Maya* is at her desk by 8 am, mask on, smile in place, deliverables turned in before they’re due.
She nods through the meeting and laughs in the right spots.
Then someone in the hallway lets a door slam.
Her chest goes tight before her brain catches up.
For a second, she’s not at the desk anymore.
The script starts up again in the back of her head: the one in her parents’ voices, her ex’s voice, the friend who said the thing she’s never been able to put down.
By 6 pm, her shoulders ache from a fight her body had with no one all day.
At 2 am, she’s awake, replaying a conversation from three years ago, wondering why she still flinches at nothing.
Trauma is an energy sucker.
The hypervigilance.
The self-doubt that runs underneath every email you send.
You’re in fight mode when there’s no danger in the room.
The hardest part isn’t the flashback or the jumpiness; it’s that the people closest to you can’t see any of it.
You’ve gotten so good at the happy mask that no one knows what it’s costing.
You don’t need platitudes – you need an approach that works to help you move past this struggle once and for all.
Hi, I’m Abby.
I work with trauma using Internal Family Systems (IFS).
In IFS, we get curious about the parts of you running the show.
The part that wears the mask.
The part that braces when a door slams.
The part that replays the script at 2 am.
None of them is the enemy.
Each one took a job a long time ago to keep you safe.
I shine the light on whichever part is asking for attention.
We listen to what it’s been carrying.
When the parts holding the pain feel heard, they stop running the day.
You get to respond from your adult self instead.
The door slams down the hall; her chest still tightens.
The difference is what happens next.
She notices the part that is braced.
She thanks it.
The script in the back of her head plays softer now.
She knows whose voice it is and where it came from.
At 6 pm her shoulders are her own.
At 2 am, she’s asleep.
The trail through trauma is different for everyone.
And it’s worth walking.
Get yourself ready for the new you.
Call me today to schedule your free 15-minute consultation.
*Maya is a fictionalized composite of clients I’ve supported.
There's a version of your life where your child feels safe in their own skin. Where dinner is just dinner. Where 2 am is for sleeping. That version starts with a conversation.
Call for your free 15-minute consultation.
Tell me a little about what's going on. I'll get back to you within one business day.
Abby