Childhood & Relational Trauma Therapy in State College, PA
Online therapy throughout Pennsylvania and Washington
It’s time to loosen the hold of old trauma — to feel safe in your body again, trust your inner voice, and create a life that feels genuinely your own. You no longer have to live on high alert or brace for the next wave of fear or shame. Healing is possible, and you don’t have to walk that path alone.
How do you know if you have childhood or relational trauma?
You work tirelessly to earn love and approval.
You give, help, and overextend yourself — hoping that if you do enough, others will finally care.
You tell yourself, “Maybe if I’m good enough, I’ll be loved.”
Yet no matter how much you do, the feeling of “not enough” never truly fades.You live with an inner critic that never rests.
You’ve learned to survive by being perfect — always trying to get it right.
But that perfectionism has become exhausting.
You replay conversations, judge yourself harshly, and struggle to see what’s good about you, even when others do.You struggle to trust love — or yourself.
You crave affection and recognition but often feel undeserving or uncomfortable receiving it.
You second-guess your feelings and instincts, believing others know better than you.
Deep down, you’ve learned not to trust your own voice.You feel responsible for everyone else’s emotions.
You take care of others’ needs, say yes when you want to say no, and then feel hurt or angry when your care goes unnoticed.
You stay in situations or relationships that drain you, but the guilt of “letting someone down” feels heavier than your own pain. Standing up for yourself feels almost impossible.You carry a quiet ache of loneliness and helplessness.
When someone criticizes or shows anger, you shrink inside. You shut down or get extremely scared inside.
You may keep yourself busy — working, shopping, or scrolling — to fill the emptiness or the pain.
Yet underneath it all, a helpless voice whispers, “There’s nothing I can do right. And no one will really be there for me.”
Healing from Childhood Trauma: Finding Freedom to Be Fully Yourself
Freedom to be fully human — not perfect.
You quiet the inner critic and begin to treat yourself with kindness instead of shame or blame.
Freedom to feel and express your truth.
You allow your real thoughts and emotions to exist without fear, guilt, or self-judgment.Freedom to have healthy, balanced relationships.
You learn to set boundaries that protect your peace while staying open to connection and love.
You can choose relationships that are nourishing instead of depleting — and know when to lovingly step away.Freedom to care for others without losing yourself.
You stay compassionate — but grounded — no longer over-giving or taking responsibility for everyone’s feelings.
You give from a place of fullness rather than fear of rejection.Freedom to trust yourself again.
You listen to your intuition, make choices that honor your well-being, and stop seeking approval to feel worthy.You begin to feel safe in your own skin — calm, steady, and at home within yourself.
Freedom to nurture your inner child.
You reparent yourself with gentleness and warmth, transforming old survival patterns into self-respect and stability.
You learn to meet your own needs with the same tenderness you once offered everyone else.Freedom to grow beyond old reactions.
You become an adult who is no longer imprisoned by childhood fears or automatic responses.
You respond to life from your present self — grounded, wise, and whole.
🌻A Different Way of Healing: Integrative, Body-based, Somatic for Childhood Trauma Therapy
Why Insight Alone Doesn’t Bring Relief
You’ve done the work — maybe even years of therapy — and you understand why you feel the way you do. But even with all that insight, the same patterns keep showing up.
That’s because the pain didn’t start in your mind — it started in your body and nervous system. Your body still remembers what it was like to walk on eggshells, to keep everyone else happy, to stay small just to feel safe.
Real healing begins when your body finally learns it no longer has to live in survival mode.
Insight can explain the story; somatic and parts-based therapy help you rewrite it.
My Approach: Healing the Inner System
I specialize in somatic therapy for childhood and relational trauma, helping you reconnect with the parts of yourself that had to hide to survive.
Our work together may include:
Internal Family Systems (IFS) — We’ll meet the perfectionist, the caretaker, the critic, and the small part that still feels unsafe. Together we’ll help them feel seen and supported.
Somatic Therapy — You’ll learn to recognize your body’s signals — tension, holding your breath, a racing heart — and begin to trust that it’s safe to relax again.
EMDR & Trauma Reprocessing (when appropriate) — To help your nervous system finally release old survival energy.
Mindfulness & EFT Tools — Practical skills to help you immediately regulate emotions and build compassionate self-awareness.
Together, we go beyond talking about your story — so you can finally begin to feel different from the inside out
Meet Quỳnh Nguyễn!
