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You Survived It.
Now You Can Begin Healing From It.
Maybe something happened years ago, but you still feel affected by it. You may experience anxiety, emotional numbness, intrusive memories, difficulty trusting others, or feel constantly on edge.
Or perhaps you don’t have clear memories of what happened—you just know that certain situations, relationships, or emotions seem to trigger reactions that feel bigger than you expect.
Trauma can affect the way you feel, think, relate to others, and experience your own body. Therapy can help you understand these responses and begin creating a greater sense of safety, connection, and control.
You Survived It.
Now You Can Begin
Healing From It.
Maybe something happened years ago, but you still feel affected by it. You may experience anxiety, emotional numbness, intrusive memories, difficulty trusting others, or feel constantly on edge.
Or perhaps you don’t have clear memories of what happened—you just know that certain situations, relationships, or emotions seem to trigger reactions that feel bigger than you expect.
Trauma can affect the way you feel, think, relate to others, and experience your own body. Therapy can help you understand these responses and begin creating a greater sense of safety, connection, and control.
Does Trauma Feel Like This?
Maybe you…
- Feel constantly on edge, anxious, or like something bad is going to happen
- Experience intrusive memories, nightmares, or upsetting reminders of the past
- Avoid people, places, situations, or conversations that bring up difficult feelings
- Feel emotionally numb, disconnected, or detached from yourself or others
- Have difficulty trusting people or feeling safe in relationships
- Experience intense reactions to situations that seem minor to others
- Struggle with shame, guilt, anger, or feeling like something is wrong with you
- Have difficulty remembering parts of your past or feel disconnected from certain experiences
- Feel like you're functioning on the outside while struggling internally
And trauma doesn’t always feel like remembering.
Trauma Isn't Your Fault
Trauma isn’t simply about what happened to you. It’s also about how your nervous system responded to what you experienced.
Traumatic experiences can include abuse, neglect, accidents, violence, loss, medical experiences, relationship trauma, childhood experiences, or other situations that overwhelmed your ability to cope.
Your responses may have helped you survive or get through something difficult.
Feeling constantly alert. Avoiding reminders. Shutting down emotionally. Disconnecting from yourself. Trying to control everything around you.
These responses may have made sense at the time, even if they’re causing problems now.
Your nervous system learned how to protect you. Therapy can help you learn that you may be safer now.
How Trauma Can Affect Your Mind & Body
⚠️ Trauma-related symptoms can overlap with other mental health and medical conditions.
A qualified mental health professional can help you understand what’s happening and determine what type of support may be appropriate.
What Is PTSD?
PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It can affect how your brain and nervous system respond to reminders of what happened—even long after the event is over.
Common symptoms can include intrusive memories or nightmares, avoidance, changes in mood or thinking, feeling constantly on guard, and strong emotional or physical reactions to reminders of the trauma.
Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, and you don’t need to have PTSD to benefit from trauma therapy.
Therapy can help you understand your symptoms and develop a greater sense of safety and control.
What Is Dissociation?
Dissociation is a way the mind can disconnect from thoughts, feelings, memories, your body, or your surroundings.
It can happen during overwhelming or stressful experiences and may sometimes continue long after the original experience has ended.
Dissociation can look different for different people. You might:
Feel detached from yourself or like you’re watching yourself from the outside
Feel disconnected from your emotions or body
Feel like the world around you isn’t quite real
Lose track of time or have gaps in your memory
Feel like you’re going through life on autopilot
Become deeply absorbed in something and lose awareness of what’s happening around you
Dissociation can be confusing or frightening, especially when you don’t understand why it’s happening.
You aren’t “crazy,” and you aren’t making it up. Understanding what your mind and nervous system are doing can be an important part of healing.
Why Do Trauma Responses Keep Showing Up?
We can help you change this cycle.
Trigger
Nervous system
detects danger
detects danger
Fight / Flight /
Freeze / Fawn
Freeze / Fawn
Immediate
protection
protection
Short-term
relief
relief
Pattern
reinforced
reinforced
Future
triggers
triggers
Your brain and nervous system are designed to protect you from danger.
After trauma, however, your nervous system may continue responding to situations as though you’re still in danger—even when you’re safe now.
A sound, smell, conversation, relationship dynamic, facial expression, or even a feeling in your body can activate a response connected to something from the past.
You may fight, flee, freeze, shut down, become overwhelmed, or feel disconnected.
These responses aren’t signs of weakness. They’re protective responses that may have become stuck on high alert.
Trauma therapy can help you understand these patterns and gradually develop new ways of responding.
How Trauma Therapy Can Help
Trauma Therapy Doesn't Mean Reliving Everything
You don’t have to tell your therapist every detail of what happened on your first session—or ever.
Trauma therapy is not about forcing yourself to remember everything or repeatedly talking about painful experiences before you’re ready.
Effective trauma therapy begins with safety, trust, and understanding your individual needs.
Your therapist will work with you to determine what feels manageable and what approaches may be most helpful.
The goal isn’t simply to revisit the past.
It’s to help you feel more present, connected, and in control of your life today.
Meet Our Therapists Who Help with Trauma, PTSD & Dissociation
Marianne Norris, LPC
Marianne earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh…
Ken Evanoski, LCSW
Ken is a licensed clinical social worker and graduate of the University of Pittsburgh…
Rick Jackson, LPC
Rick is a graduate of Duquesne University and a licensed professional counselor. He has…
What Happens When You Reach Out?
Parking: Parking is available in the lot behind the building, accessible from East Penn Street, as well as on-street parking in front of the building. Additional parking is just a short walk from Main Street.
About Us
Our offices are located in a classic Victorian building in the city of Butler, Pennsylvania. Parking is available in our lot off East Penn Street (immediately behind our building) and on the street immediately in front of our building. Additional parking is just a short walk from Main Street.
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ADDRESS
Wellness Works Counseling LLC
349 N. McKean Street
Butler, Pennsylvania USA
Call: (724)282-0332
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If you’re in crisis: Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). Butler County, PA residents can also call 800-292-3866.