Trauma therapy

Trauma Therapy in Brentwood & Nashville, TN

Many of us carry experiences from childhood or into our adulthood that felt too overwhelming, too confusing, or too painful to manage. As a result of the experience, something inside us shifted. We began to feel unsafe, disconnected, or stuck in ways that feel difficult to name. When trauma happens, our nervous system shifts into wanting to help us survive. We might fight, freeze, flee or fawn—anything to get to safety. But when the threat passes, our nervous system doesn’t always reset.
Trauma Therapy in Brentwood & Nashville, TN
The healing journey

You can begin to heal by learning to:

Recognize patterns
Recognize the patterns and survival strategies you developed in childhood that may be impacting you now
Regulate & feel safe
Regulate your nervous system and feel safe in your body again through trauma-informed practices
Reconnect with yourself
Reconnect with your feelings, needs, and boundaries and understand the beliefs that keep you stuck
Reclaim your wholeness
Build healthier, more authentic relationships and reclaim the sense of worth and wholeness that has always been yours
You can heal
Trauma can shape us, but it does not define us.
We aren’t made to live in survival mode forever. The cost is often exhaustion, disconnection, and a deep sense that something inside us never got to rest. You can heal.
Find the right therapist for you
Understanding Trauma: When Life Overwhelms Our Capacity to Cope
Understanding trauma

Understanding Trauma: When Life Overwhelms Our Capacity to Cope

When trauma happens, our nervous system shifts into wanting to help us survive. We might fight, freeze, flee or fawn—anything to get to safety. But when the threat passes, our nervous system doesn’t always reset. We aren’t made to live in survival mode forever. The cost is often exhaustion, disconnection, and a deep sense that something inside us never got to rest.

Trauma doesn’t always come from moments that look obvious. While physical or sexual abuse can be devastating, trauma can also come from experiences of emotional neglect, criticism, or dismissal. As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk reminds us, what matters is how the experience impacted our sense of safety and connection.

Developmental trauma

Developmental and Relational Trauma: The Wounds That Shape How We Love and Live

Jan Bergstrom, in The Gifts from a Challenging Childhood, describes Developmental and Relational Trauma as the wounds we experience in childhood when our caregivers’ own unresolved pain prevents them from fully meeting our needs for safety, attunement, and connection.

Many of us learned to perform, achieve, or please to feel loved. Others learned to withdraw or shut down to stay safe. These strategies helped us survive, but as adults, they can keep us stuck in patterns that no longer serve us. You can begin to heal these early wounds by learning to re-parent the parts of yourself that never got what they needed.

Developmental and Relational Trauma: The Wounds That Shape How We Love and Live
The Journey to Healing: A Safe Place to Begin
The healing process

The Journey to Healing: A Safe Place to Begin

Beginning trauma therapy can feel vulnerable. Many of us worry that if we let ourselves feel the pain, it will be too much. That’s why healing starts with safety. At Cypress Counseling Group, we move slowly and intentionally. Before diving into trauma work, we’ll help you build a foundation of self-care, identify your supports, and strengthen your ability to regulate your emotions.

You’ll begin to experience what it’s like to feel safe again…in your body, your emotions, and your relationships. Over time, you’ll feel more grounded, more connected, and more alive.

Building resilience

Building Resilience: Rewriting Your Story

Trauma can shape us, but it does not define us. As you move through the healing process, you’ll begin to see that you are not broken. You adapted. You’ll discover strength, resilience, and a deeper capacity for connection that was always within you.

You’ll begin to feel lighter, freer, and more fully yourself—no longer defined by your past but guided by who you are becoming. At Cypress, you’ll find compassionate therapists who understand trauma and walk with you at your pace. You don’t have to navigate this pain alone. Healing is possible, and it can start today.

Building Resilience: Rewriting Your Story
Testimonial
Carla has created space for me to not only know my emotional experience well but also hold the full range of emotions and even the most challenging parts of myself with utmost compassion and honesty. She has been a wise counsel, trusted resource, and safe space through the many things life, marriage, work, and parenting has thrown at me. Even as a seasoned therapist myself, when I imagine a good therapeutic response and excellent care, I imagine Carla. I couldn't possibly recommend her or her practice more.
Female Client, 37 years old
Testimonial
My therapist brings both expertise and genuine care to every session. She remembers what matters to me, comes prepared, and uses creative approaches to help me understand myself in ways I never could have on my own. If you're considering therapy but feeling unsure, I can't recommend it enough. Having that consistent support—someone who's in it with you through the hard times and celebrates the wins—has been invaluable. It's one of the best investments I've ever made in myself, and I only wish I had started sooner.
Female Client, 50 years old
Testimonial
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started therapy, but it has genuinely changed my life. Over the past five years, I've learned that therapy isn't just about talking through problems—it's about having someone truly invested in understanding you and helping you grow. What surprised me most was how much having a skilled, compassionate guide makes a difference.
Female Client, 50 years old
Testimonial
It is impossible to name all the ways I've grown and healed in my therapeutic work with Carla Babb. Working with her for the last decade has been one of the most fundamentally enriching and life-changing experiences of my days. Her warmth, empathy, and attunement has created a launch pad for me to become more centered, honest, authentic, and ultimately more myself.
Female Client, 37 years old