You do not have to be ashamed. Living and coping with trauma is not something that you have to do alone. Sharing your story in a way which allows you to convey your own interpretation of events, feelings, emotions, and reactions is one way to work towards self-empowerment. Traumatic experiences may have happened to you, but they do not define you. You define your trauma. Exposure therapies have been shown to decrease the impact of memories, experiences, and triggers much in the same way that a vaccine protects you. In a safe and controlled manner, we will work together to confront your trauma and decrease the impact that it has on your life. Remember that avoidance is not a solution and that it may feel good in the moment it will not help you to deal with overwhelming situations. It is important to remind you that you are in control and you determine the rate, intensity, and length of exposure and are free to stop whenever you like. These techniques can also be applied to situations where anxiety and depression have become a barrier in your life. You may feel stuck or trapped within a specific episode or unable to break through the experience of a previous episode. Remember there is hope and together we can work on getting you where you would like to go.