Trauma Counseling in Denver, CO

Compassionate Trauma Therapy to Help You Feel Safe, Grounded & Whole Again

Trauma changes you. Not because you’re weak, but because your mind and body were forced to protect you in ways you never asked for. Maybe you’re noticing anxiety you can’t explain. Or emotional numbness that makes it hard to connect with the people you care about. Or triggers that appear out of nowhere and make you feel unsafe in your own body.

Whether the trauma happened years ago or is still affecting you today, what you’re feeling is real - and you do not have to carry it alone.

At Cherry Creek Therapy in Denver, Jennifer Gardner, MFT-C, offers gentle, trauma-informed counseling grounded in safety, compassion, and evidence-based healing. Her approach helps you understand your internal world, reconnect with your body, and move toward emotional freedom at a pace that feels safe for you.

Healing is possible - and it starts with not having to navigate this alone.

What Is Trauma? And Why Does It Affect Us So Deeply?

Trauma isn’t defined by the event - it’s defined by its impact on your mind, body, and nervous system. Trauma can come from a single moment or from years of experiences that slowly erode your sense of safety.

You may be carrying:

Acute Trauma

• Accidents

• Medical emergencies

• Single frightening events

Chronic Trauma

• Ongoing emotional neglect

• Long-term instability

• Repeated conflict or fear

Complex Trauma (C-PTSD)

• Childhood emotional wounds

• Unpredictable or unsafe caregiving

• Growing up without consistent support

Relational & Attachment Trauma

• Betrayal trauma

• Infidelity

• Abandonment

• Emotionally unavailable or explosive parents/partners

Medical or Health-Related Trauma

Trauma lives not just in memory, but in your body, your nervous system, and your emotional reflexes. It changes how you trust, how you love, how you protect yourself, and how you see the world.

And until it’s healed, it can feel like the past is still happening inside you.

Signs You May Be Carrying Unresolved Trauma

Trauma symptoms often show up long after the actual experience. You may notice:

Emotional Symptoms

• Feeling unsafe, on edge, or easily startled

• Mood swings or emotional overwhelm

• Shame, guilt, or self-blame

• Fear of abandonment

• Difficulty regulating emotions

Cognitive Symptoms

• Overthinking or obsessive worry

• Intrusive memories

• Trouble concentrating

• Self-critical thoughts

• Feeling disconnected from your identity

Physical Symptoms

• Tension or pain

• Headaches

• Sleep disturbances

• Fatigue

• Fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses

Relational Symptoms

• Difficulty trusting others

• Fear of closeness or fear of losing people

• Conflict patterns

• People-pleasing or perfectionism

• Choosing emotionally unavailable partners

Nothing is “wrong” with you.
Your body and mind adapted to survive something overwhelming - and now they need support to heal.

How Trauma Affects Daily Life

You may notice your trauma showing up in areas such as:

Relationships

• Feeling guarded or emotionally unavailable

• Becoming attached too quickly - or not at all

• Avoiding conflict, or reacting intensely during conflict

• Feeling misunderstood or unseen

Self-Worth

• Harsh inner critic

• Fear of rejection

• Feeling “broken” or “not enough”

Work & Daily Functioning

• Burnout

• Difficulty focusing

• Avoidance

• Emotional exhaustion

Body & Emotions

• Feeling numb or dissociated

• Overwhelm that comes in waves

• Triggers that don’t make sense logically

Therapy helps connect the pieces so you finally understand why you feel the way you do - and what you can do about it.

How Trauma Counseling Helps You Heal

Trauma therapy doesn’t require you to “re-tell the story” or relive pain. Healing trauma is about helping your mind and body understand that the danger is over - and that you are safe now.

Trauma counseling helps you:

✓ Understand your triggers
✓ Reconnect with your emotions in a safe way
✓ Reduce anxiety, fear, and hypervigilance
✓ Heal old wounds that keep resurfacing
✓ Develop self-compassion instead of self-criticism
✓ Rebuild trust in yourself
✓ Strengthen your relationships
✓ Feel grounded and in control again

Trauma healing is not about erasing the past.
It’s about unburdening it so it no longer controls your life.

