Trauma Therapy
Therapy for PTSD and Other Trauma-Related Disorders in Denver, Colorado
It happened. It turned your life upside down. Now what?
You thought you could move on. You try to put it behind you, keep yourself busy, or convince yourself it’s over. But the memories keep coming back. You have nightmares, flashbacks, or moments when something unexpectedly brings you right back to what happened.
You avoid people, places, conversations, or experiences that remind you of the past. Perhaps you see yourself differently, question your worth, or struggle to trust other people. You can’t let your guard down, even though you know you’re no longer in danger.
You wonder, “Will I ever feel like myself again?”
Trauma does not have to define the rest of your life. The ways your brain and body have learned to respond to painful experiences can change. You can feel better. You can begin to experience your memories without being overwhelmed by them, feel safer in your body, and reconnect with parts of yourself that have felt lost.
Confronting painful experiences can be difficult. Your therapist will walk alongside you, offering guidance, empathy, and support when things feel overwhelming. When you’re ready, we’re here as a companion and guide, helping you reclaim a sense of agency and trust in yourself.
We can help you feel more fully present in the life you’re living now.
You don't have to do this alone.
Freedom is just beyond what we’re avoiding.
Trauma therapy involves working with both the psychological and physiological effects of what happened. We help you understand how trauma has shaped your thoughts, beliefs, emotional responses, and nervous system. Together, we work to reduce the intensity of your reactions to memories and reminders of the past, while exploring beliefs you've developed about yourself, other people, and the world.
An important part of healing can involve facing painful memories rather than continuing to organize your life around avoiding them. We’ll work together at a pace that allows you to process what happened while building the skills and support you need along the way.
Trauma Therapy Can Help When:
You want to get your life back.
What happened is taking up too much space in your life. You want to feel present again, reconnect with the people and activities you care about, and stop organizing your life around the past.
Your body feels like it's always on high alert.
You startle easily, feel constantly tense, or experience intense physical reactions to reminders of the past. You want to feel safer in your body and less controlled by these responses.
Memories keep pulling you back into the past.
You experience flashbacks, intrusive memories, or distressing reminders that make it difficult to stay grounded in the present. You want to be able to remember what happened without feeling as though you’re reliving it.
You struggle with how you see yourself and the world.
You carry beliefs that you're damaged, unsafe, powerless, or somehow to blame for what happened. You want to understand where these beliefs came from, reconsider the ones that no longer serve you, and develop a different relationship with yourself and your memories.
Nightmares and unwanted memories disrupt your life.
You have recurring nightmares, difficulty sleeping, or memories that intrude when you least expect them. You want relief from the distress and exhaustion of continually reliving what happened.
You're using substances to cope with what happened.
Alcohol or other substances have become a way to manage the emotional and physical effects of trauma. You might use them to quiet intrusive memories, numb difficult feelings, get through the day, or help yourself sleep. While substances can offer temporary relief, they can also create new challenges. Trauma therapy can help you understand the connection between your experiences and substance use, develop other ways of managing distress, and work toward a greater sense of freedom and well-being.
Dr. Walker leads Greenlake Psychology’s trauma and exposure therapy services. He received extensive training in trauma treatment during his time at the VA, where he worked with military veterans and individuals who had experienced sexual violence and childhood trauma.
He is trained in several evidence-based approaches, including Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Frequently Asked Questions About Trauma Therapy at Greenlake:
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Trauma can take many forms. We work with people navigating the effects of:
Military service and combat-related trauma
Experiences of veterans and first responders
Sexual trauma and assault
Physical assault and violence
Car accidents and other frightening or life-threatening events
Childhood trauma and adverse early experiences
Other distressing or overwhelming experiences that continue to affect your life
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Not all at once, and not before you're ready. Trauma therapy is collaborative. We work together to understand what you're experiencing, build skills for managing distress, and determine how and when to approach painful memories. You remain an active participant in decisions about your treatment.
Working through painful memories can bring up difficult emotions, but the goal isn't to overwhelm you or make you relive the memories without support. We use evidence-based approaches that help you process traumatic experiences in a structured, intentional way.
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General therapy often focuses on managing distress through coping skills, problem-solving, and reassurance. While these strategies can be helpful, they may inadvertently reinforce trauma responses when they become ways of avoiding painful memories, feelings, or reminders. Trauma therapy works differently by helping you gradually approach and process the experiences and reminders you've learned to fear, rather than continually organizing your life around avoiding them. The goal is to change your relationship with what happened so it has less power over your life.
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There isn't one timeline that works for everyone, but trauma therapy can sometimes move more quickly than people expect. Consider how much time and energy you may already have spent avoiding painful memories, managing symptoms, or organizing your life around what happened. A focused course of trauma treatment can help you directly address what you've been carrying, rather than spending years working around it. Treatment length depends on your experiences, symptoms, goals, and the approach that best fits your needs; trauma that was ongoing or began in childhood may call for longer-term support.
What happened to you doesn't have to define your future. You deserve to feel safe in your body, trust yourself again, and experience life without constantly being pulled back into the past. Trauma can be healed.
At Greenlake Psychology, we offer trauma therapy grounded in empathy, collaboration, and a deep understanding of how trauma affects the whole person.
You don't have to have everything figured out before you begin. You just have to be willing to take the first step.