Trauma Therapist in Boulder
Something happened, or kept happening, and your body never quite let it go. Maybe you can talk about it clearly. Maybe you can't get near it at all. Either way, it's still running the show more than you'd like.
I'm DJ Bishop, a trauma therapist in Boulder. I use EMDR, Brainspotting, and Psychodrama alongside talk therapy, because trauma doesn't only live in what you can put into words. It lives in the body too. We work with both.
3 Questions Prospective Clients Ask about Trauma Therapy
1. What Is Trauma Therapy, and How Can It Help Me with PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression?
There are many different kinds of trauma therapy. I use EMDR, Brainspotting, and Psychodrama, along with in-person talk therapy in Boulder, to support my clients as they process past painful life experiences. Trauma therapies are specifically designed to help people reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and related challenges. Trauma therapies can help with both long-standing childhood traumas and more recent acute traumas. Through a powerful blend of talk therapy and action-oriented techniques, this collaborative journey helps my clients alleviate their symptoms, reduce anxiety and depression, and inspire them to lead a more fulfilling life.
2. What Types of Trauma Can Trauma Therapy Address?
I use trauma therapy in-person and online with my clients in the Boulder Area to help them grieve and make meaning of a wide spectrum of traumatic experiences. For example, they could be experiencing acute trauma from fears associated with the Marshall Fire, the grief of losing a loved one in a winter car accident or being involved in an avalanche back-country skiing. Or they may be experiencing the impact of childhood trauma as an adult resulting from neglect or abuse. I tailor the trauma therapy techniques I use to address the specific personal challenges my clients experience, ensuring that they find the healing and resilience they seek.
3. What Can I Expect in a Trauma Therapy Session?
I start off by collaboratively creating a safe environment with my clients. We do this by identifying important values that create connections. We practice coping skills to help them regulate their nervous systems and develop self-care strategies to exercise between sessions to help them move through their painful feelings. Alongside talk therapy methods, I employ action-oriented techniques to facilitate emotional movement. I customize the length of sessions based on client needs and goals, ensuring that they receive the personalized care they deserve.
What Trauma Therapy Actually Changes
Trauma doesn't stay in the past just because time passed. It shows up as anxiety you can't source, hyper-vigilance that won't turn off, depression that seemed to come out of nowhere. Your body is holding onto something your mind already tried to move past.
That's not a flaw. It's your nervous system doing exactly what it's built to do: protect you from it happening again, even after the threat is gone.
Healing isn't retelling the story until it stops hurting. It's building enough safety in your body that the story stops running you, so you can actually put it down.
“As a therapist, I am a companion. I try to help people tune into their own wisdom.”