Healing Through Connection: Specialized Support for Trauma & Stress-Related Disorders
Making Sense of the Past to Live Freely in the Present
At NY Mindful Living Therapy, we believe that trauma work helps you stop living in survival mode and start feeling more at home in yourself today. Whether trauma occurred generations ago or in your own life, its imprint can linger in thoughts, behaviors, relationships, and the body. We specialize in helping clients break cycles of generational trauma, often inherited silently through family patterns shaped by oppression, adversity, or emotional wounds left unspoken. When left unaddressed, these patterns can affect self-worth, parenting, identity, and emotional regulation across generations.
Understanding Trauma: It's Not One-Size-Fits-All
Trauma is often misunderstood as only applying to catastrophic events—but trauma is deeply personal. We recognize both big T trauma (such as assault, natural disasters, or combat exposure) and little t trauma (like chronic criticism, childhood emotional neglect, or being in a relationship where your needs weren’t met). Both forms can shape how you move through the world, and both are valid.
You don’t have to justify your pain. If it impacted your sense of safety, self, or stability—it matters. And it deserves care.
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) stems from prolonged exposure to difficult circumstances, often without the chance to escape—such as childhood abuse, emotionally unsafe relationships, or long-term neglect. Unlike single-event trauma, C-PTSD often affects identity, trust, emotional regulation, and self-perception.
Many people with C-PTSD feel "too much" or "not enough" at once. They may look functional on the outside while struggling with constant inner turmoil. Therapy can provide a space to gently unpack these experiences and begin rebuilding a sense of self that isn’t rooted in survival.
C-PTSD: A Different Kind of Trauma Response
Common Diagnoses Related to Trauma
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PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event such as violence, an accident, or a natural disaster. Symptoms like flashbacks, avoidance, and heightened anxiety typically persist for over one month and can interfere with daily life and relationships.
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C-PTSD is often the result of long-term or repeated trauma—like childhood abuse, neglect, or domestic violence—where there was no safe escape. It may include classic PTSD symptoms along with deep-rooted shame, difficulty regulating emotions, and challenges in trusting others.
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Adjustment Disorder is a stress response to a major life change or difficult event—such as a breakup, job loss, or medical diagnosis. Symptoms like anxiety, sadness, or irritability usually begin within three months and ease once the stressor or its impact resolves.
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ASD involves intense stress reactions like nightmares, flashbacks, or emotional numbness that occur within three days to one month after a traumatic event. It’s often seen as a short-term response, but if symptoms persist beyond a month, it may evolve into PTSD.
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Prolonged Grief Disorder involves intense, lingering grief that doesn’t ease with time—lasting over 12 months for adults or 6 months for children. It may feel impossible to move forward after a loss, affecting one’s ability to engage with daily life and relationships.
Important Safety Information: If you're experiencing thoughts of suicide or harming yourself, please reach out for immediate support. Call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. You don't have to face these feelings alone, and trained counselors are ready to listen and help. In life-threatening emergencies, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Please note: The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Remember: These difficult thoughts are often symptoms of treatable conditions, not a reflection of your worth or future. Help is available, and recovery is possible.
Healing isn't just personal—it's relational, generational, and powerful.
What Trauma Can Look Like
Trauma doesn’t always look like flashbacks. Here are just some of the ways it can show up:
Avoidance of people, places, or memories
Irritability, anger outbursts, or feeling on edge
Chronic anxiety or hypervigilance
Emotional numbness or disconnection
Difficulty trusting others or forming close relationships
Persistent shame or self-blame
Feeling “stuck” in patterns that no longer serve you
Nightmares or sleep disruptions
Our Approach to Trauma Work
We know that trauma therapy must be paced, safe, and empowering. Our clinicians are trained in evidence-based modalities including EMDR and trauma-informed care to support clients in processing trauma without becoming overwhelmed.
Healing from trauma is not linear. It takes time, and the process is different for everyone. But you don’t have to do it alone.
Reaching Out is a Brave Step
If you're curious about therapy but unsure where to begin, that's okay. We meet you wherever you are. Whether you're grappling with unresolved memories, ongoing stressors, or inherited emotional patterns, there is a path forward.
When you’re ready, we’re here to walk with you—toward healing, connection, and the self you’re ready to reclaim.