Top-Rated Trauma Therapy Boulder
Takeaway: Trauma can make you feel completely out of control. As a trauma therapist in Boulder, it’s my mission to empower survivors to tune into their bodies and learn how to embrace their authentic selves. Get in touch today to learn more about how I can help.
Feeling broken or defective as a result of trauma’s impact on your life?
Panic attacks, painful memories, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, or other distressing symptoms have you feeling overwhelmed. You may feel unable to truly rest and you question if you will ever find relief. A pervasive sense of helplessness can take hold in the aftermath of trauma.
You don’t have to feel stuck and alone with the pain of traumatic memories. I am dedicated to supporting survivors in regaining control in their lives. Learn how body centered, relational, and compassionate trauma treatment can offer a safe environment to help you reclaim your life.
Meet Parker Schneider, trauma therapist in Boulder
Hello! I am a Colorado Licensed Professional Counselor. I provide online counseling across the state as well as in-person ecotherapy in nature. I received my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in Boulder, Co.
I have extensive experience helping people heal from trauma, attachment wounding, family-of-origin issues, and oppression. I know healing unresolved trauma allows us to create a life and meaningful relationships we can be excited to show up to.
I am particularly skilled in providing community and identity-specific support for LGBTQIA folks, as well as others with marginalized identities or experiences. My approach to treating trauma is collaborative, eclectic, and integrative. My therapeutic orientation is relational, body centered, feminist, and intersectional.
Some concerns I frequently support Clients with are:
Intimacy, boundaries, and communication
Complex trauma and/or Developmental trauma
Imposter Syndrome, Self doubt, and Low self-esteem
Codependency
Internalized Oppression & other concerns stemming from oppression
Some Clients I do my best work with are those who:
Have experienced harm from past therapists
Are willing to do meaningful work that is likely to be difficult and uncomfortable
Want to engage more deeply with their own healing and growth
Sexual abuse or sexual violence
Intimate partner abuse
Chronic Illness
Neurodivergence in a Neuronormative world
Moral Injury & Compassion Fatigue among activists, organizers, and helping professionals
Are passionate about creating communities and belonging that defy societal norms
Feel distrustful of healthcare providers due to systemic oppression & repeated microaggressions
My approach to trauma counseling in Boulder
Liberation, intersectional social justice, and radical healership are core tenets of my practice. Healing from the impacts of oppression requires a framework and supports firmly anchored in principles that actively challenge and confront oppression.
In the context of U.S. capitalist society, healing is inherently and profoundly political. Particularly for individuals with marginalized identities and experiences. The trauma of oppression—be it colonialism, white supremacy, cis-heteronormativity, ableism, or any other form of supremacy—cannot be disentangled from the process of healing. Ignoring this reality will impede rather than facilitate your healing.
Trauma occurs in relationships. Belief in healing through human connection and relationships is at the heart of my therapeutic practice. A relational orientation and supporting you in being less isolated are fundamental parts of my approach. Building community and strengthening relationships align with the goals of liberatory practices.
My goal is to create a therapeutic relationship characterized by shared power. This is in direct contrast to prevailing dynamics rooted in patriarchy, white supremacy, and systemic oppression. Many have experienced harm at the hands of those wielding power unethically or violently. They exerted power OVER. My commitment to you is to develop a collaborative approach. I am invested in power WITH.
How therapy for PTSD can help you
Asking “how can trauma therapy help me” when considering seeking support is a great place to start.
Counseling for trauma is challenging and uncomfortable. Sometimes it feels like things get worse before they get better. If any of us are going to commit to the painful but meaningful work required in trauma recovery, we need to know that it can help and what benefits may result from that work.
Trauma-informed counseling can offer tools and coping strategies that improve quality of life, capacity for managing stress, and resilience. However, true trauma treatment moves beyond tools and coping strategies to deeper healing.
Within trauma counseling, individuals can delve into the origins of trauma, unraveling the threads of their experiences and their profound impact. Compassion, emotional support, validation, and understanding are integral elements of trauma recovery. A therapeutic relationship can deliver those elements. Trauma therapists address the emotional wounds inflicted by traumatic experiences. Effective trauma therapists address the unique needs and experiences of individual clients rather than utilizing a one-size-fits-all approach.
Another important benefit of trauma counseling is the development of self-compassion, understanding, and acceptance. Therapists model this treatment to clients and provide psychoeducation on trauma. Therapists offer reframing of trauma responses as innate human responses to highly stressful or traumatic situations rather than personal weakness and individual failures.
