Trail Magic Counseling: Holistic Trauma Therapy in Vermont
You have done the work. So why do you still feel stuck?
You've read the books. You've spent years trying to understand yourself. Maybe you've been to therapy before. You know your patterns, yet the same emotional reactions, relationship struggles, or sense of being stuck keep returning.
If that sounds familiar, you may not need more insight.
You may need a different way of working with the emotional wounds that continue to shape your life today.
At Trail Magic Counseling, I specialize in advanced, evidence-based trauma modalities designed to reach the root of deep-seated patterns. By integrating Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic experiencing frameworks, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), we safely navigate hyper-vigilant nervous systems to allow true, lasting neuroplastic healing.
Why do I keep repeating the same patterns?
Many people come to therapy believing something is wrong with them. They wonder why they keep reacting the same way in relationships, why they continue feeling anxious despite years of personal work, or why they understand their past but still struggle to create lasting change.
I don't believe your symptoms mean you're broken.
I believe they make sense.
Anxiety, perfectionism, people pleasing, emotional shutdown, chronic self-criticism, and relationship difficulties often begin as intelligent adaptations to difficult experiences. They helped you survive. They protected you. They were never signs of weakness.
The problem is that protective patterns developed in childhood often continue operating long after they are needed. What once helped you cope may now be limiting your relationships, your confidence, and your ability to feel fully alive.
Healing isn't about getting rid of these parts of yourself. It's about understanding why they developed and helping them discover that they no longer have to carry the same burdens.
Insight is necessary—but insufficient.
Insight matters.
Understanding your history, your nervous system, and your emotional patterns is often an essential first step. But many people discover that insight alone doesn't create the change they were hoping for.
You can understand exactly why you react the way you do and still find yourself repeating the same patterns.
Real healing often requires more than intellectual understanding. It involves creating new emotional experiences that gradually allow long-standing protective patterns to soften, trust, and change.
That process takes more than information.
It takes relationship, compassion, and careful therapeutic work.
How I Work
Developmental Trauma
Many of the struggles people experience as adults begin long before they realize it. Developmental trauma isn't always dramatic. It can grow out of chronic criticism, emotional neglect, inconsistent caregiving, or growing up in environments where you never felt fully safe, understood, or accepted.
Understanding these early experiences provides a roadmap for understanding the patterns that continue showing up today.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy in Vermont
Internal Family Systems is the primary therapy model I use because it offers a compassionate way of understanding why we become stuck.
Rather than viewing anxiety, perfectionism, or self-criticism as problems to eliminate, IFS helps us understand them as protective parts that developed for good reasons. As these parts begin to feel understood rather than fought against, meaningful change becomes possible.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Vermont
For some clients, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can help create opportunities for deeper therapeutic work. Ketamine is never a replacement for therapy. It is carefully integrated into an ongoing therapeutic relationship with clear preparation and thoughtful integration afterward.
When appropriate, it can help clients access emotions, perspectives, and healing experiences that may otherwise remain difficult to reach.
Who I Work Best With
My practice is generally a good fit for people who:
Have already done significant personal work but still feel stuck.
Want to understand and heal the deeper roots of anxiety and relationship patterns.
Are interested in Internal Family Systems or depth-oriented psychotherapy.
Value curiosity, self-reflection, and long-term growth.
Are looking for healing rather than quick symptom-management strategies.
My practice may not be the best fit for individuals looking primarily for short-term coping skills, symptom reduction alone, or brief solution-focused therapy.
About Me
I'm a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor specializing in developmental trauma, Internal Family Systems, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
My goal isn't simply to help people understand themselves better. It's to help them experience meaningful change in the places they've felt stuck for years.
I believe healing happens through a combination of insight, emotional experience, and a therapeutic relationship grounded in curiosity, compassion, and respect for the ways every person has learned to survive.
Ready to Get Started?
Finding the right therapist matters.
If what you've read resonates with you, I'd be happy to schedule a consultation so we can discuss what you're looking for, answer your questions, and determine whether we're a good fit to work together.