Relationship Trauma and Chronic Illness Therapy
“Trauma is not what happens to you. It’s what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.” ~Gabor Mate
My Philosophy
I believe the body holds the story of what we have lived through. When experiences go unprocessed, they often show up in the body as fatigue, chronic or autoimmune illness, anxiety, gut issues, restlessness, or compulsive patterns. These are not failures or flaws, but signals that something inside is asking for care and attention.
Healing is not just a cognitive process. Because so much trauma is stored in the body, lasting change happens when we include both mind and nervous system in the work. I believe in a root up approach to therapy, where healing happens at a pace that feels safe, supported, and sustainable.
Meet Hannah
Therapeutic Approach
We are all complex human beings, therefore, there is no “one size fits all” approach to therapy. Together, we will discuss your unique needs and collaborate to identify what approach and interventions are best suited for you.
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EMDR gently supports your nervous system in doing what it naturally wants to do, which is heal. Using bilateral stimulation such as guided eye movements, tapping, or sound, we help the brain reprocess these memories so they feel less raw, less overwhelming, and less defining. You do not need to talk through every detail of your trauma. In fact, EMDR often involves less talking than traditional talk therapy.
This approach can be especially helpful if you feel stuck in patterns you do not fully understand, weighed down by past experiences, or carrying shame, fear, or anxiety that feels hard to shake. EMDR is a powerful tool for trauma recovery, and we always move at your pace, with safety, support, and stability at the center of the process.
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IFS, or Internal Family Systems, is a gentle and empowering approach to therapy that helps us understand the different “parts” of ourselves, each with its own thoughts, feelings, and roles. These parts often develop in response to difficult or painful experiences, especially earlier in life, and many end up carrying responsibilities they were never meant to hold.
In therapy, we create a safe and supportive space to get to know these parts, not to judge them or push them away, but to listen and understand. We explore how some parts may still be stuck in roles like protector, caretaker, or inner critic, often because they were doing their best to help at the time. Through this process, we begin to approach wounded parts of ourselves with compassion and curiosity, allowing them to release what they have been carrying and find new, healthier ways of being.
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CBT is a collaborative and practical approach to therapy that helps you explore the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It does not assume your thoughts are wrong or that something about you needs to be fixed. Instead, it offers tools to better understand how certain patterns may have developed in response to difficult or overwhelming experiences.
In a trauma informed CBT space, we move at your pace. We gently look at how beliefs shaped by past experiences may still be influencing how you see yourself, others, or the world around you. The goal is not to dismiss these beliefs, but to open the door to new perspectives that support healing, safety, and a sense of empowerment.
Virtual and In Person Options
Address
1601 Concord Pike 202, Wilmington, DE 19803
Email
hello@marigoldmentalwellness.com
Phone
(302) 667-5889