Trauma-Informed Therapists Available Throughout Long Island for Adults, Children, and Families
Trauma affects people in profound and lasting ways. It can change how you see yourself, how you relate to others, and how you move through the world. But trauma doesn’t have to define your future. With the right support – from therapists who truly understand trauma and how it affects the mind and body – healing is possible.
Long Island Counseling offers trauma-informed care throughout Long Island, with a team of therapists trained in evidence-based approaches specifically designed to help people heal from traumatic experiences. Whether you’re dealing with a single traumatic event or complex trauma that has shaped your life for years, we’re here to help you find safety, process what happened, and move toward a life that feels more stable and fulfilling.
Get connected today to a trauma-informed therapist who understands what you’ve been through. Call (516) 882-4544 or reach out through our online form and we’ll connect with you to talk about next steps. We have offices in Huntington, Melville, East Meadow, and Rockville Centre, NY.
What is Trauma-Informed Care?
Trauma-informed care is an approach to therapy that recognizes how deeply trauma affects a person’s mental health, relationships, and daily functioning. Rather than simply asking “What’s wrong with you?” trauma-informed therapists ask “What happened to you?” – and they understand that many behaviors, symptoms, and struggles are adaptive responses to overwhelming experiences.
Trauma-informed care is built on a few core principles:
- Safety – Creating a therapeutic environment where you feel physically and emotionally safe, both in the therapy room and in your life outside of it.
- Trust and Transparency – Building a relationship where you understand what’s happening in therapy, why certain approaches are being used, and where you have control over the pace and direction of your healing.
- Empowerment and Choice – Giving you agency in your own treatment. You’re not a passive recipient of care – you’re an active participant in your healing process.
- Collaboration – Working together with your therapist to identify what you need and what will help you move forward, rather than having treatment dictated to you.
These principles shape every aspect of how we work with clients who have experienced trauma.
The Link Between Trauma and Mental Health
Trauma doesn’t always look the way people expect it to. It’s not just veterans with PTSD or survivors of violent crimes. Trauma can come from many different experiences, and it affects people in different ways.
Some common sources of trauma include:
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Sexual assault or domestic violence
- Accidents or medical trauma
- Loss of a loved one, particularly sudden or traumatic loss
- Witnessing violence or being in dangerous situations
- Emotional or psychological abuse
- Systemic or ongoing trauma, such as discrimination, poverty, or unstable living conditions
When trauma goes unprocessed, it can show up as:
- Anxiety, panic attacks, or hypervigilance
- Depression, hopelessness, or emotional numbness
- Difficulty trusting others or forming close relationships
- Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or nightmares
- Avoidance of people, places, or situations that remind you of the trauma
- Anger, irritability, or emotional dysregulation
- Difficulty concentrating or feeling disconnected from your body
These symptoms aren’t signs of weakness or failure. They’re signs that your nervous system is stuck in a state of threat, even when the danger has passed. Trauma-informed therapy helps your brain and body understand that you’re safe now, and gives you tools to process what happened so you can move forward.
What Trauma-Informed Therapy Looks Like at LIC
At Long Island Counselin, our trauma-informed therapists use approaches that are specifically designed to help people heal from trauma. These therapies recognize that trauma is stored not just in your thoughts, but in your body and nervous system as well.
Some of the evidence-based approaches we use include:
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) – A highly effective therapy that helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they’re no longer overwhelming or intrusive. EMDR has strong research support for treating PTSD and other trauma-related conditions.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Trauma – CBT helps you identify and change thought patterns that developed as a result of trauma, reducing symptoms like avoidance, negative beliefs about yourself, and hypervigilance.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – Particularly helpful for people who struggle with emotional regulation, self-harm, or relationship difficulties as a result of trauma. DBT teaches skills for managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness.
- Somatic Approaches – Trauma often lives in the body, showing up as tension, pain, or a sense of being disconnected from physical sensations. Somatic therapies help you reconnect with your body in a safe way and release stored trauma.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) – A compassionate approach that helps you understand the different parts of yourself that developed to cope with trauma, and work toward healing and integration.
Your therapist will work with you to determine which approach makes the most sense for your specific experiences and goals. Trauma therapy is not one-size-fits-all, and we tailor treatment to what you need.
Trauma Therapy for Children and Adolescents
Trauma affects children differently than it affects adults. Young people may not have the language to describe what they’ve been through, and their symptoms often show up as behavioral problems, school difficulties, or physical complaints rather than clear emotional distress.
Our trauma-informed therapists who work with children and adolescents understand how to:
- Create safety and trust with young clients – Children who have experienced trauma may be wary of adults or fearful of opening up. Our therapists use play therapy, art therapy, and other developmentally appropriate approaches to help children feel safe.
- Involve families in the healing process – Trauma doesn’t just affect the child – it affects the whole family. We work with parents and caregivers to help them understand their child’s behavior and support their healing.
- Address trauma symptoms that look like other problems – Sometimes trauma shows up as defiance, aggression, difficulty concentrating, or withdrawal. We help identify when these behaviors are rooted in trauma and address the underlying cause.
If your child has experienced trauma or is showing signs of trauma-related symptoms, early intervention can make a significant difference in their long-term well-being.
Why Choose LICS for Trauma-Informed Care?
Long Island Counseling has a large team of therapists with specialized training in trauma. This means we can match you with someone who has the expertise, approach, and personality that fits your needs.
Here’s what sets us apart:
- Specialized Training – Our therapists have advanced training in trauma-focused therapies like EMDR, DBT, and somatic approaches. We don’t just treat trauma as one issue among many – we have clinicians who focus specifically on trauma recovery.
- Trauma-Informed from the Start – From your first phone call to your first session, we approach every interaction with an understanding of how trauma affects people. We won’t push you to talk about things before you’re ready, and we respect your pace and your autonomy.
- Individualized Matching – We take the time to understand what you’ve been through and what you’re looking for in a therapist, so we can connect you with someone who’s the right fit.
- Multiple Locations and Telehealth – We have offices throughout Long Island and offer remote therapy options, making it easier to access care in a way that feels safe and convenient for you.
Trauma can feel isolating. It can make you believe that no one will understand what you’ve been through, or that you’re somehow broken because of what happened to you. But trauma doesn’t mean you’re broken – it means you’ve been through something overwhelming, and your mind and body responded in the only way they knew how.
Healing is possible. With the right support, you can process what happened, reduce the symptoms that are affecting your life, and move forward in a way that feels more grounded and more like yourself.
If you’ve experienced trauma and you’re ready to start healing – or if you’re not sure you’re ready but you want to talk to someone who understands – please reach out to Long Island Counseling today. We’re here to help, and we’ll meet you wherever you are in your healing journey.