Trauma, grief, and anxiety Therapy

individual therapy in rhode island and Washington State

Is your life feeling unmanageable due to the impact of pervasive trauma? Maybe you are here because of anxiety that is crippling or depression that is paralyzing. Perhaps trauma is causing you to cope in ways that leave you feeling stuck or isolated. Do the following symptoms resonate for you?

  • Inability to focus at work or on personal projects

  • Poor quality of sleep or insomnia

  • Frequent tearfulness and sensitivity

  • Social isolation driven by fear

  • Self-destructive behaviors

  • Heightened irritability or angry outbursts

  • Lack of motivation or interest in activities

  • Feeling constantly on guard or on edge

  • Unable to relax or quiet your mind

  • Overwhelming guilt or shame

It may feel impossible now, but you can experience peace again. You can heal and find your way to a place that feels grounded and confident. I can help you get there!

INDIVIDUAL THERAPY HELPS YOU IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

Anxiety Therapy

  • It helps you evaluate thoughts and beliefs about yourself that are contributing to your distress and replaces them with more helpful ones.

  • It offers a container for you to safely process your experiences and move through the places you are stuck, resulting in greater mind and body health.

  • It improves your coping mechanisms, allowing you to better respond to activating events that come up in your life.

  • It uncovers the root causes of your fears or anxiety and helps you learn to regulate your nervous system.

  • It builds self esteem and improves social functioning.

Sometimes our methods for navigating unpleasant emotions, trauma, or other wounds leave us coping in dissatisfying ways. Individual counseling is a way for you to expand your emotional awareness and deepen your capacity for growth into more enriching ways of being, for yourself and your relationships.

I will help you through this process, tailoring each step to your unique needs and circumstances. My approach to trauma and anxiety therapy comes from a place of deep care and empathy. I don’t believe that you are broken but rather in pain and able to develop more effective tools for coping. I can help you reduce anxious responses, release the hold of trauma, and find joy in life again.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

what is a session like?

Sessions together are collaborative. We generally start by checking in about how your week has been and then explore whatever area of your life you decide you want to work on in that specific session. If you aren’t sure, I can direct the topic of the session and keep us on track with meeting your goals. We explore your thoughts and feelings, resource you with skills, and close with a reflection of the session. Occasionally, I may assign homework.

how long will I need to attend sessions?

This varies widely depending on the presenting issue and the person. Sessions have ranged from months to years. Ideally, we would work together for at least a full calendar year but it is really up to you and what your needs are. I see both short term and long term clients. Most of my clients stay for quite a while once they begin to see the benefit that therapy adds to their life and relationships.

what happens when I don’t know what to talk about?

Many clients come to me reporting that the therapy they have tried in the past grew stale after a while. They got to a point in counseling of simply staring at each other awkwardly. I can assure you, I am not simply going to smile and nod at you. My approach is active and engaging. When we get to a place where we have met your goals and you are in a good place, I will discuss the possibility of concluding our work together. I am tracking with you and managing our sessions so that you can rest assured that our time will be productive. We will collaborate on an appropriate ending together, when the time is right.

What are the next steps?

The next step is to email me to schedule a free 15 minute consultation call. During this call, you will have the opportunity to give me a brief summary of your current concerns. I will answer any questions you have about the process of therapy or about myself and the way that I work. We will then discuss logistics like cost, appointment frequency, and policies. When you are ready, we will get you scheduled with my soonest availability. 

425-533-9241
rachael@rachaelalba.com

rachael alba

REPRODUCTIVE AND TRAUMA THERAPIST 

Seattle, Washington | King County

Providence, Rhode Island | Providence County