Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment in Arvada, CO
Rebuilding Strength After Trauma
Carrying the weight of the past—whether from a traumatic event, a moral wound, or a significant loss—changes how you see the world.
At 70 West Counseling, we specialize in trauma therapy in Arvada to help you rebuild your inner strength. We provide a safe, compassionate space to process your story, regulate your nervous system, and guide you toward a future restored, finding meaning and peace on the other side of pain.
Trauma Recovery: When the Past Won’t Stay in the Past
Trauma is not just about “what happened to you”—it is about how your body and mind survived it. You may feel safe intellectually, yet your body remains on high alert, reacting to the present as if the danger is still here.
At 70 West Counseling, our trauma therapy helps you move out of “survival mode.” We provide a safe space to process painful memories, regulate your nervous system, and reclaim your sense of safety in your own skin.
Survival Mode: The Hidden Impact of Trauma
One of the most exhausting parts of being a trauma survivor is living in a state of constant “Survival Mode.” You may feel like your nervous system is stuck in overdrive, unable to rest even when you are safe.
You may experience:
- Hypervigilance: Constantly scanning your environment for danger, even in safe places.
- Dissociation: “Numbing out” or feeling disconnected to escape overwhelming emotions.
- Emotional Reactivity: Reacting with sudden anger or tears that feel out of proportion to the situation.
These responses were necessary protections in the past—but today, they leave you feeling drained. Trauma therapy helps you signal to your body that the danger has passed, so you can stop surviving and start living.
Common Signs of Unresolved Trauma
Trauma often manifests physically before it is understood emotionally. As noted by the American Psychological Association (APA), untreated trauma can lead to long-term physical and emotional
Physical Symptoms
- Chronic Exhaustion: Feeling drained even after a full night’s sleep.
- Unexplained Pain: Frequent headaches, stomach issues, or muscle tension (“armoring”).
- Hypersensitivity: Being easily startled by loud noises or sudden movements.
- Physical Numbness: Feeling disconnected from your body (Depersonalization).
- Autoimmune Issues: Frequent illness due to a nervous system stuck on “high alert.”
Emotional Symptoms
- Emotional Volatility: Going from calm to angry or tearful in seconds (0 to 100).
- Deep Shame: A persistent feeling that you are “broken” or at fault.
- Difficulty Trusting: Waiting for the “other shoe to drop” in relationships.
- Dissociation: Feeling like you are floating, “zoned out,” or watching life from a distance.
- Loss of Joy: Difficulty feeling excitement or pleasure (Anhedonia).
Behavioral Symptoms
- Isolation: Withdrawing from loved ones because socializing feels unsafe.
- People-Pleasing: Over-apologizing or fawning to avoid conflict.
- Self-Sabotage: Unconsciously disrupting success because chaos feels more familiar.
- Rigid Control: Needing everything to be perfect to manage internal anxiety.
- Numbing Behaviors: Using food, substances, or scrolling to shut off your brain.
Healing the Brain & Body: How Trauma Therapy Restores Balance
Trauma and anxiety aren’t just in your head; they live in your body. As IPNB therapists, we don’t just talk. We use Somatic (Body-Based) Awareness and Neuroscience to understand how your nervous system developed. By applying Attachment Theory and understanding Neuroplasticity, we help you retrain your brain for safety and connection.
- Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB): Healing relational wounds by using the safety of the therapeutic relationship to help rewire your brain for trust and emotional regulation.
- EMDR Therapy: Desensitizing painful memories so they no longer trigger an immediate physical fight-or-flight response.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Gently challenging deep-seated beliefs like “I am broken” or “It was my fault,” helping you rewrite your internal narrative.
- Somatic & Mindfulness Techniques: Helping you feel safe in your body again, moving you out of a constant state of high alert.
PTSD Treatment: Breaking the Cycle of Flashbacks
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often caused by a single, overwhelming event—like an accident, assault, or natural disaster. The memory doesn’t feel like the past; it feels like it is happening right now. A sound, a smell, or a location can trigger the same physical panic you felt then.
We help you break the loop. Using targeted therapies like EMDR, we help your brain process the event, file it away as a “past memory,” and allow you to walk through your life without fear of the next trigger.
The Shrinking World: Understanding PTSD Avoidance
One of the most debilitating aspects of PTSD is avoidance. To protect yourself from flashbacks or panic, you may unknowingly start “shrinking your world.” According to the National Center for PTSD, avoiding reminders is a core symptom that keeps the trauma cycle alive.
