Complex Trauma & Childhood Emotional Neglect Therapy in Texas
Were you the “easy” kid? The strong one? The one nobody had to worry about?
You learned early that your needs came last — and you got really, really good at not having any. Now you’re a high-achiever, a caretaker, the one everyone leans on. From the outside, you look like you have it together. On the inside, you’re exhausted, anxious for no reason you can name, and quietly wondering why “fine” never actually feels fine.
That’s what complex trauma and childhood emotional neglect can look like. Not a single dramatic event — a thousand small absences. Not what happened to you, but what didn’t.
What is complex trauma, exactly?
Complex trauma is different from a single traumatic event (like an accident or an assault). It’s what happens when a child grows up in an environment that’s chronically unpredictable, emotionally unavailable, or subtly unsafe — over and over, for years — even if nothing “bad” ever technically happened.
Childhood emotional neglect is one of the most common (and most overlooked) forms of this. You were fed. You were clothed. There wasn’t outright abuse. But the emotional attunement — being truly seen, being allowed to need things, having someone light up when you walked into the room — wasn’t consistently there either.
As trauma researcher Bessel van der Kolk puts it, “It is every child’s birthright that when they walk into a room, the adults around them light up.” When that’s missing often enough, your nervous system adapts. You learn to be independent early. You learn to read the room before anyone else does. You learn that needing things is risky, so you stop needing things — at least out loud.
What are the signs complex trauma or emotional neglect is still affecting you?
If you struggle with the following, this might be exactly what’s going on underneath:
You feel anxious even when nothing is actually wrong, and you can’t explain why
You replay conversations, wondering what you did wrong — even when you did nothing wrong
You feel like you’re “too much,” or somehow never quite enough
You keep ending up in relationships that don’t feel right, even when you know you deserve more
You’re always the one checking in, showing up, holding space — and can’t remember the last time someone did that for you
There’s a loneliness underneath everything, even surrounded by people who love you
You’re incredibly hard on yourself, and mistakes feel bigger than they should
You over-function — hustling, achieving, taking care of everyone — because slowing down doesn’t feel safe
You have a hard time identifying what you actually feel, let alone asking for what you need
None of this means something is wrong with you. It means your mind and body adapted to get through. What once helped you survive may now be getting in the way of the life you actually want — and that can change.
How therapy for complex trauma and emotional neglect works
Healing from complex trauma isn’t just about talking through what happened — it’s about helping your nervous system learn that safety is possible now. I use a relational, body-based approach, drawing on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) alongside talk therapy, so we can work with the parts of you that hold onto old patterns of fear, shame, or hypervigilance — not just the parts that can explain them.
Together, we’ll work to:
Understand how early experiences shaped your nervous system and relationships
Build a felt sense of safety in your body, not just your thinking
Process difficult memories at a pace that feels manageable
Untangle old coping strategies that no longer serve you
Strengthen your ability to trust yourself and others
Reconnect with a more grounded, secure sense of who you are
We’ll go at a pace that feels safe, and I’ll be with you the whole way.
Why work with me on this specifically
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with specialized training in EMDR and a deep background in attachment and trauma-informed care. I understand the research on how early relational wounds shape the nervous system, and I bring that clinical knowledge into every session — not as theory, but as a practical roadmap for your healing.
I also bring warmth and directness to our work together. I won’t just nod along — I’ll be honest with you, ask the questions that matter, and celebrate the moments when something shifts. You deserve a therapist who is fully present with you, and that’s what I aim to be.
What becomes possible
With this work, you can begin to:
Trust your own perceptions and feelings again
Feel safe in your body, not just your mind
Set boundaries without guilt or fear
Build relationships that feel secure and mutual
Recognize your worth apart from what you produce or provide
Respond to stress without getting hijacked by old patterns
Rest without needing to earn it
Feel like yourself — maybe for the first time
Not sure where to start? Get in touch.