Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC
Holistic anxiety, attachment, and trauma therapist in Los Angeles.
somatic therapy for childhood trauma in Los Angeles
Feeling Stuck Or Overwhelmed?
Childhood trauma doesn’t just go away when you’re an adult. Instead, it gets stored in your body. It sticks around in your day-to-day life by manifesting as anxiety, insecurity, or even that feeling of just being “off.” Los Angeles is already overwhelming…adding the element of constantly scanning the environment for potential threats is just way too much.
Somatic therapy actually UNDERSTANDS this. As a somatic therapist in LA, I believe that your body should be actively involved in the healing process. Maybe you’ve tried talk therapy before, which just ran your thoughts and overthinking into the damn ground. If you’re tired of feeling like you’re constantly carrying the weight of your past, this could be the key to finally feeling lighter, more grounded – and like yourself again.
Here are 7 ways somatic therapy can help you reconnect with your body, calm your nervous system, and actually start healing from the inside out.
Trauma Therapy Los Angeles
1. Reconnect With Your Body’s Signals
When you’ve been through childhood trauma, you become a literal MASTER at ignoring your body’s signals. Tight shoulders? You just power through. Clenched jaw? You chalk it up to just being a bad day. But these aren’t random. They’re actually your body’s way of begging you to pay attention.
Somatic therapy helps you finally tune back in. You start noticing where you’ve been holding onto tension, and, more importantly, you learn to release it.
How to Start Noticing Again: Body Scanning
Reconnecting with your body doesn’t happen overnight, but it starts with something as simple as scanning your body from head to toe. This doesn’t mean you’re trying to fix anything yet, just paying attention to where things feel off.
Pro Tip: Try a quick scan during your day. Notice tension in your jaw, back, or chest. You don’t have to change anything—just notice it. That’s where healing starts.
trauma-informed therapy los angeles
2. Calm Your Nervous System
If you’ve lived with trauma, you’ve probably lived with a body that’s constantly in fight or flight. It’s like your nervous system never got the memo that the threat is gone, and now you’re stuck on high alert 24/7. Somatic therapy helps your nervous system finally relax.
Learning how to regulate your nervous system is literally everything when it comes to healing that lasts. It’s like moving from survival mode to actually feeling safe in your own skin again.
Grounding Techniques That Actually Work
Breathing is huge here. I know, everyone says “just breathe,” but it’s not about the generic “calm down” advice. It’s about intentionally calming your nervous system through grounding techniques like deep breathing or even physical grounding (feeling your feet on the floor).
Try This: Inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for six. Repeat a few times, and notice how your body starts to settle. This isn’t magic, but it’s damn close.
Counseling for Childhood trauma
3. Break the Cycle of Repeating Trauma Patterns
Trauma has a sneaky way of getting into every part of your life. You think you’re over it, and suddenly you find yourself back in the same toxic relationship, reacting in ways that don’t even make sense. That’s because trauma isn’t just emotional—it’s physical. Your body is repeating the trauma patterns until you teach it how to do something else.
Somatic therapy works by breaking these patterns. It helps your body release the trauma it’s been holding onto for years, so you can stop reacting to the world like everything is a threat.
Spot Your Triggers and Change Your Reactions
Recognizing your triggers is the first step. But what somatic therapy does differently is it helps you notice how your body reacts to those triggers. It’s not just mental—it’s physical.
Pro Tip: Start journaling your triggers. Write down how your body reacts—tight chest? Stomach in knots? Then, during therapy, you can start working on changing those automatic reactions
somatic therapy for childhood trauma
4. Feel Your Emotions Without Drowning in Them
Ever notice how trauma makes you either feel everything all at once or shut down completely? Somatic therapy helps you strike that balance. You learn to feel your emotions without being totally overwhelmed or checking out.
Here’s the thing: trauma is stored in your body. When you process it physically, it doesn’t have the same power over you. Somatic therapy teaches you how to feel emotions safely, in a way that helps you move through them instead of getting stuck in them.
Feeling Your Emotions Without Freaking Out
Instead of letting your emotions flood you or trying to block them out, somatic therapy teaches you to sit with them. You start by noticing where those emotions live in your body—maybe it’s your chest, your gut, or your throat—and let yourself feel them without trying to fix them right away.