- Stop Driving: Avoiding certain routes or highways to bypass reminders of an accident.
- Social Isolation: Skipping gatherings where you can’t easily control your environment or locate exits.
- Sleep Avoidance: Fearing sleep to escape nightmares, which often leads to chronic exhaustion and irritability.
These behaviors keep you safe in the short term, but they make your life smaller. Our PTSD treatment provides a safe environment to face these fears gently and reclaim your freedom.
Re-Living (Intrusive Symptoms)
- Flashbacks: Feeling like the event is happening right now.
- Nightmares: Recurring, vivid dreams related to the trauma.
- Distressing Memories: Unwanted thoughts that pop up when you are relaxing.
- Physical Reactivity: Sweating or shaking when reminded of the event.
Avoidance & Numbing
- Avoiding Triggers: Staying away from people or places that remind you of the trauma.
- Memory Blocks: Inability to recall key parts of the event.
- Emotional Detachment: Feeling cut off from loved ones.
- Loss of Interest: Giving up hobbies you used to love.
Arousal & Reactivity
- Hypervigilance: Constantly checking exits or watching your back.
- Startle Response: Jumping at loud noises or unexpected touch.
- Irritability: Aggressive outbursts or severe impatience.
- Sleep Disturbance: Difficulty falling or staying asleep.
How PTSD Therapy Works
Recovery from PTSD requires more than just “talking about it.” We use specific protocols to process the memory safely without re-traumatizing you.
- EMDR Therapy: The gold standard for PTSD. It helps desensitize traumatic memories, moving them from “active threat” to “past history.”
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps you identify and reframe “stuck points” (like “The world is entirely dangerous”) that keep the PTSD cycle going.
- Grounding Techniques: Practical tools to pull you out of a flashback and anchor you firmly in the present moment.
Living in “survival mode” is exhausting. You don’t have to keep white-knuckling through life alone. We can help you find safety again.
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) & Childhood Trauma
While standard PTSD is often tied to a single, shocking event (like an accident), Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) stems from repeated, ongoing trauma. This often occurs during childhood neglect, prolonged domestic abuse, or living in a home where you had to “walk on eggshells” to stay safe.
Because the trauma was ongoing, your nervous system didn’t just react to a threat—it formed your personality around surviving it. You may feel like you don’t just “have” trauma, but that you are fundamentally “broken.”
Signs of Complex Trauma
C-PTSD symptoms often feel more like “personality traits” than symptoms. According to the CPTSD Foundation, common signs include:
- Emotional Flashbacks: Sudden, intense waves of feeling small, helpless, or terrified without a specific memory attached. You feel like the frightened child you once were.
- The Inner Critic: A harsh, relentless internal voice that judges your every move, telling you that you are worthless, lazy, or unlovable.
- Toxic Shame: A deep-seated belief that you are the problem. Unlike guilt (“I did something bad”), shame says “I AM bad.”
- Difficulty Regulating Emotions: Finding it hard to calm down after being upset, or feeling emotions at 100% intensity.
- Relational Struggle: Oscillating between desperately wanting connection and being terrified of it (Disorganized Attachment).
Healing the Wounds of the Past
Recovery from childhood trauma isn’t about blaming your past; it’s about reclaiming your future. Since C-PTSD is a “relational wound,” it requires a relational cure.
- Reparenting & Inner Child Work: Learning to offer yourself the compassion and safety you didn’t receive as a child.
- Parts Work (IFS-Informed): Understanding that your “defensive” behaviors (like perfectionism or shutting down) are just parts of you trying to protect the wounded child inside.
- Attachment-Focused Therapy: Building a secure relationship with your therapist to learn that connection can be safe.
Your Story Isn’t Over: Start Your Healing Journey
Trauma and Moral Injury can make you feel like you are stuck in the past, but healing is possible. At 70 West Counseling, we provide a safe, non-judgmental space for veterans, first responders, and civilians to process their experiences and reclaim their lives.
Whether you are seeking EMDR for PTSD, support for Childhood Trauma (C-PTSD), or a compassionate witness for Moral Injury, our team in Arvada is here to walk that path with you.
Contact 70 West Counseling Today
We offer both in-person sessions at our Arvada clinic and secure Telehealth options across Colorado.
- 📍 5310 Ward Road, Suite 110, Arvada, CO 80002
- 📞 (720) 898-3208
- 📅 Mon–Fri 9am–8pm | Sat 9am–3pm