What We Treat
Evidence-based, individualized treatment for trauma from licensed clinicians, in person in San Pedro or online.
Trauma is an emotional wound resulting from extreme stress, typically following events involving threats of death or injury. It can also stem from chronic stress, including recurring abuse. Not all traumatic events result in PTSD, but trauma can still profoundly affect how you think, feel, and function. Traumatic events can include combat exposure, physical or sexual assault, serious accidents, natural disasters, childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, sudden loss of a loved one, and witnessing violence or death.
Difficulty concentrating and memory problems, along with changes in brain areas that govern emotion and memory.
A constant state of alertness and scanning for danger that is hard to switch off.
A fight-or-flight response that misfires, causing overreaction or emotional numbness.
Chronic fatigue and physical exhaustion, with nightmares and insomnia disrupting sleep.
Experiencing trauma is a normal human response to abnormal events. Seeking help is a courageous step toward healing, not an admission of failure.
Trauma takes different shapes and often overlaps with related conditions, and our clinicians treat the whole picture rather than a single label. Each area below has a page that explains how we approach it.
Intrusive memories, avoidance, and hyperarousal that persist for more than a month after a frightening event.
The effects of prolonged or repeated trauma, often from childhood or within relationships.
Persistent worry and a nervous system stuck on high alert, which trauma can set in motion.
Low mood, numbness, and loss of interest that frequently travel alongside unresolved trauma.
Sudden surges of intense fear and physical symptoms that can be triggered by trauma reminders.
The heavy, disorienting aftermath of sudden or traumatic loss, held with the same trauma-informed care.
Our approach to trauma care is guided by the six principles established by the CDC, safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, cultural humility, and peer support, alongside evidence-based methods. We build a plan with you, match the approach to what you are experiencing, and work at a pace you can manage so you process what happened without re-traumatization.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing uses bilateral stimulation to help your brain reprocess stuck traumatic memories, so you can recall events without being overwhelmed by them.
Uses visual brain stimulation to access and transform the emotional distress tied to traumatic memories, often producing relief in fewer sessions than talk therapy alone.
Works with the body's stored trauma responses to settle a nervous system stuck on high alert, easing hypervigilance and the physical side of trauma.
For treatment-resistant trauma, ketamine's rapid-acting properties can ease severe symptoms and open a window for deeper therapeutic work.
| Approach | Best suited for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| EMDR | Stuck traumatic memories and intrusive recall | Uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess memories so they lose their charge. |
| ETT | Strong emotional distress tied to specific memories | Uses visual brain stimulation to shift the emotion held with the memory, often quickly. |
| Somatic Experiencing | Hypervigilance and trauma held in the body | Works with stored stress responses to settle the nervous system. |
| Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy | Treatment-resistant or severe trauma symptoms | Eases severe symptoms and opens a window for deeper therapeutic work. |
Starting therapy should feel clear, not overwhelming. Here is how it works at Coastwise.
We start with a short, private conversation to understand what you are dealing with and what you want from therapy.
We pair you with a licensed clinician who treats trauma and fits what you are working through, not whoever happens to be free.
Your clinician builds a plan with you and works at a pace you can manage, so progress feels steady and sustainable.
We work with adults and teens across the full range of trauma, from a single recent event to complex, long-standing, and childhood trauma. We treat relational trauma, medical trauma, and trauma tied to substance use, and we support first responders, maritime and port workers, and aviation professionals navigating work-related trauma. Because trauma so often travels with anxiety, depression, and PTSD, our clinicians treat the whole picture rather than a single label.
See us in person at our San Pedro office or work with a clinician securely online anywhere in California. Trauma-focused work translates well to telehealth, and being in your own space can help you feel grounded and in control of the pace.
Trauma-informed therapy is an approach that recognizes how trauma, whether a single event, ongoing stress, or childhood experiences, affects the brain, body, and behavior. Clinicians work at a pace you can tolerate, prioritize safety, and use evidence-based methods like EMDR, ETT, and somatic techniques to help you process what happened without re-traumatization.
We treat acute trauma (single recent events), complex trauma or C-PTSD (prolonged or repeated exposure), childhood trauma, relational trauma, medical trauma, and trauma tied to substance use. We also support first responders, maritime and port workers, and aviation professionals navigating work-related trauma.
Our clinicians are trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Emotional Transformation Therapy (ETT) which uses visual brain stimulation, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for treatment-resistant trauma, and somatic approaches that work with the body's stored trauma responses.
We work with insurance, and many clients use their benefits toward therapy with us. Call (424) 536-3002 to learn how your insurance can help cover the cost of therapy.
Trauma-informed care that meets you where you are. Call us for a free, confidential consultation.
Call (424) 536-3002 Contact Us