Reminder: Emotions aren’t permanent. Let yourself feel them fully, and you’ll notice they pass faster than you think.
therapy for trauma & complex ptsd
5. Heal the Root Cause, Not Just the Symptoms
A lot of times, we focus on managing the symptoms of trauma—like anxiety, mood swings, or constant exhaustion—without ever getting to the root cause. Somatic therapy is different because it doesn’t just put a Band-Aid on the symptoms. Instead, it gets to the heart of the issue.
Getting to the Root Through Your Body
When trauma is stuck in your body, it keeps showing up in ways you don’t expect. Somatic therapy helps you work through that trauma by addressing how it’s physically stored. You’re not just “managing” anxiety anymore—you’re healing what’s causing it.
Heads-Up: This isn’t a quick fix, but it’s a long-term solution. It’s about healing from the inside out.
childhood trauma counseling
6. Build Emotional and Physical Resilience
Healing doesn’t mean you’ll never experience tough emotions again. But what somatic therapy does is help you build resilience—both emotionally and physically—so you can handle those tough moments better when they come.
You’ll start to notice that you don’t get thrown off course as easily. Stressful situations will come up, but your body will be better equipped to handle them without going into full-blown panic mode.
Strengthen Your Emotional Toolbox
Somatic therapy gives you practical tools to help you manage your emotions and physical reactions better. Whether it’s grounding techniques or breathwork, these tools become part of your emotional toolbox, making you more resilient over time.
Pro Tip: The goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress. Each time you manage a tough situation without spiraling, that’s a win.
feel like yourself again
7. Reconnect With Yourself
Trauma can make you feel disconnected—from others, from your emotions, and even from yourself. Somatic therapy helps rebuild that connection, so you can start feeling more grounded and in tune with who you are.
This isn’t just about coping—it’s about reconnecting with the person you were before trauma took over.
Healing Isn’t Linear—And That’s Okay
Reconnecting with yourself takes time. It’s not a straight line, and that’s okay. There will be setbacks, but each step forward is a step toward healing.
Reminder: Be patient with yourself. Healing takes time, and that’s completely normal.
Holistic & Somatic Healing in LA
Work with Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC
Hi, I’m Cheryl Groskopf, a holistic licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Los Angeles. I specialize in helping people heal from anxiety, trauma, and attachment struggles by focusing on the connection between the mind and body. My approach is grounded in somatic therapy, which means I don’t just help you think your way through your challenges—I guide you in understanding how those experiences live in your body and how to release them.
What drives me is seeing my clients transform the way they relate to themselves and others. I work with people who feel stuck in patterns they can’t quite break—whether it’s people-pleasing, perfectionism, or that overwhelming sense of “not being enough.” Many of my clients grew up in emotionally unavailable environments, and those early dynamics often show up in their adult relationships. My goal is to help you break free from those old narratives so you can create a life and relationships that feel secure and fulfilling.
Somatic therapy los angeles: Healing Childhood Trauma
Somatic Therapy for Trauma in Los Angeles
Trauma doesn’t just affect your mind—it stays in your body. Somatic therapy helps you finally release what’s been stuck, so you can stop living in survival mode and start living a life where you actually feel connected to yourself. If you’re ready to break the cycle and start healing from the inside out, somatic therapy in Los Angeles might be exactly what you need.
In our work together, we’ll explore how your body holds onto past experiences and how to gently release that tension, stress, and emotional weight. Whether it’s through breathwork, nervous system regulation, or deep self-reflection, my approach is about creating real, lasting change.
If you’re looking for a safe, supportive space to work through childhood trauma, anxiety, or attachment challenges, I’d be honored to guide you on that journey. Let’s work together to help you feel more grounded, connected, and at ease in your life.
Childhood trauma therapy in los angeles:
Frequently Asked Questions
What therapy is best for childhood trauma?
The best therapy for childhood trauma isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach—it’s about finding something that works for you and addresses both the emotional and physical impact of trauma. In my Los Angeles practice, I use somatic therapy, attachment-focused therapy, and nervous system regulation to help clients heal from childhood trauma in a deep and lasting way.
Childhood trauma isn’t just stored in your memories—it lives in your body, shaping how you feel, react, and navigate relationships. Somatic therapy helps you reconnect with your body, release tension, and regulate your nervous system. It’s about more than just talking because it works through what’s physically stuck so you can finally feel lighter and more at ease.
