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Who We Serve

ITTC provides an integrative approach to working with trauma. The nature of working through past trauma can be difficult and at times overwhelming. Treatment should occur in stages in order to prevent destabilization and re-traumatization. Generally, the stages mimic the outline below:

  • Stage 1: Psychoeducation, creating safety, increasing skills around managing otherwise unmanageable emotions, and creating boundaries in a client’s life.
  • Stage 2: Trauma processing
  • Stage 3: Planning for the future and saying good-bye

Due to the nature of our work and the specializations of our clinicians we are not equipped to see clients with high intensity needs. Below are some referral sources for higher needs clients. We welcome all clients back once they are further along in their stabilization.

We Provide Support For

PTSD & C-PTSD

Any situation that a person finds traumatic can cause PTSD.

Those with PTSD often relive the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks. They may experience feelings of isolation, irritability, guilt and suffer from sleep disturbances.

Complex PTSD may be caused by experiencing recurring or long-term traumatic events, experiencing trauma at a young age or were harmed by someone close to you.

PTSD can develop immediately after someone experiences a disturbing event, or it can occur weeks, months or even years later.

Interpersonal Trauma

Interpersonal Trauma is trauma that is a result from interactions with other people. This could be; intimate partner violence, childhood abuse, physical or sexual assault.

Those who have experienced interpersonal trauma may experience emotional distress through anger, sadness, anxiety, shame, numbness, and/or feeling overwhelmed. Physical distress through fatigue, nausea, muscle tremors, and/or hyperarousal. Behavioral distress through avoidant behaviors, high-risk behaviors, sleep and appetite disturbances, and/or difficulties in relationships.

Dissociative Disorder

Dissociative disorders are frequently associated with previous experience of trauma and involve experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions and identity. People with dissociative disorders escape reality in ways that are involuntary and interfere with functioning in everyday life.

Dissociative symptoms may include the experience of detachment or feeling as if one is outside one’s body, and loss of memory or amnesia.

Single Incident

A traumatic experience that happens only once. Examples of this include: a car accident, isolated sexual or physical assault, natural disasters, etc.

One event can have a profound effect on a survivor’s ability to sleep, to relate to others, and to function in a way that they had prior to that event.

Sexual Assault

Unwanted sexual contact or behavior impacts the lives and wellbeing of survivors in lots of different ways. Survivors may experience feelings related to PTSD, anxiety, depression, panic attacks and feeling a general lack of safety. While some of the impacts might last a few days, others might last for years . ­

Sex Trafficking and Sex Workers

Sexual and Identity Exploration

Sexual and identity exploration refers to the processes, experiences and changes over time in relation to a person’s identity as a sexual being and their patterns of sexual attractions and behaviors.

This process can include awareness, exploration, appraisal, commitment, integration, and communication about one’s preferences.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Assuming dissociation occurs on a continuum, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is on the far end of it, while occasional “forgetfulness,” or feeling disconnected from the body could be on the mild end of the spectrum. Other experiences that occur in a range of frequency or intensity and often include a sense that the body is distinctive from self.

DID as well as other forms of dissociation is commonly a response to developmental trauma, and thus would be approached from a stage-based perspective. Internal family systems (IFS) is often very effective with this population and is an honoring approach to survivors with such profound histories. ITTC views dissociative responses as an emotional life raft and approach it in a non-pathological manner.

LGBTQIA+

LGBTQIA+ individuals are more than twice as likely as heterosexuals to have a mental health disorder in their lifetime. They are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and substance misuse compared with heterosexual individuals. LGBTQIA+ members may also experience isolation, lack of connection to family and community, and increased levels of stress due to stigma and discrimination.

Grief and Loss

Grief is complicated and is different for everyone. However, most people would agree that dealing with a loss takes a toll on your mental health. Feelings of sadness, anger, loneliness, and hopeless are all common emotions that people experience during the grieving process. Those who are experiencing grief might also feel or act differently than usual, acting withdrawn and not enjoy their usual activities or engaging in risky behaviors.

Chronic Pain + Illness

Chronic pain and mental health are often interconnected. People who experience chronic pain are much more likely to develop mood and anxiety disorders. For some, anxiety and depression can worsen chronic pain and pain can aggravate mental health issues.

Perinatal Mental Health

Perinatal mental health refers to a woman’s mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period, a full 12 months after birth. Some examples of perinatal mental health concerns are postpartum depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and feelings of PTSD.

Perinatal depression and anxiety can often mask as feelings of inadequacy, feeling overwhelmed or trapped, or feelings of intense fear.

Vicarious Trauma

The emotional reaction to exposure to traumatic stories and experiences of others through work, and/or witnessing fear, pain, and terror that others have experienced. Experiencing vicarious trauma may include ruminating thoughts of the traumatic experience or rescue fantasies, feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, and cynicism.

For those who have witnessed a traumatic event, there may be feelings of bystander guilt, shame, feelings of self-doubt.

Developmental Trauma & Adverse Childhood Experiences

Adverse Childhood experiences (commonly referred to as ACEs) and developmental trauma are linked to higher levels of mental health concerns through adulthood. ACEs include experiences such as physical and emotional abuse, neglect, caregiver mental illness and/or substance use, and household violence.

Developmental trauma refers to adverse experiences in early childhood with the added complexity of occurring over time and within the context of a close relationship, most often a caregiver.

Intimate Relationships Trauma + Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

Intimate Relationships Trauma + Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is abuse or aggression that occurs in a romantic relationship. “Intimate partner” refers to both current and former spouses and dating partners.