Individuals who receive effective support from trauma therapists are likely to experience a decrease in mood swings, impulsivity, or aggressiveness. Another benefit may be a reduction in depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other mental health symptoms. Individuals may find they are better able to be present in their lives as a result of decreasing levels of dissociation. Additionally, survivors are likely to feel they have more choice and voice in life, contributing to empowerment and a sense of control. Perhaps one of the most impactful benefits is improved personal relationships as a result of work on boundaries, interdependency, secure attachment, and relational accountability.
Trauma affects almost every facet of a human being. It can deeply change us, sometimes seemingly even impacting the core of who we are. Trauma psychotherapy can help us transform our pain and suffering.
Why choose Softening Stone Psychotherapy for trauma therapy
If you’re still reading this page, the odds are you already know I am a good fit for you. If you have been nodding along as you read or feeling deeply seen, you will likely benefit from working with me.
When choosing to partner with me on your healing journey you can expect:
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I am here to disrupt the status quo. You will not find adherence to unexamined beliefs or values rooted in oppression in my practice. You can expect me to engage in ongoing learning and healing from the ways oppressor shows up in my body. And you can expect me to continue working to heal from being in the role of oppressed and its impacts on my life. You can expect me to honor the expertise and knowing you have about your own life and experience. I will not fill the patriarchal role of ‘therapist as expert.’
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A therapist with lived experience of oppression can leave you feeling more seen and understood. Knowing you may share some experiences with someone can increase trust and safety. Feelings of trust and safety support us in nervous system regulation and relational attunement.
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I have significant experience working with helping professionals, activists, and organizers who are struggling with compassion fatigue or moral injury. My own work to understand and heal personal experiences of moral injury and compassion fatigue supports the work I do with others seeking care in this area. In the cases in which true healing cannot occur because the injury is ongoing, connecting over shared experience can provide support.
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Many therapists and healthcare providers do not consider or address cultural trauma, the trauma of oppression, or intergenerational trauma. I have a deeper understanding of trauma carried by families and/or experienced by cultures. And I incorporate this context in the trauma work I do.
Perhaps you have not experienced intimate partner abuse but your body carries memories of the domestic violence experienced by your grandmother.
Your obsessive fears about money and commitment to the grind at the expense of yourself might seem misplaced. But they make sense when considering the context of your familial history of poverty, scarcity, and hunger that your ancestors worked to protect you from.
Historical events such as the Holocaust, Native Boarding schools, Slavery, and other systemic and institutional violence experienced by particular oppressed groups may continue to impact you today. Both through the historical impacts on your ancestors as well as through your present-day experiences of oppression.
When you show up to this work with me, you won’t have to be alone in the pain of trauma and its complexities. Reach out to discuss how we can work together in your healing process.
When Softening Stone Psychotherapy might not be the best fit for you
Part of understanding that everyone’s counseling needs are unique is understanding that I am not a perfect fit for everyone!
What are some reasons that I might not be the best trauma counselor for you?
Talk Therapy and Cognitive Approaches
If you are seeking traditional talk therapy, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or other cognitive oriented therapies such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), you are unlikely to find what you need in my practice. Although these modalities can be effective for some, they are rarely the best approach to trauma treatment.
Traditional Office Meetings
If you are seeking counseling in a traditional office space, I am not the best fit for you. I currently offer telehealth across the state of Colorado and in-person sessions in nature. Although I will have a sheltered option for meeting in the near future, it will not be a traditional office space. I do not intend to go back to a traditional office space for many reasons. If this is a need for you, consider searching for a provider who can offer this support.
Therapist as the Expert
I do have expertise by nature of the privilege of access to the education and training I received. But I do not do this work as THE expert. I want to create a collaborative therapeutic relationship in which you bring your expertise and I bring mine. The idea that therapists are THE experts who have all the answers to your problems and can fix you if you are a ‘good client’ is rooted in patriarchal and white supremacist beliefs (as well as other forms of oppression). Ultimately, you are the expert of your experience. So, if there is someone in psychotherapy who is THE expert, it is most certainly you. If you are looking for a therapist to be THE expert, I am not a fit for your needs.
Quick & Easy Fix
If you are searching for a quick fix for your pain, I cannot help you. I very much wish there was a quick and easy fix available. Brief therapies, solutions-focused support, and short-term skills training might make some things better in the short term. However, at best they are a bandaid for a deep wound. Trauma work is often long-term work of depth and fierce commitment. If you are explicitly trying to avoid signing up for that, I am not a good fit for your needs.