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or like you’re stuck in the same patterns, childhood trauma therapy in Los Angeles can help you uncover what’s been holding you back and give you the tools to heal for good.
How do you treat childhood trauma in adults?
Healing childhood trauma in adults starts with addressing how that trauma shows up in your body and your daily life. Trauma isn’t just something you remember—it’s something your nervous system carries, often keeping you in survival mode.
In my work with clients, I use somatic therapy, attachment repair, and nervous system regulation to create lasting change. First, we focus on helping your body feel safe. This involves grounding exercises, breathwork, and other somatic tools to calm that constant fight-or-flight response.
Next, we explore the patterns that stem from childhood trauma—like people-pleasing, perfectionism, or relationship struggles. These patterns made sense as survival strategies when you were a kid, but now they’re likely holding you back. Together, we’ll rewrite those old narratives and help you break free from them.
This isn’t about just managing symptoms—it’s about real healing. Childhood trauma therapy in Los Angeles helps you release what’s been stuck so you can feel more grounded, connected, and in control of your life. If you’re ready to take that step, I’d love to help.
Is therapy worth it for childhood trauma?
Absolutely. Therapy for childhood trauma isn’t just about revisiting the past—it’s about freeing yourself from the patterns, pain, and triggers that are still showing up in your life today. Trauma doesn’t just disappear with time. It lingers in your body, relationships, and even your self-esteem, making it harder to feel secure and at peace.
Therapy gives you tools to reconnect with your body, regulate your emotions, and shift the patterns that have been holding you back. If you’ve been stuck in cycles of anxiety, self-doubt, or people-pleasing, therapy can help you break free and create a life where you feel more grounded and in control.
Investing in yourself and your healing is always worth it. Childhood trauma therapy in Los Angeles is about giving yourself the chance to finally feel lighter, safer, and more connected—not just to others, but to yourself.
How many years does it take to heal from childhood trauma?
Healing from childhood trauma isn’t about a fixed timeline—it’s about creating space to grow and shift at your own pace. For some people, noticeable changes happen within months of starting therapy. For others, it can take longer, especially if the trauma is complex or deeply rooted in childhood experiences.
In my practice, I focus on somatic therapy, attachment repair, and nervous system regulation to help clients work through trauma in a way that feels sustainable and safe. The process isn’t linear, but the goal isn’t perfection—it’s progress. As you reconnect with your body, regulate your emotions, and release old patterns, you’ll start to feel lighter, more grounded, and less controlled by your past.
It’s worth noting that healing doesn’t mean you’ll never think about the trauma again—it means it no longer holds the same power over you. Whether it takes months or years, the journey is about reclaiming your life and creating the stability and connection you deserve.
If you’re ready to start healing, childhood trauma therapy in Los Angeles can be a transformative step toward feeling more secure and in control of your future.
What does childhood trauma look like in adults?
Childhood trauma doesn’t just stay in the past—it follows you into adulthood, often showing up in ways you might not even realize. It can manifest emotionally, physically, and in your relationships. Here are some common signs:
- Emotional Patterns: You may struggle with anxiety, depression, or feelings of unworthiness. Many adults with childhood trauma experience heightened emotional reactions, like feeling overwhelmed or “on edge,” even in situations that seem minor.
- Relationship Challenges: Trauma often shows up in attachment patterns. This can look like people-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries, or fearing abandonment. On the flip side, it can also lead to avoidance or a fear of intimacy.
- Physical Responses: Your body holds trauma. Chronic tension, stomach issues, or unexplained aches can all be ways your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.
- Behavioral Patterns: Trauma can lead to perfectionism, overworking, or feeling like you constantly need to prove yourself. It might also result in numbing behaviors, like zoning out, procrastinating, or avoiding emotions altogether.
Why Therapy Helps
These patterns aren’t your fault—they’re your nervous system’s way of trying to keep you safe. The good news is that with the right support, you can start to rewire these responses. In my Los Angeles practice, I use somatic therapy and attachment-focused techniques to help clients process and heal their trauma.
Therapy isn’t just about understanding your past—it’s about changing how it affects your present. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, relationship struggles, or just a feeling of being “stuck,” childhood trauma therapy in Los Angeles can help you break free from these patterns and find more ease in your life.
