in an emergency. You can also read more about trauma from the VA National Center for PTSD and the National Institute of Mental Health.