I know that finding a good therapist is a complicated, personal decision. If my practice aligns with your needs reach out today! If this isn’t the case, keep exploring other options. The most important thing is that you find a good fit therapist for the work you want to do in counseling. There are many great psychotherapists in the Boulder, Co area.
FAQs about working with a trauma counselor in Boulder
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Identifying the need for trauma counseling isn't always straightforward. Your experiences might not neatly align with your concept of trauma. Many of us have internalized the notion that our struggles aren't severe enough to warrant help or that our pain isn't valid.
You may want to Consider trauma therapy if you...
• Find yourself withdrawing from others and the life you want
• Feel on edge in social settings
• Have a hard time feeling worthy
• Question if you’re lovable
• Feel hopelessness or helplessness
• Battle chronic stress, anxiety, or depression
• Experience mood swings or irritability
• Feel isolated, alone, or disconnected from others
• Struggle with perfectionism
• Have difficulty making it through the day
• Feel Broken, damaged, or defective
• Grapple with addiction or substance use
• Relive painful experiences—sometimes like a movie on repeat
• Feel overwhelmed or emotionally numb
• Struggle in relationships
• Feel disconnected from your body
• Experience shame
These are just some of the common effects of trauma. Not everyone struggling with post traumatic stress disorder will have all these symptoms. We are all unique, and the impact of trauma varies from one person to the next. There's no one-size-fits-all definition of trauma or how it presents.
Maybe you related to some of the bullet points above. But you also thought you shouldn’t complain because ‘it’s not that bad.’
You don’t have to have the hardest story you can imagine to deserve trauma-informed support. You are worthy of understanding, compassion, and healing.
Perhaps you question if your experience counts as trauma. The reality is that the majority of people have experienced traumatic events. The normalization of trauma in our society and culture does not diminish its profound impact. You can benefit from counseling with a compassionate trauma therapist even if you don’t feel you have ptsd or that your experiences were traumatic. Reach out if you’re curious how trauma treatment may support you!
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Research repeatedly suggests that a therapeutic relationship in which you feel secure, safe, and understood matters more than any particular modality. Although you may want to consider therapists utilizing approaches like those in the list below, prioritizing therapist fit is imperative.
There are many trauma therapies and evidence based practices that are effective in treating trauma. PTSD therapy comes in many forms and there is no one right way to heal.
If you are searching for ptsd therapy, you may want to consider a therapist who utilizes:
• EMDR therapy (Eye movement desensitization and Reprocessing)
• Somatic Therapy
• Mindfulness-Based Therapy
• Creative Arts therapies
• Animal Assisted therapy
• Internal Family Systems
Mindfulness-Based Therapy practices incorporate the present moment and concepts like radical acceptance in counseling. Mindfulness based therapy often parallels somatic therapies.
Somatic therapy practices incorporate understanding of how trauma affects the body, nervous system responses to a traumatic event, and the innate wisdom of the body. A mind body approach supports us in changing our relationship to our bodies and trauma symptoms. Examples of somatic therapy practices include sensorimotor psychotherapy, Hakomi mindful somatic therapy, Somatic Experiencing, and Polyvagal theory.
I have extensive training in animal assisted therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, emdr therapy, and somatic therapy. I utilize these modalities as well as creative and expressive arts therapy, parts work, and experiential therapy to support your healing process.
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Finding a trauma therapist who is a good fit for you can be challenging. You might feel stuck or worry that you will never find someone who understands you. Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed about where to start your search for ptsd therapists.
Here are some resources that might make your search for a safe space and supportive environment to do trauma work a little easier:
Remember that teletherapy can allow you to see any provider licensed in the state of Colorado. So your therapist does not have to be close to home.
Many clients find they appreciate being able to work with a trauma counselor in the comfort of their own space. You can find healing with a licensed professional counselor offering trauma therapy sessions virtually. If you are interested in exploring teletherapy with me, reach out for a free consultation today.
Tune into your body’s wisdom with the help of a trauma counselor in Boulder.
You were never defective or broken. You were always deserving of compassion, understanding, and care.
Healing is hard. I will not pretend there’s a magic formula I can offer you, but I promise that there are many, many rewards to be found.
Let me help you get unstuck and reclaim your life. We can explore somatic, relational, and emotional aspects of unresolved trauma.
Reach out to schedule an initial consultation if you are searching for a trauma therapist in the Boulder, Co area.