Allyson Byers

Two people can go through the same traumatic experience and react or cope with it differently depending on their previous life experiences. Some people may not consider it a trauma while others. This doesn’t mean that one person is stronger than the other. If something hurts you, it hurts, and your natural emotional reaction is valid. No one gets to define your trauma for you—not even a therapist. I specialize in medical trauma, which includes being dismissed by medical and mental health professionals, interacting with fatphobic medical and mental health professionals, undergoing surgery, having cancer, giving birth, and living with a chronic illness or chronic pain. You are the only one who gets to decide if you’ve experienced medical trauma. I also specialize in relational and attachment trauma, which is a trauma that has occurred within a close relationship. This can happen with anyone you loved, trusted, and/or relied on, either as a child or adult. Finally, I specialize in complex trauma, including those diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Complex trauma is not always the result of childhood trauma. It can also occur as a result of an adult’s experience of violence in the home, family, neighborhood, and workplace. If you have experienced complex trauma, you may experience feelings of worthlessness and shame, difficulty in connecting with yourself and others, and difficulty in managing your emotions. You may feel like you don’t know who you are and that you can’t trust yourself or the world around you.

Loss is an inevitable part of life, but it can also shake you to your core. It’s a universal experience, yet it can also be so lonely depending on your culture and support system. Some people only get a few days off of work while others are not given any time. Do you feel pressure to get back to your life, but you’re just not ready? Do you feel like your friends and family are tired of you talking about your loved one, but all you want to do is just share memories? Or maybe you’re just not ready to talk yet and want space to grieve. Loss doesn’t also have to be confined to death. We experience losses all of the time, but they are rarely acknowledged. This includes things like the loss of dreams, loss of autonomy, job loss, unrecognized relationships, a new diagnosis, the ending of a romantic relationship or friendship, infertility, body grief, and more. I also work with clients who are experiencing disenfranchised grief, like the loss of a pet or the loss of a loved one to suicide or an overdose. Everyone grieves differently, and there is no right or wrong way. I’m here to listen to your story and support you as you move through the grief.