Trauma Therapy

Soleil Psychotherapy provides specialized trauma therapy in Chicago and to clients across Illinois looking to improve their mental health. Our trauma-informed care and somatic approach helps individuals and couples heal from childhood trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sexual abuse, and complex trauma by supporting regulation and reconnection with your body.

Most of us have experienced trauma in some form, yet it can present in different ways for each person. A traumatic event is not defined solely by the nature of the incident, but by your perception of it. Whether it is a single life-threatening incident or prolonged exposure to abuse, these traumatic experiences can leave you feeling unsafe, emotionally out of control, or paralyzed. You might no longer trust people and you might be stuck in negative patterns of thinking and feeling, making hope difficult to sustain. The long-term effects of unaddressed trauma can affect your overall health, your sense of self, and impact your capacity to connect with a loved one or maintain healthy relationships.

The process of healing can be different for each person, but restoring trust in relationships is essential. The counseling relationship is key to developing the capacities necessary to heal, restore self-esteem, and establish healthy, mutual and non-traumatizing relationships.

Our approach to trauma treatment combines evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with behavioral strategies. At the core of our work is a mind-body trauma therapy approach that helps release traumatic memories through a somatic rewiring that restores a balanced nervous system and overall well-being.

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Trauma shatters our worldview by removing our sense of safety. Trauma therapy rebuilds connections by finding a safe home within ourselves.

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What is our approach
to treating trauma?

Most traditional therapeutic approaches rely on cognitive work, with a focus on how thoughts influence emotions and behaviors. These strategies neglect to see that various forms of trauma from our previous experiences can sometimes get “stored” in our bodies, repeating fight/flight/freeze cycles that generate negative symptoms and patterns of behaviors.

At Soleil Psychotherapy, our trauma therapists approach various types of trauma through a somatic lens. We utilize evidence-based modalities including Somatic Experiencing and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help clients manage trauma symptoms such as flashbacks and intrusive thoughts.

We offer a framework that helps assess where you might be “stuck” in “fight, flight, freeze” responses. Our trauma treatment provides coping skills to help you complete these responses and manage distressing trauma symptoms. The goal of trauma therapy is to resolve these fixated states, improving emotional regulation and restoring your capacity for safety, hope, and trust in relationships.

Our approach
to trauma emphasizes

☼ The connection between the mind, body, and overall wellness

☼ The connection between the person and the environment as a safe space for healing

☼ That the impact of trauma is a significant underlying cause of disease

☼ That the body and its physical symptoms influence thoughts, emotions, and behavior

What to expect?

An emphasis on “biology” vs “biography.”

In our sessions, we utilize somatic therapy to help you rewrite your narrative through somatic release. By becoming aware of body sensations and procedural memories that store past trauma, your body becomes our primary tool for communication. Through gentle interventions rooted in compassion and curiosity, we break patterns of fear and lack of safety rooted in the way you experience trauma, allowing you to develop healthier ways of connecting with yourself and others.

We target the underlying dysregulation in the nervous system that causes distressing ptsd symptoms. By improving your body awareness, we increase your capacity for physiological regulation. We work in a slow, gentle way to ensure the process does not overwhelm you emotionally or physiologically. The goal is to re-establish the natural ability of the nervous system to shift between activation and deactivation.

The ultimate objective of trauma therapy is to help you discover and empower your innate strengths and resiliency. By addressing the effects of trauma, you can free yourself from the past and engage fully in a meaningful life, finding a safe home within yourself and your environment.