Trauma & PTSD

Healing from trauma isn’t about forgetting what happened or “getting over it.” It’s about processing what happened so that the past no longer controls your present. It’s about reclaiming your sense of safety, reconnecting with yourself and others, and moving toward the life you were meant to live.

At Stone Counseling in The Woodlands, TX, I take a thoughtful, phase-based approach to trauma therapy. This approach is grounded in decades of research and clinical practice, and it’s designed to help you heal without overwhelming you or causing additional harm. Whether your trauma is recent or from long ago, whether it’s a single event or a pattern of experiences, we can work together to help you find freedom from the past.

There’s no pressure—just reach out when it feels right. I’m here when you’re ready.

Trauma Therapy: Safe, Structured, and Personalized

I work with all of my clients using a trauma-informed approach. This doesn’t mean we only talk about trauma, or that I’ll disregard your goals if they’re not trauma-related. What it does mean is that I understand how trauma affects every aspect of your life, and I follow a proven framework to ensure your healing happens safely and effectively.

This framework is called the triphasic model of trauma therapy, and it’s based on the groundbreaking work of psychiatrist Judith Herman. Research has shown that dividing trauma work into three distinct phases—safety and stabilization, remembrance and mourning, and reconnection—leads to better outcomes and prevents re-traumatization.¹

These phases aren’t always linear. While we always start with phase one, we may sometimes move back and forth between phases depending on what you need. Your healing journey is unique to you, and we’ll move at a pace that feels right.

Phase One: Safety and Stabilization

Before we begin to open up and process traumatic memories, we need to make sure it’s safe for you to do so. This isn’t about doubting your strength—it’s about respecting the intensity of trauma work and making sure you have what you need to succeed.

If we try to do too much too quickly, we run the risk of overwhelming you and making things worse. Think of it like surgery: a skilled surgeon doesn’t just cut you open and start working. They make sure the operating room is ready, that you’re stable enough for the procedure, and that they have all the tools they need. Trauma therapy requires the same kind of careful preparation.

Before moving on to phase two, your life should be relatively stable, and you should be able to use coping skills to calm yourself down and stay in control during stressful or upsetting situations.

What Phase One Looks Like

Building connection and trust: We start by getting to know each other and establishing a therapeutic relationship. You need to feel safe with me before we can do deeper work. We’ll talk about what brings you to therapy, what you’re hoping will change, and what working together might look like.

Ensuring basic needs are met: We’ll explore whether your basic needs are adequately covered—things like housing, food security, physical safety, and access to medical care. If there are urgent safety concerns, we’ll address those first before moving into trauma work.

Education about trauma and your brain: I’ll help you understand what’s happening in your brain and nervous system when you’re triggered or struggling. This knowledge is empowering—it helps you see that you’re not broken, you’re having a normal response to an abnormal experience. We’ll also talk about how the specific therapy techniques work.

Understanding your story: We’ll review information about your history and your current life to get a holistic understanding of your difficulties and where they come from. This isn’t about dwelling on the past—it’s about creating a map so we know where we’re going.

Building and strengthening coping skills: We’ll work on developing practical tools to help you manage difficult emotions, calm your nervous system, and stay grounded when things feel overwhelming. These might include breathing techniques, mindfulness practices, grounding exercises, and other strategies tailored to your needs.

Establishing self-care routines: Healing doesn’t just happen in the therapy room. We’ll talk about how you take care of yourself outside of sessions—things like sleep, nutrition, movement, relationships, and activities that bring you joy or peace.

This phase can take a few sessions or several months, depending on where you’re starting from. There’s no rush. The time we invest in building this foundation makes everything that comes after it more effective and less overwhelming.

Phase Two: Remembrance and Mourning

Herman’s second phase is what most people think of as “trauma work.” This is when we work together to address what happened in your past and put it to rest. By the time we reach this phase, you’ll have the skills and stability you need to process these memories safely.

This phase can feel intimidating, and that’s completely normal. Many clients worry that talking about their trauma will make it worse. But here’s what’s important to understand: in this phase, we don’t just talk about what happened. We use specific, evidence-based techniques to help your brain process the memories in a way that reduces their power over you.

Before moving on to phase three, you should feel like the past memories no longer bother you in the same way, and you should no longer feel “triggered” in situations that remind you of the past. Any mental health symptoms related to your trauma—like nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or panic attacks—should be significantly reduced or resolved.²

What Phase Two Looks Like

Desensitizing triggers and traumatic memories: We work together to reduce your sensitivity to things that remind you of the trauma. Over time, you’ll be able to encounter these reminders without having such intense emotional or physical reactions.

Reprocessing traumatic memories: This is where EMDR therapy often becomes central to the work. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a specialized technique that helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they no longer feel as disturbing or intrusive. EMDR is recognized by the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association as a highly effective treatment for trauma and PTSD.³

During EMDR, we target specific memories that are contributing to your current difficulties. While you focus on the memory, I’ll guide you through bilateral stimulation (usually eye movements or tapping). This process helps your brain “digest” the memory in a way that it couldn’t at the time of the trauma.