IPV survivors often have immediate needs for safety and resources to improve their ability to cope, establish independence from their abusive partners, and engage in treatment. Survivors often internalize the verbal abuse from their partner. They may blame themselves for their situation, experience fear, as well as anger and resentment towards themselves and have extreme feelings of guilt.

Intergenerational and Family Trauma

Intergenerational trauma is a concept developed to help explain trauma that is passed from a trauma survivor to their descendants. This can occur if a parent experienced abuse as a child and the cycle of trauma and abuse impacts their parenting. Another example can also be the result of oppression, including racial trauma or other systemic oppression.

People experiencing intergenerational trauma may experience symptoms, reactions, patterns, and emotional and psychological effects from trauma experienced by previous generations. In addition, symptoms may include hyper-vigilance, anxiety, and mood dysregulation.

And More

Modalities and Approaches

Integrative Therapy

Integrative therapy is an individualized, holistic approach to therapy that combines ideas and techniques from different therapeutic schools of thought depending on the unique needs of a given client.

Clients who seek to have a voice in the direction of their therapy, and who view the therapeutic relationship as a partnership, may be especially receptive to an integrative approach.

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to focus on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation through eye movements which has been associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the traumatic memories.

EMDR requires a high level of stabilization and resourcing prior to beginning and is not suitable for all types of trauma. 

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an approach to therapy that identifies and addresses multiple sub-personalities or “families” within each person’s mental system. IFS focuses on healing the wounded parts and restoring mental balance by changing the dynamics that create dissonance among the sub-personalities and the Self.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a talk therapy that encourages you to change the negative thinking patterns you have and to reevaluate the way you think and behave in triggering situations and challenges.

CBT seeks to give clients the ability to recognize when their thoughts might become troublesome, and gives them techniques to redirect those thoughts.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of talk therapy that is based on CBT. It is a structured program with a strong educational component designed to provide skills for managing intense emotions and negotiating social relationships.

DBT helps clients find ways to accept themselves, feel safe, and manage their emotions to help regulate potentially destructive or harmful behaviors.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is designed to help clients learn to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with their inner emotions and, instead, accept that these deeper feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that should not prevent them from moving forward in their lives.

Somatic Experiencing

Somatic therapy is a form of body-centered therapy that looks at the connection of mind and body and uses both traditional talk therapy and physical therapies, such as use mind-body exercises, for holistic healing.

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing is a therapeutic method that helps people resolve mixed feelings and insecurities to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior.

Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma-informed care describes a framework for working with and relating to clients who have experienced negative consequences after exposure to a dangerous or threatening experience or set of experiences. Trauma-informed care is important for achieving mental health equity because it helps traditionally marginalized people or people who have experienced trauma to trust their clinicians and engage more meaningfully with their care.

Narrative

Narrative therapy is a form of therapy that views people as separate from their problems and destructive behaviors. This allows clients to get some distance from the difficulty they face and gain some perspective allowing them to “rewrite” their narrative to reflect who they really are.

Solution-focused

Solution-Focused therapy focuses on finding solutions in the present and exploring one’s hope for the future in order to find a quick and pragmatic resolution of one’s problems rather than dwelling in the past.

Person-Centered

Person-centered therapy is a non-authoritative approach that allows clients to take more of a lead in sessions such that, in the process, they discover their own solutions.

Culturally Sensitive Therapy

Culturally sensitive therapy is an approach to therapy that acknowledges and emphasizes the therapist’s understanding of a client’s background and belief system as it relates to their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or other important elements that make up someone’s culture and/or identity. Therapists incorporate cultural sensitivity into their work to accommodate and respect differences in the opinions, values, and attitudes of various cultures and different types of people and to provide the most effective treatment for a particular client.

Feminist Therapy

Feminist therapy is an approach to therapy that focuses on the challenges that women face as a result of bias, stereotyping, oppression, discrimination, and how those stressors can negatively affect their mental health.

And More

When Additional Support May Be Needed

For those struggling with addiction

Due to the nature of trauma therapy, it is very important that those who enter treatment with ITTC are not actively abusing substances. While we recognize that substances are often used to manage symptoms of past trauma, it is crucial that drug and alcohol use is not impacting day-to-day life. ITTC is not capable of treating substance use disorders and we refer those who are active in an addiction to an organization that specializes in chemical dependency prior to engaging in treatment at ITTC.

For those looking for residential treatment

ITTC is an outpatient facility. If you are private pay or have commercial insurance, we recommend using a consultant to help locate the appropriate residential facility to meet your needs.

 

For those who require frequent visits or communication between therapy sessions

ITTC is an outpatient program and thus we are unable to offer regular communication between sessions or crisis intervention. ITTC will refer clients who require more frequent communication or visits to a higher level of care or agency that can offer more resources. Under OHP, frequency of services is based on a client’s level of care.

 

For those who are in need of intensive case management

Generally, prior to engaging in trauma therapy, life circumstances need to be relatively stable. This includes having a predictable place to sleep, the ability to address activities of daily living and hygiene, the ability to ensure regular meals are accessible and medical needs are taken care of. ITTC does not offer intensive case management services and thus we are unable to help address these challenges faced by many people in our community. However, we can facilitate connecting those in need to trusted partners who have expertise and capacity in connecting community members to local resources.

 

For those who are covered under Medicare

Unfortunately, ITTC is not currently contracted with Medicare, but do recommend the following facilities for those who are utilizing Medicare to pay for mental health services.

 

Catherine Sims and Athena Philips, ITTC

We offer services to

  • Adults
  • Young Adults
  • Adolescents 12+
  • LGBTQIA+
  • Groups, Schools & Businesses
  • Medical & Mental Health Professionals
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