Work with me

I specialize in healing from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and burnout using the NeuroAffective Relational Model™ (NARM).

Complex trauma, sometimes referred to as C-PTSD, arises from prolonged and repeated interpersonal and environmental challenges. This form of trauma deeply influences our sense of safety, self-worth, and relationships. It’s also known by other names—developmental, relational, attachment, cultural, and intergenerational trauma—each highlighting the varied ways it can shape our lives and experiences.

In the face of such challenges, we often adopt survival strategies to cope. While these strategies once protected us, they may now manifest as pushing through exhaustion, ignoring our body’s signals, or striving under unrealistic expectations, leaving us feeling disconnected and depleted.

Burnout happens when the demands of life outweigh our resources to meet them—whether in the workplace, at home as a caregiver or parent, or in the face of chronic stressors like relational tension or health challenges. It's not just about being tired; it’s a deep sense of exhaustion that touches every part of who we are.

In our sessions, we’ll collaboratively explore your survival strategies, gently unpacking them to foster self-understanding and healing. We will meet them with presence, curiosity, and compassion so that you can become an expert on your inner world. When you are able to see and feel what’s happening inside more clearly, you can also rebuild your capacity for connection to yourself and to others.

Sessions are 90 minutes long, allowing us space to explore more deeply without the added pressure of time.

“I appreciate the deep, generous listening that Helen offers in her practice. In her sessions, she goes beyond merely observing my emotional landscape - it feels like she comes along for the ride, which feels very loving and safe. I love that she catches subtle shifts in my voice, words, and nonverbal cues, which helps me notice and feel connected to my body as we reflect together. Bonus: having 90-minute sessions removes the time pressure I’ve sometimes experienced with other practices and feels much more appropriate for deep exploration.”

-Kat, 41, Rochester

We may be a good fit if you are experiencing…

  • persistent difficulties in relationships, including feeling disconnected from and acting out on others in areas such as friendship, intimacy, parenting, and work

  • persistent difficulties in being able to regulate your emotions, which includes a larger sense of being out of control of your body and reactions (or, in more extreme cases, dissociating from your internal physical, emotional, and cognitive states)

  • persistent difficulties with identity, including negative beliefs about yourself as being shameful, bad, or worthless

How NARM differs from more traditional therapeutic approaches

I love NARM because it brings a humanistic perspective to treating trauma, gently emphasizes agency, and focuses on relational health. Some key differentiators:

  • Emphasizes strengths and resources rather than focusing on pathology

  • Stays rooted in the present moment, prioritizing what’s happening now over revisiting the past

  • Explores how we’ve adapted to trauma rather than dwelling on trauma stories

  • Encourages containment and self-regulation instead of relying on catharsis

  • Values open-ended inquiry over rigid goals or outcomes

  • Centers on curiosity and exploration rather than predetermined strategies

  • Focuses on internal experiences and psychobiological processes instead of external behaviors

  • Aims to shift the underlying patterns that drive symptoms, rather than just managing the symptoms themselves

  • Places the client in the driver’s seat, with the practitioner offering guidance and opportunities for growth

Ready to begin your healing journey? Let’s connect.

Testimonials

  • “Helen has a true gift for holding space for your experience. Her presence is generous, gentle, and kind—exactly the kind of supportive energy you need when you're navigating burnout or deep emotional wounding. But don't mistake her warmth for passivity: she's incredibly courageous and astute, with a gentle candor that pushes you to meet your challenges with a steady hand. I'm thrilled to recommend her to anyone who's ready to take the next step on the healing journey with the help of a compassionate guide.”

    - M.J., 38, Los Angeles

  • “I appreciate the deep, generous listening that Helen offers in her practice. In her sessions, she goes beyond merely observing my emotional landscape - it feels like she comes along for the ride, which feels very loving and safe. I love that she catches subtle shifts in my voice, words, and nonverbal cues, which helps me notice and feel connected to my body as we reflect together. Bonus: having 90-minute sessions removes the time pressure I’ve sometimes experienced with other practices and feels much more appropriate for deep exploration.”

    -Kat, 41, Rochester

  • “I had a 90-minute session with Helen and I didn’t know what to expect. When I went to her website and saw what she specializes in, it sounded like we would be a good fit. The idea that burnout and C-PTSD are related, and that they can be not just work related or injury related, but also due to repeated relational stress…that got my attention. I was experiencing a freeze response and dissociation in my last relationship during moments of relational burnout, and Helen helped me to explore my experience and make more sense of what happened for me in those moments. She has a calming presence and is able to deeply listen and reflect back in a way that I not only felt deeply seen, but also gained new insights about myself and my blind spots…” read more

    -Mati, 39, Los Angeles

  • “Helen is a natural.  Her compassion and wisdom are genuine, born from many years of learning from others and her own healing journey.  She was able to build trust, put me at ease, perceive when I needed space to express myself and when I needed assistance, provide reassurance, ask insightful questions, and guide me to a lighter state of being, all within the first session!  In short, I feel confident that anyone would be in excellent hands with her.”

    -Courtney, 41, Los Angeles

  • “There’s something about the way Helen holds space that makes you feel like you can finally exhale. In our session, I didn’t feel like a problem to be fixed—I felt like a person finally being met. She met me where I was, with this quiet, grounded presence that made it feel okay to just be. In her company, I didn’t feel like I had to perform or protect. She listened with such genuine curiosity, like every part of me was welcome. There was no rush to get anywhere, no pressure to be anything other than what I was. Just her alongside me, gently reflecting back what she noticed with so much care and honesty…” read more

    -Gordana, 41, Novi Sad

  • “Working with Helen was a deeply grounding experience. Her calm, warm presence immediately put me at ease. She asked thoughtful, curious questions that were never judgmental or confrontational—only inviting. Helen held space for me in a way that felt both affirming and assuring, allowing me to connect with my body and gently explore my emotions. I left our session feeling seen, supported, and more in tune with myself.”

    -Liz, 44, Los Angeles

  • “I am pleasantly surprised by how much personal insight I have gained from working with Helen. She has a calming presence that immediately makes me feel comfortable confiding in her and somehow seems to know all the right questions to ask to encourage me to keep digging deeper inside myself. She guides me to explore things from different perspectives I had not considered, gently helping me find levels of understanding that I had yet to reach on my own. I highly recommend anyone and everyone to have a session with Helen and allow her to hold space for you; may you feel just as empowered as I felt by what you discover about yourself in that time.”

    -Alice, 36, Hermosa Beach