Trauma & PTSD Therapy

Trauma can affect far more than memories of painful experiences. It can shape the way you relate to yourself, others, your emotions, and even your body. Many people living with unresolved trauma struggle with chronic anxiety, perfectionism, emotional overwhelm, shame, burnout, relationship difficulties, or a persistent feeling of being “stuck,” even when they appear successful on the outside.

I provide trauma therapy for adolescents and adults in Cumming and Sandy Springs, Georgia, as well as online therapy throughout Georgia. My approach is warm, grounded, and integrative — helping clients not only understand their experiences intellectually, but begin to feel safer, more regulated, and more connected within themselves.

Trauma does not always look like a single catastrophic event. Sometimes it develops slowly through chronic stress, emotionally unsafe relationships, criticism, neglect, narcissistic abuse, or years of feeling unseen or unsupported.

You may notice trauma showing up as:

• Constant overthinking or rumination
• Anxiety or panic
• Emotional numbness
• Difficulty relaxing or feeling present
• Perfectionism and harsh self-criticism
• People pleasing or fear of rejection
• Shame and low self-worth
• Hypervigilance or feeling “on edge”
• Difficulty trusting others
• Chronic stress or burnout
• Body tension, digestive issues, or exhaustion
• Feeling disconnected from yourself or others

Many people blame themselves for these patterns without realizing their nervous system may still be operating from survival responses developed long ago.

Healing from trauma often requires more than simply talking about what happened. Trauma impacts both the mind and body, which is why I use a holistic and evidence-based approach tailored to each individual client’s needs.

My work integrates:

• Somatic therapy
• Breathwork and nervous system regulation
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT)
• Mind-body awareness
• Trauma-informed emotional processing

Together, we work to better understand the patterns keeping you stuck while also helping your nervous system begin to experience greater safety, regulation, and flexibility.

My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and non-judgmental. Therapy is not about “fixing” you — it is about helping you understand yourself more deeply while developing the tools and internal stability needed for lasting change.

Even when you logically know you are safe, your body may continue responding as though danger is still present. This can lead to patterns such as chronic anxiety, emotional shutdown, overachievement, people pleasing, irritability, difficulty resting, or feeling emotionally overwhelmed by situations that seem small to others.

Many high-achieving individuals stay trapped in cycles of overthinking, perfectionism, and emotional exhaustion because their nervous system has learned to equate safety with performance, control, or hyper-awareness.

Through trauma therapy, clients can begin learning how to:

• regulate emotional overwhelm
• reconnect with their bodies
• reduce shame and self-criticism
• tolerate emotions more effectively
• build healthier relationships
• feel more grounded and present in daily life

Many of the clients I work with are thoughtful, driven, highly self-aware individuals who feel exhausted internally despite functioning well externally. Some struggle with perfectionism, body image concerns, ADHD, relationship trauma, or the long-term effects of emotionally invalidating environments.

I also work with adolescents and teens navigating anxiety, emotional dysregulation, identity struggles, self-esteem issues, and the effects of family or relational stress.

Therapy can provide a space to slow down, better understand yourself, and begin creating change from a place of self-awareness rather than shame.

I offer in-person trauma therapy in both Cumming and Sandy Springs, GA, as well as secure online therapy sessions for clients throughout Georgia, including Alpharetta, Buckhead, Marietta, Roswell, and surrounding areas.

Healing is not about becoming a different person. It is about creating more safety, flexibility, self-understanding, and connection within yourself.

If you are looking for trauma therapy in Cumming or Sandy Springs, GA, or online therapy anywhere in Georgia, I invite you to reach out to schedule a consultation with Mary Elizabeth Burns.