California Trauma Therapist Joanne Lai
If you struggle to deeply connect to yourself, you’re not alone. As a California trauma therapist and healer, I support women like you in fully embodying their true selves. Together, we’ll take the steps you need to bloom.
Trauma can disconnect you from your body. It overwhelms the nervous system, making your brain focus on survival. In many cases this leads to feeling numb, checked out, or on edge. Stored reactions to traumatic experiences can trigger unexpected physical sensations and emotional disturbances. Developmental trauma and other distressing experiences can harm the connection between your mind and physical self, leaving you feeling detached. If you're looking for a trauma therapist in California, Spiral and Bloom gives you a place to reconnect and heal.
Takeaway:
My Approach |
to trauma therapy
Enduring trauma often makes it difficult to trust yourself and others. You’re exhausted, disconnected, and struggling with strained relationships. Spiral and Bloom exists to help you feel whole again. Here you’ll find a welcoming and compassionate space to explore your experiences and emotions.
I take a holistic and embodied approach to trauma therapy, blending evidence-based and intuitive healing practices. Together, we'll work to deepen your self-awareness and draw on your inner wisdom as we face distressing symptoms. We’ll unravel the layers of trauma, shame, and fear to cultivate hope and wholeness.
Trauma therapist in California
I am Joanne Lai, a licensed mental health therapist based in Fresno, California. I help women navigate trauma, burnout, stress, relationships, and cultural concerns. My work is based on the belief that we can heal when we experience acceptance and attune to our physical selves. Spiral and Bloom was created as a sanctuary for women to connect with their bodies and identities. Throughout the therapy process, we'll aim to holistically address your needs and goals. I'll integrate embodiment and talk therapy methods as we explore your complex identities, experiences, emotions, and strengths.
Learn more about my therapeutic services.
- Credentials: Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified GYROTONIC® Trainer
- License number: 121155, California
- Education: Master’s of Art in Psychology, Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Illinois Master’s of Science in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy, California State University, California
- In-Person and Teletherapy Available
- Providing trauma therapy since 2016
- Modalities used include: Somatic Experiencing, Psychodynamic Therapy, Attachment-Based, Breathwork, and Family Therapy
Learn more about my therapeutic services.
Meet Joanne Lai |
Throughout our sessions, we’ll work together to uncover your strengths and cultivate resilience, as we process your experiences. We’ll use exercises that help you connect and regulate your feelings. I’ll support you in growing your understanding of what it means to be in your body and trust her wisdom.
Empowering Support
Sessions will include a variety of somatic and psychotherapy techniques based on what is coming up for you in the present moment. This holistic approach enables us to meet your different needs as they arise, and helps you learn to listen to and follow your body’s lead.
Integrative Healing
I prioritize individualized support for all of my clients. As an intuitive healer, I work to understand your unique experiences and goals, as well as your unexpressed emotions and concerns. This insight allows me to customize therapy to align with your individual needs so that you feel seen and supported every step of the way. Whether you're facing PTSD, bipolar disorder, relationship problems, anxiety, depression, or childhood trauma, I'll tailor care to benefit you.
Personalized Care
When you seek treatment, you want a provider who you feel safe and comfortable with. Great trauma clinicians specialize in the complexities of trauma and its impact on health. They are more than just a trauma-informed therapist. They see the connections between trauma and your feelings, relationships, and quality of life. At Spiral and Bloom, you’ll find our unique approach creates a space centered on welcoming all of you. Treatment is tailored to address trauma, as well as your mental and physical well-being.
Why choose Spiral & Bloom for trauma therapy in California
While cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective in addressing certain mental health concerns, it is not always the most suitable approach for trauma. CBT primarily targets thought and behavior patterns. This doesn't adequately address the deeper aspects of trauma which affects the body and shows up in physical sensations and nervous system dysregulation.
Somatic approaches focus on embodied healing and regulation of the nervous system. These are often more effective at restoring a sense of safety. By recognizing the link between the mind and body in trauma recovery, therapists can offer holistic interventions. These can get to the root causes of distress, address anxiety and depression symptoms, and build connections that heal.
Somatic approaches focus on embodied healing and regulation of the nervous system. These are often more effective at restoring a sense of safety. By recognizing the link between the mind and body in trauma recovery, therapists can offer holistic interventions. These can get to the root causes of distress, address anxiety and depression symptoms, and build connections that heal.
Why doesn’t CBT work for trauma?
Each unique individual responds differently to certain therapies. Collaborate with your clinician to determine a treatment plan that fits you. A few methods used to treat trauma include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and somatic experiencing (SE).
As a SE practitioner, I believe that the most effective trauma therapy is one that honors the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. Recent research reported that somatic experiencing is effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Another review of multiple research studies found that SE had a positive effect on PTSD and trauma symptoms.
By integrating somatic techniques and a holistic approach, we can address trauma's impact on the whole person. Somatic experiencing allows you to safely explore and release stored tension and emotions, promoting healing from the inside out. This approach helps you regulate the nervous system, build resilience, and reclaim a sense of agency. By facilitating a deep connection between mind and body, somatic therapy empowers you to process trauma, leading to lasting healing and transformation.
Which trauma therapy is most effective?
Trauma therapists go through specific training on how to best support survivors and help them heal from trauma without causing harm. A regular mental health provider may or may not have completed trauma-informed therapy training. This typically covers the basics of trauma and its link to anxiety, depression, PTSD, relationship issues, low self-esteem, substance use, eating disorders, and other mental health disorders. However, this training likely doesn't cover how to provide trauma-focused therapy.
As a somatic trauma practitioner, I specialize in holistically treating trauma and its impact on the mind and body. Whether it's childhood trauma, emotional abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, or another traumatic event, individual therapy at Spiral and Bloom addresses distressing symptoms, related disorders, and the underlying painful experiences.
As a somatic trauma practitioner, I specialize in holistically treating trauma and its impact on the mind and body. Whether it's childhood trauma, emotional abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, or another traumatic event, individual therapy at Spiral and Bloom addresses distressing symptoms, related disorders, and the underlying painful experiences.
What is the difference between a trauma therapist and a regular therapist?
Trauma-Focused Therapy
FAQs about
More trauma therapy resources:
2 highly recommended trauma therapists in California
1. Inertia DeWitt
- Credentials: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Additional training: Certified Brain Health Professional, Certified Yoga Teacher, EMDR Practitioner, Somatic Therapy Practitioner, Brainspotting Practitioner
- Specialties: Trauma & PTSD, Stress, Relationship Issues
2. Bianca Hovda, LMFT, SEP
- Credentials: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Additional training: Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
- Specialities: Trauma & PTSD, Depression, Anxiety
Start feeling embodied and empowered | Connect with Joanne Lai, Trauma Therapist California
Reconnecting after trauma is possible. At Spiral and Bloom, you'll find a welcoming space that nurtures your whole self and supports your healing. Here you're invited to embrace the complexity of your identities and draw on your strengths. I'd love to join you on this journey of self-discovery and embodiment. If you're ready to connect with yourself, reach out today for a free consultation.
Sources
Brom, Danny, et al. “Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study.” Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2017. Accessed March 22, 2024.
Kuhfuß, Marie, et al. “Somatic Experiencing – Effectiveness and Key Factors of a Body-Oriented Trauma Therapy: A Scoping Literature Review.”, European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 2021. Accessed March 22, 2024.