Many clients describe EMDR as feeling like the memory becomes more distant, less vivid, or less emotionally charged. You don’t forget what happened—but it no longer has the same grip on you.

Grieving the losses associated with trauma: All trauma involves some amount of loss, and these losses need to be worked through as part of the healing process. You might grieve the loss of innocence, safety, trust, relationships, opportunities, or even the person you were before the trauma. I’ll support you in acknowledging and honoring these losses while also recognizing your strength and resilience.

Moving at your own pace: This phase can be intense, but it shouldn’t be overwhelming. We’ll move at a pace that feels manageable for you. If you need to pause and return to stabilization work, we’ll do that. If you need to take breaks between processing sessions, that’s okay too. You’re in control.

Phase Three: Reconnection and Post-Traumatic Growth

The third phase is about reconnecting with life now that the trauma is no longer getting in your way. This is where the real transformation happens. You’ve done the hard work of processing what happened, and now you get to explore what comes next.

This phase is sometimes called post-traumatic growth. Post-traumatic growth is the idea that going through a trauma, loss, or other difficult experience can actually lead to personal growth. This isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending the trauma was “a blessing in disguise.” It’s about acknowledging that, in addition to the pain and challenges trauma brings, healing can also bring unexpected gifts—new insights, deeper relationships, greater appreciation for life, and a stronger sense of who you are.

Post-traumatic growth has been documented throughout history and across cultures, and it’s now being validated by modern research.⁴ Not everyone experiences post-traumatic growth, and that’s okay—healing itself is enough. But for many people, this phase becomes an opportunity to not just return to who they were before the trauma, but to become someone even more connected, purposeful, and alive.

What Phase Three Looks Like

Reviewing your growth and healing: We’ll reflect on what you’ve learned in therapy and how you’ve healed and grown. This helps consolidate your progress and reminds you of how far you’ve come.

Establishing a sense of yourself beyond the trauma: You’ll understand on a deep, emotional level that the trauma doesn’t define you and is not who you are. You’ll see yourself as a survivor—not in a way that keeps you stuck in the past, but in a way that recognizes your strength and resilience. You are so much more than your past trauma.

Reimagining relationships: You might find yourself understanding your relationships differently. We may discuss reconnecting with people you had distanced yourself from, setting healthier boundaries with others, changing or leaving unhealthy relationships, and developing new, more fulfilling connections.

If attachment issues or relationship difficulties have been part of your struggle, this phase is where you’ll feel more confident and secure in how you relate to others.

Reconnecting with community: We may explore the role of community in your life and look at ways to connect or re-connect with supportive groups, whether that’s social communities, faith communities, hobby groups, or advocacy organizations.

Re-engaging with activities and discovering new ones: I’ll support you in re-engaging with activities you may have abandoned due to the trauma, and discovering new activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. This might include hobbies, creative pursuits, self-care routines, volunteer work, or even a new career direction.

Finding new purpose or mission: You may find a new sense of purpose in life. Some clients discover they want to help others who’ve experienced similar trauma. Others find meaning in advocacy, creative expression, or simply living more intentionally. There’s no “right” way to find purpose—we’ll explore what feels meaningful to you.

Exploring spirituality and existential growth: For those interested, we can explore how your healing and what you’ve learned affect your spirituality, religious faith, or existential beliefs. Many clients experience a deeper sense of connection, meaning, or spiritual awareness after trauma therapy.

Experiencing gratitude and positive emotions: You may find yourself experiencing a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude for life and relationships. Positive emotions that may have felt distant or inaccessible during earlier phases of healing often become more available and frequent.

What Makes Trauma Therapy at Stone Counseling Different

While I follow the triphasic model with all my clients, every person’s therapy is unique. Here’s what you can expect when you work with me:

A warm, collaborative relationship: You won’t feel like a patient or a case study. You’re a whole person with a unique story, and our work together will reflect that. We’ll work as partners in your healing, and you’ll have a say in what we focus on and how we proceed.

Specialized training and expertise: I’m not just “trauma-informed”—I’m trauma-specialized. I hold EMDRIA certification in EMDR therapy, a certificate from the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, and over 5 years of experience working specifically with trauma survivors. I also pursue ongoing training to stay current on the latest research and best practices.

A pace that works for you: There’s no timeline or pressure. Some clients move through all three phases in several months; others take longer. What matters is that you’re healing at a pace that feels right for you.

Integration with other concerns: Trauma often intersects with other issues like anxiety, depression, dissociative disorders, or substance use. We can address these concerns within the framework of trauma therapy, ensuring that all aspects of your healing are supported.

Attention to your whole life: Therapy isn’t just about symptoms—it’s about your life. We’ll pay attention to your relationships, your work, your health, your spirituality (if relevant), and all the other areas that matter to you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Trauma Therapy

How long does trauma therapy take?

