Therapy for Trauma & PTSD

Trauma isn’t only what happened. It’s what your body and mind still do to keep you safe long after the danger has passed. If you find yourself on edge for no clear reason, bracing before things go wrong, or feeling far away from what is happening, you may have a nervous system that learned to protect you and is still trying to protect you, even when there is no danger present.

If you’re looking for trauma support in the Lansing/East Lansing area, we are here to help. We offer in-person therapy in Lansing, MI, at our office inside Wild Ferns Wellness Center. Our office is located on the Lansing/East Lansing line and just minutes from MSU. There is a CATA bus stop a half block away from us. Our office is wheelchair accessible, and there is an elevator.

Prefer to meet from home? We offer online therapy across Michigan, so you can work with an identity-affirming therapist wherever you are in the state.

What trauma can feel like

Trauma looks different for everyone. Some of this may sound familiar:

• Feeling on guard or unsafe, even when nothing is wrong
• Reliving something through flashbacks, nightmares, or memories that show up uninvited
• Going numb, shutting down, or feeling far away from yourself
• Startling easily, or feeling your body react before your mind catches up
• Avoiding people, places, or reminders that bring it back
• Trouble sleeping, concentrating, or trusting
• Anger, shame, or guilt that persist

None of it means you’re broken. These are the ways your body and mind are trying to survive something they should have never had to go through.

Trauma isn’t always one big event

A lot of people think trauma has to be a single terrible event. Sometimes it is. Just as often, it’s the slow kind: growing up unsafe, being hurt by people who were supposed to protect you, or the steady weight of moving through a world that wasn’t built with your wellness in mind.

For LGBTQIA2S+ folks, for Black and Indigenous people, and other people of color, for neurodivergent people, for anyone carrying marginalized identities, trauma often includes the ongoing strain of discrimination, rejection, and having to stay guarded to be safe. That has a name too. It’s real, and it’s worth taking seriously, whether or not you can point to one thing that caused it.

How we work

We practice trauma-informed care, which means we move at your pace. You stay in control of what you share and when. Healing doesn’t require you to tell what happened before you are ready.

Some of our therapists use EMDR, a structured approach that helps your mind process painful memories so they stop feeling like they’re happening now. Others draw on different methods. What matters most is the fit between you and your therapist, and the safety you build together. That safety is what makes the real work possible.

Questions people ask

Do I have to talk about what happened? No. You’re always in control of what you share and when. Good trauma work goes at your pace, and a lot of healing happens even without you telling the details.

What if I don’t remember it clearly, or it wasn’t “that bad”? If something is still affecting you, then it was that bad. That’s reason enough to get support. What happened harmed you, and that hurt is valid. You deserve support and a safe place to process.

Does EMDR really work? For many people, yes. It’s a well-researched approach for trauma and PTSD. If it’s a fit for you, we’ll talk through what it involves before starting anything.