Why Cherry Creek Therapy Is Different

Healing trauma requires more than traditional talk therapy.
It requires safety, pacing, emotional attunement, and a therapist who understands trauma deeply.

At Cherry Creek Therapy, Jennifer Gardner, MFT-C, in Denver offers:

✔ A slow, gentle, no-pressure approach
✔ Trauma-informed and attachment-focused care
✔ Deep compassion and emotional presence
✔ Flexibility - we follow your pace, not a rigid protocol
✔ A non-judgmental space where all parts of you are welcome
✔ In-person or online support for Denver clients

Jennifer believes trauma healing is relational - it requires connection, trust, and support. You will never be pushed faster than you’re ready to go.

Trauma-Informed Approaches

Jennifer integrates powerful, evidence-based modalities designed specifically for trauma healing.

IFS Therapy (Internal Family Systems)

IFS helps you connect with the parts of you that carry fear, shame, anger, or pain.
Instead of forcing these parts away, IFS helps you:

• understand them

• soothe them

• heal the wounds they’re protecting

• unburden the pain they carry

IFS is gentle, compassionate, and deeply transformative.

EMDR Therapy

EMDR helps your brain safely reprocess painful or overwhelming memories so they stop triggering you.

It’s especially effective for:

• PTSD 

• medical or surgical trauma

• accidents

• sudden losses

• betrayal trauma

EMDR works without requiring you to retell the entire story.

Somatic & Mindfulness-Based Approaches

Trauma lives in the body.

Jennifer integrates strategies to help you:

• regulate your nervous system

• reduce overwhelm

• reconnect to safety

• develop grounding skills

Attachment-Based Therapy

Trauma often involves relational wounds. We help you rebuild trust in yourself and others.

Individual Trauma Therapy in Denver

For individuals, therapy provides:

• A safe space to release old pain

• Tools to regulate emotions

• A deeper understanding of patterns

• Support for shame, fear, or worthiness wounds

• Help reconnecting with identity and purpose

You will never be rushed to share more than you’re ready to - your healing unfolds at your pace.

Trauma Counseling for Couples

Trauma affects relationships in powerful ways.

Couples trauma therapy helps partners:

• understand each other’s triggers

• reduce reactive patterns

• build emotional safety

• communicate with compassion

• heal from attachment wounds

• rebuild trust after infidelity or relational ruptures

Whether the trauma happened inside or outside the relationship, therapy can strengthen your bond and help you move forward together.

Why Choose a Denver Trauma Therapist?

Local support matters.

Clients who relocate to Denver often face new stressors such as:

• rapid city changes

• adjusting to Colorado culture

• job transitions

• isolation from family support

• rising cost of living

A Denver trauma therapist understands the unique pressures of living in a fast-growing city while carrying old emotional wounds.

When to Seek Trauma Counseling

You may benefit from trauma therapy if:

• you often feel “on edge”

• your body reacts before your mind understands why

• you’re tired of being triggered

• you keep repeating painful relational patterns

• you feel disconnected from others

• you’re struggling with self-worth

• the past still feels too present

• you want to stop surviving and start living

Healing is not only possible - it’s your birthright.

Start Trauma Healing in Denver

You deserve a life that feels safe.
You deserve relationships that feel supportive.
You deserve to feel whole, grounded, and connected to yourself again.

At Cherry Creek Therapy, Jennifer Gardner, MFT-C, in Denver walks with you through the fear, the confusion, the numbness, and the overwhelm - gently, steadily, and with deep compassion.

You don’t have to carry this alone anymore.
Your healing can begin right here.

Reach out today to schedule a session or ask questions about trauma counseling in Denver.
We’re here when you’re ready.

Also Read

• How Trauma Fuels Anxiety and Depression | Therapy in Denver

• IFS Therapy for Childhood Emotional Wounds | Denver Trauma Therapist

• Healing the Inner Child: A Key Step in Overcoming Childhood Trauma