Trauma Therapy Denver CO
Reasons to Go to Therapy, And What People Are Really Searching for When They Start Healing
Most people don’t reach out for therapy because they’re “broken.” They reach out because something inside them is whispering I want more for myself — more ease, more clarity, more solid ground to stand on.
And if you’re someone who has lived through trauma, chronic pain, or an eating disorder, that whisper is often tangled with exhaustion, self-doubt, or the quiet ache of feeling disconnected from who you truly are.
In my work as a trauma, pain, and eating disorder therapist, people come to therapy not because they’re weak, but because they’re tired of holding everything alone. They want support. They want understanding. They want to feel like themselves again.
Below is a compassionate and honest look at why people choose therapy, what they’re hoping for when they start, and how a somatic, trauma-informed approach can help.
Common Reasons People Start Therapy With Me
People rarely start therapy with a perfect, polished sentence about what they want. Instead, they describe experiences, fears, or longings they haven’t said out loud before.
Here are some of the most common things people tell me when they begin trauma therapy, eating disorder therapy, or chronic pain therapy:
They want to…
Trust themselves again — instead of feeling like their instincts are “off” or unreliable.
Develop healthier coping strategies instead of defaulting to overworking, restricting, numbing, or disappearing into caretaking.
Reduce eating disorder behaviors so they can feel safer in their bodies and more peaceful around food.
Feel less angry at the world and stop carrying resentment that doesn’t feel like “them.”
Feel more compassionate toward themselves — especially toward the ways they reacted to trauma, like freezing, people-pleasing, or shutting down.
Feel connected to their emotions instead of confused, overwhelmed, or numb.
Stop people-pleasing and feel more grounded in who they are, even when others have big reactions.
Believe that the abuse or assault they experienced was real — rather than minimizing it or assuming they’re “overreacting.”
Release shame and stop feeling like what happened was their fault.
Feel safer with physical intimacy after sexual assault or trauma.
Reduce chronic pain by working with the nervous system, rather than fighting their bodies.
Feel more authentically themselves — without the mask, the facade, or the survival strategies that once kept them safe.
Every one of these desires is deeply human. None of them require you to be falling apart. They just mean something in you is ready to heal.
Signs You Might Need More Support
You do not need to wait until life falls apart to seek trauma therapy. Many people come to therapy when life looks “fine” on the outside, but something on the inside feels off, heavy, or unmanageable.
Here are signs you may benefit from extra support:
Emotional and physical signs
You wake up already in a panic or dread.
You feel disconnected from yourself — like you’re watching your life happen from the outside.
You feel heavy, weighed down, or exhausted no matter how much you rest.
You lose yourself around other people, shifting your identity to keep the peace.
You feel socially anxious or on high alert in situations that others find “normal.”
Behavioral signs
You’re going through the motions, getting things done but feeling numb inside.
You don’t have the energy for basic tasks like laundry, dishes, errands, or self-care.
You avoid conflict because your body shuts down or freezes when tension appears.
You’re constantly second-guessing your decisions or needing reassurance from others.
You’re stuck in old trauma responses even when you logically “know better.”
Internal signs
You question whether what happened to you was “bad enough” to need help.
You blame yourself for how you reacted during trauma, like freezing, fawning, or staying silent.
You feel like you’ve lost your voice, your needs, or your identity.
You’re tired of pretending you’re okay.
And it is worth saying again:
You don’t need to be deeply struggling to go to therapy.
You can come simply because you want to understand yourself better. Because you want to feel more grounded. Because you’re curious about healing. Because you’re ready for life to feel less heavy.
Therapy doesn’t have to be a crisis response. It can be an investment in your future self.
Why Therapy Helps — Especially Somatic Therapy for Trauma, Eating Disorders, and Pain
Most people assume therapy is just talking. But talking doesn’t always reach the places where trauma, fear, or tension live.
That’s why I use a somatic, neurobiology-informed approach — one that works with your body, mind, and nervous system at the same time.
Somatic therapy helps you:
Learn what your body is trying to tell you.
Understand your stress responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) without shame.
Build safety from the inside out.
Release patterns that were once protective but now feel limiting.
Reduce chronic pain by regulating the nervous system.
Heal the body image and emotional roots of eating disorder symptoms.
Reconnect with parts of yourself that felt lost, hidden, or shut down.
For trauma
Somatic therapy helps you process what happened gently, at a pace your body can handle — not by retelling the story over and over, but by working with your nervous system so it can finally shift out of survival mode.
For chronic pain
Pain often intensifies when the nervous system is overwhelmed. By calming the system and working with patterns of bracing, tension, or shutdown, many people experience relief.
For eating disorders
Somatic work helps you build body safety so food, hunger, and emotions no longer feel threatening. It reconnects you to your needs, your cues, and your sense of self.
For anyone feeling lost or disconnected
Somatic therapy helps you come home to yourself gently — without pressure, judgment, or forcing breakthroughs.
Healing doesn’t have to be harsh. It can be slow, soft, and deeply transformative.
Summary
People come to therapy for many reasons — not because they’re failing, but because they’re ready to grow, heal, and reconnect with who they truly are. Whether you are navigating trauma, chronic pain, eating disorder symptoms, or persistent emotional overwhelm, therapy offers space to feel grounded, supported, and understood. A somatic approach allows your nervous system to soften, recalibrate, and repair, helping you move toward a life that feels more authentic, peaceful, and aligned with your true self.
About the Author: Trauma Therapy Denver CO
Martha Carter is a licensed therapist providing virtual services in Colorado. She is trauma-informed and trained in somatic, neurobiology-based modalities to help people with all types of trauma, chronic pain, and eating disorders heal from the inside out.
(Colorado residents only)
