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The Trauma Specialist provides support for students who have experienced difficult, overwhelming, or traumatic experiences that may still be affecting their emotional well-being, relationships, sense of safety, academics, or daily life. Support may include individual therapy, coping skill development, nervous system regulation strategies, and trauma-informed approaches to healing.

Any 91³Ô¹Ï student who feels impacted by past or recent difficult experiences may be appropriate for trauma-focused support. You do not need to have experienced a major or single traumatic event to seek support. Trauma can look different for everyone and may include experiences that felt overwhelming, unsafe, painful, invalidating, or difficult to process.

Therapy sessions are collaborative, supportive, and tailored to your individual needs. Sessions may include talking through experiences, learning coping tools, understanding the impact of trauma on the mind and body, building emotional regulation skills, strengthening relationships, and processing experiences at a pace that feels manageable and safe.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy approach that helps individuals process distressing or overwhelming experiences in a way that may reduce emotional distress and help experiences feel less “stuck.” EMDR is not required for trauma therapy and is only incorporated when clinically appropriate and based on a student’s readiness and comfort.

In addition to individual therapy, skills-based workshops and support spaces may be offered throughout the semester to help students build practical tools for managing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, nervous system dysregulation, and stress related to trauma. Topics may include grounding skills, mindfulness, boundaries, emotional regulation, and self-compassion.

No. You are never required to share details before you feel ready. Trauma-focused therapy is paced collaboratively, and part of therapy may involve building safety, coping tools, and trust before discussing difficult experiences. Healing does not require sharing everything all at once.

Yes. Services provided through CAPS are confidential, with a few legal and ethical exceptions related to safety concerns. Your privacy and emotional safety are important priorities in treatment.

Trauma-focused therapy places additional emphasis on understanding how difficult experiences affect the nervous system, emotions, relationships, thoughts, and sense of safety. Treatment may incorporate specialized approaches that support healing from trauma while honoring your pace and readiness.

Students can email me directly at agreen01@wesleyan.edu to get started. We’ll schedule an initial meeting to talk about your needs and see if trauma-focused services are a good fit.

That is completely okay. Many students feel uncertain about starting trauma-focused work. You do not have to be “ready” to have everything figured out before reaching out. Therapy can simply be a space to ask questions, explore whether support feels right for you, and move at a pace that feels comfortable.