The honest answer is: it depends. Some clients work through the three phases in a few months, while others take a year or more. Several factors affect the timeline:

• The complexity of your trauma (single event vs. ongoing trauma)
• Your current level of stability and safety
• How much time you can commit to therapy
• The strength of your support system
• Other life stressors or challenges

That said, many clients notice meaningful changes within the first few months, even if complete healing takes longer. EMDR in particular can produce relatively rapid results compared to traditional talk therapy—many clients see significant improvement in 8–12 sessions for single-event trauma.

Will I have to talk about every detail of what happened?

No. While we will address the traumatic memories, you won’t have to describe every detail out loud. In fact, with EMDR therapy, you can process memories while sharing as much or as little detail as you want. I need to understand enough to guide the therapy effectively, but you’re in control of what you share.

Some clients find it helpful to talk through their experiences in detail, while others prefer to process more quietly. Both approaches work—we’ll find what feels right for you.

What if I have multiple traumas?

Many people have experienced more than one traumatic event, and some have experienced ongoing or complex trauma over months or years. This is often called complex trauma, complex PTSD, or developmental trauma.

When you have multiple traumas, we’ll work together to prioritize which memories to address first. Often, as we work on one traumatic memory, other related memories begin to heal as well. The triphasic model is particularly well-suited for complex trauma because it ensures we build a strong foundation before tackling the hardest memories.

Do you work with specific types of trauma?

Yes. I have experience and training in working with many types of trauma, including:

• Childhood abuse, neglect, or attachment trauma
• Sexual assault or intimate partner violence
• Accidents, injuries, or medical trauma
• Loss and grief
• Discrimination, racism, and systemic trauma
• Dissociative Disorders, including Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
• Preverbal trauma
• Moral injury
• Community or collective trauma

No trauma is “too big” or “too small” for therapy. If it’s affecting your life, it deserves attention and care.

Can I do trauma therapy if I’m already seeing another therapist?

It depends on the situation. Generally, it’s best to work with one therapist at a time for trauma-specific work to avoid conflicting approaches or overwhelming yourself. However, if you’re seeing someone for medication management (like a psychiatrist) or for a very specific issue that doesn’t overlap with trauma therapy, we can coordinate care.

If you’re currently working with another therapist and thinking about trauma-focused treatment, I’d be happy to discuss whether transitioning to trauma therapy makes sense for you, or whether we can collaborate with your current provider. Often we can work on EMDR processing in coordination with your current therapist.

Who Can Benefit from Trauma Therapy

Trauma therapy can help if you’re experiencing:

• Symptoms of PTSD or complex PTSD
• Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts
• Avoidance of people, places, or situations
• Difficulty trusting others or feeling close in relationships
• Chronic anxiety, depression, or mood difficulties
• Dissociation or feeling disconnected from yourself
• Hypervigilance or feeling constantly on edge
• Difficulty regulating emotions
• Self-destructive behaviors or thoughts
• Physical symptoms related to past trauma
• A sense that your past is holding you back from the life you want

You don’t need to have a formal diagnosis to benefit from trauma therapy. If you’re struggling with the effects of difficult past experiences, that’s enough.

Taking the First Step

I know reaching out for therapy can feel vulnerable, especially when trauma is involved. You might be wondering if you really need help, if therapy will actually work, or if you’re ready to face what happened. These doubts are normal.

Here’s what I want you to know: You don’t have to have everything figured out before you call. You don’t have to be “ready” to dive into the hardest memories. You just need to be ready to take the first step—and that first step is simply reaching out.

At Stone Counseling in The Woodlands, TX, we’ll start where you are. We’ll build safety and stability together before we do anything that feels overwhelming. You’ll be in control of the pace, and I’ll be with you every step of the way.

Your story matters. Let’s begin shaping a path toward healing together.

Schedule Your Confidential Introductory Call Today

Call or text: (832)381-8532

Location: 25511 Budde Road, Suite 2802, The Woodlands, TX 77380

Serving: The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe, Tomball, and surrounding Montgomery County communities

About Sabrina Stone, MA, LPC

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas (License #83716) specializing in trauma and PTSD treatment. I received my Master’s degree in Counseling from Dallas Theological Seminary and have completed extensive post-graduate training in trauma-specific interventions.

My credentials and training include:

• EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist
• Certificate from the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation
• Training in attachment-based therapy and relational approaches
• Ongoing professional development in trauma neurobiology and advanced interventions
• Over 5 years of experience working with trauma survivors
• Experience working with simple and complex trauma, dissociative disorders, and developmental trauma

I believe deeply that healing happens through connection. In our work together, you won’t be a diagnosis—you’ll be a person with strengths, wisdom, and the capacity for growth. My role is to create a safe space where healing can unfold naturally, at your pace, with your goals guiding the way.

Outside of my clinical work, I’m committed to staying current on trauma research and best practices. I regularly pursue continuing education to ensure I’m offering you the most effective, evidence-based approaches available.

 

References

1. Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence—from domestic abuse to political terror. Basic Books.
2. American Psychological Association. (2017). Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults.
3. World Health Organization. (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress. Geneva: WHO.
4. Tedeschi, R. G., & Calhoun, L. G. (2004). Posttraumatic growth: Conceptual foundations and empirical evidence. Psychological Inquiry, 15(1), 1–18.
5. Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.