Galana Chookolingo PhD, LPC

Have you experienced a sexual assault or multiple sexual traumas? Are you unsure if what you experienced was a sexual assault because you were in a relationship with the other person or you were coerced into performing sexual acts with someone? Supportive counseling can help you process your traumatic experience(s) and help you to move forward to have the type of relationship you want and deserve. In some cases, if a victim/survivor has developed PTSD, I may use Prolonged Exposure therapy.

Trauma takes on many forms. Either witnessing a traumatic event or first-handedly experiencing a traumatic event can both lead to PTSD. It’s important to note that not everyone who is exposed to trauma will develop PTSD, but some do. Acknowledging and facing the trauma can help to decrease the hold that traumatic experience might have on you. In my sessions, after carefully assessing the impact of the trauma on you, I work with you to face your trauma rather than avoid it.

Is worry keeping you up all night? Are you concerned that you might be overthinking things? Are you feeling like no matter what you say or do, it’s never going to be right? If anxiety is taking control of your life, we can collaboratively establish a plan to help ease that anxiety. My style is to use talk therapy to help you identify strategies to understand and change that anxious talk patterns while also incorporating techniques from mindfulness and self-compassion.

​Traumatic experiences occur all the time. Not everyone develops PTSD. If you are wondering if you have PTSD, you have already been diagnosed with PTSD, or you have tried traditional talk therapy with limited benefit, consider trying Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD. PE helps you face your traumatic experience rather than avoid it. Avoidance maintains PTSD. Facing your trauma helps you to move past it. Sharing your trauma can feel scary, which is why so many people avoid talking about it.