MEET STEPHANIE
Trauma Therapist in Sierra Madre, CA
You walked into a therapist's office once, and spent the whole session managing their reaction instead of your own. You chose your words carefully. You softened the parts that felt too complicated to explain. You left feeling more alone than when you arrived.
That's not what therapy is supposed to feel like. And it's not what it feels like here.
I'm Stephanie, a trauma therapist in Sierra Madre, CA who works with people who are done shrinking themselves just to feel safe.
I’VE BEEN THERE…
I used to believe my worth came from following all the rules and being the "good" girl. I was taught that there is value in being the one who never said no, or the one who kept quiet even when something felt wrong. I know what it feels like to be taught that your emotions were wrong, inconvenient, or not allowed.
I know what it's like to sit with a version of yourself that you've never shown anyone. To smile through environments that weren't built for you. To perform “okay” so convincingly that even you started to believe it.
Here's what changed: I started listening to the quiet voice inside me instead of ignoring it like I had been doing for so long. Over time, I realized my body wasn't the enemy, my needs weren't too much, and I didn't have to live in fear of disappointing others. That shift changed everything for me, and now I help my clients do the same. Together, we'll navigate the messiness, the uncertainty, and the confusion — not just to help you feel better, but to help you come home to yourself.
⟡ Maybe you've been told that who you are is something that needs to be fixed. And some part of you is still waiting to find out if that's true.
⟡ Maybe saying no still feels dangerous. Not just uncomfortable… dangerous. Like the people whose love you need the most might finally have the reason they were looking for to leave.
If that lands somewhere familiar, I’m glad you’re here. Not because I have a formula for fixing it, but because I've spent years helping people untangle what they were taught from what they actually know to be true about themselves. Healing here doesn't come from performing or pretending. It comes from finally having a space where you can feel safe to be you.
My Values as a Therapist
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AUTHENTICITY
Being real with yourself and with me. No performance required here.
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INCLUSIVITY
Every part of who you are belongs in this room. Your identity, your history, your complexity… all of it!
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CURIOSITY
We don't rush to fix or explain. We slow down and get genuinely curious about what's underneath.
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COLLABORATION
You're not a passive recipient of therapy. We figure this out together, at a pace that works for you.
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DIGNITY
You have inherent worth, not because of what you've achieved, how you've behaved, or who approves of you. Just because.
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VULNERABILITY
The bravest thing you can do is let yourself be truly known. This is a space built for exactly that.
Trauma Therapy with me is…
A space where all parts of you are welcome, even the ones you've learned to hide
Collaborative. You're the expert on your life, and we'll work together to make sense of your experiences.
Curious rather than judgmental. We explore patterns with compassion instead of criticism.
Both emotional and practical. Insight matters, but so do tools that help you navigate everyday life.
A place to move at your own pace while still gently challenging what keeps you stuck.
Trauma Therapy with me is not…
A place where I'll tell you what decisions to make or how to live your life.
Focused on "fixing" you. I don't believe you're a problem that needs solving.
About forcing positivity, forgiveness, or healing before you're ready.
A place where you have to earn compassion, understanding, or care.
About becoming a different person. It's about becoming more fully yourself.
Less Formally
I am a wife, friend, eldest daughter, cat mom, serial hobbyist, and lover of trinkets. I like to spend my free time crafting, making art, going to hockey games, watching reality TV, or playing cozy video games. I’m also an ex-vangelical with lived experience of both relational and religious trauma. I bring my whole self to the therapeutic space in the hopes that you get permission to do the same. My hope is that you find enough healing to be your weirdest, most authentic self again.
People have been trusting me with their stories for as long as I can remember. I've always been the person others turn to when they need to feel heard. The listener, the confidant, and the trusted keeper of the tender, complicated, and unspoken stories that haven't always felt safe to share anywhere else.
When I was in the third grade, school staff nominated me to be a “peer mediator”. My family jokes that this is when I was destined for a life in the field of psychology. Now, it’s an honor to sit in the chair (or screen) across from you, and make room for you to be seen. I truly love being a therapist, and look forward to working together!
Click the menu below to learn more about my education & trainings!
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Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology: Marriage and Family Therapy
California: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #140513
Utah: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #14216343-3902
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EMDR Training 1 & 2: Institute for Creative Mindfulness
EMDR For Spiritual Abuse: Institute for Creative Mindfulness
Reclamation as Clinical Intervention: Reclamation Collective
Spiritual Abuse Recognition and Recovery: Reclamation Collective
Religious Trauma, Spiritual Abuse and Cult Recovery: Treating the Trauma Caused by Adverse Religious Experiences: Pesi
Gender Affirming Letter Writing: No More Gatekeeping
GET STARTED
Ready to stop performing and start feeling like yourself?
You've probably spent a long time figuring out how to get by, how to stay small enough, agreeable enough, and safe enough. That took real skill. And it also cost you something.
If you're ready to find out what it feels like to be in a room where none of that is required of you, I'd be honored to be that room.