You’ve spent so much of your life trying to hold it all together — making sure everyone else is okay, keeping the peace, and pushing through even when you’re running on empty. You worry about what others think, replay conversations in your mind, and feel guilty when you finally need space for yourself. No matter how much you give, it never seems to feel like “enough.”
I get it — truly. I grew up in a dysfunctional, alcoholic family where I learned early on to take care of everyone else and keep things calm. For years, I carried that same pattern into adulthood — overfunctioning, overthinking, and quietly feeling disconnected from myself.
Now, as a somatic trauma therapist practicing in Pennsylvania and Washington, I help other adult children of dysfunctional families, people-pleasers, and highly functioning individuals find the same freedom — to feel safe in their bodies, speak up for what they need, and experience peace without guilt.
You don’t have to carry it all alone anymore. Healing happens in connection — and I’d be honored to walk beside you on that journey back home to yourself.
LMHCA, LAPC Therapist in State College, PA
🌱 What to Expect
Your first steps toward healing — gently, steadily, and at your own pace.
1️⃣ Free Connection Call
Start with a 15-minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit.
You can share what’s been coming up, ask questions, and get a sense of what working together might feel like — no pressure, just conversation.
2️⃣ Building Safety & Foundation
In our first few sessions, we focus on safety — both emotional and physical.
You don’t need to tell your whole story at once. We’ll move slowly, helping your nervous system begin to settle and building trust in the process.
You’ll start learning simple tools to ground yourself and reconnect with your body’s signals — so therapy feels safe, not overwhelming.
3️⃣ Deeper Healing Through IFS & Somatic Work
Once your system feels steadier, we’ll gently explore the parts of you that carry worry, guilt, or self-criticism.
Using Internal Family Systems (IFS therapy), somatic therapy, and trauma-informed methods, we’ll help those parts release old burdens and discover what they truly need.
When appropriate, we may integrate EMDR to reprocess painful memories stored in the body.
4️⃣ Integration: Bringing Healing Into Daily Life
Healing is about more than what happens in session — it’s about how you begin to live and relate differently.
We’ll practice new ways of setting boundaries, calming your body, and trusting your own inner wisdom.
You’ll notice small but meaningful shifts: more calm, clearer choices, deeper connection.
5️⃣ Continuing or Transitioning Forward
Some clients continue meeting regularly; others space sessions further apart as they integrate what they’ve learned.
When it feels right, we’ll discuss transitioning out of therapy with clarity and intention — so you leave feeling supported and empowered.
Schedule a complimentary consultation
You deserve support that truly meets you where you are.
Schedule a free consultation to explore whether this trauma-informed, body-based, somatic therapy approach feels right for you.
Together, we’ll take the first step toward healing, calm, and genuine self-connection.
FAQs
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Sessions are $150 for 55 minutes.
If you’re located in Pennsylvania, sessions are private pay only — I do not bill insurance there. I can provide a superbill for out-of-network reimbursement, and I also accept HSA/FSA cards.
If you’re in Washington State, please reach out — I’m in network with select insurance panels, and I can share more details during your consultation or in the full Q&A section.
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Yes — all sessions are offered virtually for adults in Pennsylvania and Washington through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. You can join from anywhere you feel comfortable and safe.
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If you often feel anxious, unworthy, people-pleasing, or easily triggered in relationships, it might be a sign that old survival patterns are still running your life.
Childhood trauma doesn’t always look like “big” events — it can be emotional neglect, criticism, or growing up in a home where love felt conditional.
Therapy can help you understand these patterns with compassion and start living from your present self instead of your past pain. -
You can schedule a free 15–20 minute consultation to see if we’re a good fit.
This is a gentle space to ask questions, share what’s bringing you in, and get a feel for how therapy with me works.
You don’t have to go through this alone — healing is possible, and it can start with a single conversation. -
It’s a short, no-pressure call where you can share what’s been coming up for you, ask questions, and get a feel for whether this is a good fit. There’s no commitment — just a chance to connect.
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That’s completely okay.
You never have to tell your story before you feel ready.
In therapy, we focus first on building safety and trust — so your system knows it’s finally safe to begin healing. -
There’s no fixed timeline. Healing from childhood trauma is not linear — it unfolds at the pace your nervous system can handle.
Some clients notice changes immediately during sessions, or within a few weeks, or months, while others find deeper transformation over longer-term therapy.
We go slowly enough for it to feel safe, yet deep enough for it to be real.