Trauma Therapy for Women in Florida & Texas
Healing from past hurts at your own pace, whether you’d like faith at the heart of your healing or prefer a non-faith based approach. Your story is welcomed here either way.
How Difficult Past Experiences Affect You Today
Painful experiences don’t always stay in the past. They can quietly shape the way you think, feel, and relate to others long after they’ve ended. This is true even when you’ve worked hard to move on.
You might hold back in relationships, waiting for people to disappoint you. You might hear an inner critic that’s quick to tell you you’re too much, not enough, or somehow at fault. Those beliefs were learned during painful seasons, and what was learned can be gently unlearned.
What Counts as a Difficult Past Experience?
Many women hesitate to reach out because they’re not sure what they went through was “bad enough.” Trauma isn’t only about single, catastrophic events. It can also come from ongoing experiences that slowly shaped how you see yourself and others. What matters is how those experiences affected you. Some of the hurts I help women heal from include:
Childhood emotional neglect, such as growing up with a critical, controlling, or emotionally unavailable parent
Relational trauma, including a past relationship that left you doubting yourself, betrayal by someone you trusted, emotional abuse, or physical abuse
Church hurt, or painful experiences within a church or faith community
Bullying that shaped how you see yourself
Unresolved grief and loss, including major life changes that were never fully grieved
Why You Can’t Just “Get Over” the Past
If you’ve tried to move on and still feel stuck, it’s not because you haven’t tried hard enough. When painful experiences happen, especially early in life or with people you depended on, your mind forms beliefs to make sense of them: I am not lovable. I cannot trust anyone. It must be my fault. Those beliefs often stay long after, making it difficult to move forward.
Insight alone rarely changes them. You can know in your head that you’re worthy and still not feel it. Healing happens when those old beliefs are gently brought into the light and met with something new: understanding, compassion, and the experience of being truly heard.
How Trauma Therapy Can Help
Going at your pace. You won’t be pushed to share details before you’re ready.
Understanding the connection. Explore how past experiences shaped the beliefs you hold about yourself and others.
Trauma-focused techniques to help painful memories feel less overwhelming and lose their hold on the present.
Self-compassion work to quiet the inner critic and replace shame with understanding.
Rebuilding trust, beginning with a safe, steady relationship in therapy.
Optional faith integration.
Optional Christian-Integrated Trauma Therapy
For many women, faith is a deep source of strength. Yet past hurts can also make it hard to feel close to God or believe His love applies to them. In faith integrated therapy, we can look at your story through the lens of faith, helping you replace shame with grace and see yourself through God’s eyes. Our work can include finding comfort in the promises that have carried you before, along with plenty of room for honest questions.
If faith isn’t something you want in your sessions, that’s completely okay. Your therapy will be just as supportive and effective either way.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What if what I went through wasn’t “that bad”?
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Many women minimize their experiences because others seemed to have it worse. But painful experiences don’t have to be extreme to leave a lasting mark.
Will talking about the past make me feel worse?
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Sometimes difficult feelings do come up, but we’ll go at a pace that feels manageable and focus first on helping you feel steady and supported.
Can trauma therapy be done online?
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Yes. Research shows online therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy. I offer online sessions to women throughout Florida and Texas, so you can do this work from the comfort and privacy of your own home.
No. You decide what to share and when. I use Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), which focuses less on retelling every detail and more on the beliefs those experiences left behind. Many women find real relief by working on how the past affects them today.
Do I have to talk about the details of what happened?
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Terapia de Trauma en Español
Ofrezco terapia en español para mujeres en Florida y Texas que desean sanar heridas del pasado, liberarse de la vergüenza y volver a confiar. Si lo deseas, podemos incluir tu fe en el proceso y apoyarnos en la Palabra de Dios, pero siempre será tu decisión. Todas las sesiones son en línea, para que puedas recibir apoyo desde la privacidad de tu hogar.
About Mari Fajardo, LCSW
I’m Mari Fajardo, a licensed clinical social worker in Florida and Texas with 20 years of experience helping women experience healing from difficult past experiences. I offer online therapy in English and Spanish, with Christian faith integration for clients who desire it.
Scheduling, Insurance, and Fees
Online sessions by secure video for women located in Florida or Texas
In-network with Aetna, Cigna, and Florida Blue
Self-pay rate: $150 per session
Afternoon and evening appointments available
Not Sure Where to Begin?
Reaching out can feel like a big step. A free 15-minute consultation gives you a chance to ask about my approach, how faith can be part of our work if you’d like, or anything else on your mind.
Prefer to send a message? Email me at mari@soulsteadcounseling.com