Understanding Trauma & the Path Toward Healing

At Reclaiming Hope Wellness Center, we understand that trauma isn’t just about what happened — it’s about what happened inside you as a result. We provide compassionate, trauma-informed therapy to adults across Illinois through secure virtual sessions.

Trauma can arise from overwhelming, prolonged, or isolating experiences — especially when met with a lack of support. Some events are widely recognized as traumatic, while others are more subtle but no less real. If something left you feeling scared, powerless, unseen, or unsafe, your response matters. You matter.

What Types of Trauma Do You Work With?

While not an exhaustive list, here are some examples of experiences that can result in trauma:

Single-Incident or Acute Trauma

Sexual assault or abuse
Physical violence
Natural disasters
Serious accidents or medical crises
War-related trauma or terrorism
Childhood abuse or neglect

Chronic, Relational, and Identity-Based Trauma

Emotional abuse or abandonment
Persistent bullying or workplace harassment
Living in poverty or housing instability
Caregiver invalidation, enmeshment, or betrayal
Medical trauma, chronic illness, or disability
Racial, religious, gender-based, or cultural oppression
Intergenerational/legacy trauma (including Holocaust survival, immigration trauma, or ancestral loss)

Whether your trauma was one incident or many over time, the nervous system remembers. The impact is real — and healing is possible.

What Is PTSD?

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may develop after experiencing or witnessing trauma. Symptoms often emerge months or even years later, and may include:

Nightmares or flashbacks
Hypervigilance or startle response
Avoidance of reminders or places
Intrusive memories or thoughts
Trouble concentrating or sleeping

What Is Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)?

C-PTSD often develops from prolonged trauma, especially in childhood — such as chronic emotional neglect, abuse, or inconsistent caregiving. It includes PTSD symptoms plus:

Difficulty with emotion regulation
Persistent shame, guilt, or self-blame
Feeling stuck, helpless, or disconnected
Low self-worth or internalized blame
Dissociation (see our section on dissociative disorders), brain fog, or body-based symptoms (e.g., pain, GI issues)

While C-PTSD is not yet a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR, it is widely recognized by trauma clinicians, researchers, and survivors — including us.

What Therapies Help With Trauma Recovery?

Healing looks different for everyone. At Reclaiming Hope Wellness Center, we offer an integrative approach to trauma therapy tailored to your story, nervous system, and strengths.

We draw from trauma-informed, body-based, and parts-aware methods such as:

Parts and Trauma Resolution Work

Internal Family Systems (IFS)
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)
CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy)

Body-based and nervous system healing

Somatic Experiencing®
Mindfulness, grounding, body-based awareness

Expressive & Creative Tools

Narrative therapy
Parts-mapping
Art, imagery, resourcing

You don’t need to re-live everything. You don’t need to have all the words. We will move at your pace, with care and consent.

How Do I Know If I Need Trauma Therapy?

If something you’ve experienced still echoes in your body, your sleep, your relationships, or your sense of self, you deserve support. Whether you’re trying to untangle a specific memory or make sense of why things still feel hard, therapy can help.

You are not too much. You are not broken. There is a path forward, and you don’t have to walk it alone.

Trauma Therapy in Illinois — By Appointment, Online

We offer secure, private, trauma-informed therapy for adults across the state of Illinois. Our services are virtual, by appointment, and rooted in deep respect for each client’s inner experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if what I went through counts as trauma?
If something still echoes in your body, your sleep, your relationships, or your sense of self — it matters. You don’t have to justify your pain or compare it to others. If you’re wondering whether it might be trauma, that’s enough to start exploring gently.

Do I have to talk about everything that happened?
No. You’re in charge of what you share and when. Trauma therapy doesn’t mean re-living what happened. We can begin with safety, grounding, or parts of you that are unsure about even starting.

What if I don’t remember what happened clearly?
You can still heal. Our work doesn’t rely on memory alone — we can explore what your nervous system, body, and parts may be holding, even if the story isn’t fully formed.

Do you offer virtual trauma therapy across Illinois?
Yes. All services are offered online through secure telehealth. We support adults throughout Illinois who are navigating trauma, complex PTSD, grief, identity wounds, and disconnection.

Visit our Contact Us page to reach out. One of our therapists would be honored to support you.

Explore More Support

Trauma rarely exists in isolation. Many clients find their healing journey touches other parts of their lives as well. You might also explore:

Dissociative Disorders – If you sometimes feel far from yourself, lose time, or carry parts that hold specific memories or emotions
Grief – When trauma is layered with loss—of a person, place, time, or part of yourself
Life Transitions – If past survival strategies are reactivated by current change, identity shifts, or role transitions
Depression – When trauma leaves behind heaviness, numbness, or a loss of meaning
Anxiety – If your nervous system stays on high alert or safety feels hard to access

Offering Telehealth Services to Illinois Residents000