Trauma Therapy in Salt Lake City
What happened isn't the whole story of what happens next.
“I don’t want to be pushed to relive it.”
Not the way you’re picturing it. You won’t be pushed to relive it in detail, and you decide what we open and when. We build steadiness first and move toward the hard material only when you’re ready. We’ll still talk about your goals, how it’s affecting you now, and enough context to guide the work, and EMDR in particular lets your brain process a memory without narrating the whole story out loud.
- Steadiness before the hard partWe build ground under you first and move toward difficult material only when you’re ready, never for its own sake.
- You decide what we openYou choose what we touch and when; some approaches, EMDR among them, don’t ask you to narrate the worst of it at all.
- Over, and finally finishedThe aim is for what happened to stop running the present, to become something you remember rather than relive.
What the work looks like
I'm Sarah Mohanavilasam, a licensed clinical social worker, and much of my work is with people carrying something that's technically over and still isn't finished. If that's you, this page walks through how I approach trauma: how the work is paced, what it asks of you, and, just as importantly, what it doesn't.
When it's over but not finished
The thing that happened is in the past, and it's still running the show. You're braced when there's nothing to brace for. A memory grabs you by the collar out of nowhere. Sleep is thin, the startle is quick, and your body clearly hasn't gotten the message that it's over. That isn't weakness and it isn't you being dramatic: it's as if a memory never got filed properly, still sitting in the inbox marked urgent. You don't need a diagnosis, or a big enough reason, to bring it in.
Who I see for trauma
Adults and teens, whether it's one event or a long history. Some of what people carry is the single hard thing; some of it is years of not feeling safe, and both belong here. I'll be honest with you about fit: there are presentations I'd refer out so you get the right care faster, and I'll say so early rather than let us drift. When it's your teenager, the first call is with you; therapy for teens walks through how that goes.
How the work is paced
This is the part that matters most, because it's the fear that keeps people from calling: you decide what we open, and when. We don't start with the worst of it. We start by building enough steadiness that the hard material has somewhere safe to land, and only then do we move toward it, never faster than you're ready for, and never for its own sake. Nothing gets relived as a test of toughness. If something's too much, we slow down or stop. That's not the work going wrong; that's the work.
EMDR and the other tools
EMDR therapy leads a lot of the trauma work here, because it lets the brain process what happened without you narrating the whole story out loud. But it isn't the only tool, and it isn't right for everyone or every stage; some of what you're carrying is better met with talking, with skills for the present, with time. When anxiety is the louder thing day to day, anxiety therapy may be the truer front door. We sort out the fit together in the first few sessions.
You don’t have to sort this out on your own.
Book a free callor call (801) 513-3505 · Mon–Fri, 9 AM–6 PM MTThe research
What the evidence says
The major trauma-treatment guidelines, from the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the American Psychological Association, recommend trauma-focused therapies like EMDR and trauma-focused CBT as first-line care for PTSD.
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Prevention and Treatment GuidelinesInternational Society for Traumatic Stress Studies · ISTSS · 2019
- Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of PTSD in AdultsAmerican Psychological Association · APA · 2017
From the journal
Your therapist
LCSW · Licensed in Utah · No. 13989909-3501
MSW · University of Utah
Verified on Psychology TodayQuestions clients ask
The things people ask first
Will I have to talk about what happened?
Not in the way people usually fear. You won't be made to give a detailed, blow-by-blow account, and you decide what we open and when. We build steadiness first and move toward the hard material only when you're ready, never for its own sake. We will talk about your goals, how things are affecting you now, and enough of the context to guide the work, and EMDR in particular lets your brain process a memory without narrating the whole story out loud.
Do you treat PTSD?
Yes. Post-traumatic stress is a lot of what I work with, whether it comes from a single event or a long stretch of not feeling safe. There are some presentations I'd refer out so you get the right care faster, and if that's the case I'll tell you early rather than let us drift, and point you toward someone who fits.
Is EMDR the only option for trauma?
No. EMDR leads a lot of the trauma work here, but it isn't right for everyone or every stage; some of what you're carrying is better met with talking, with skills for the present, or simply with time. Part of the first few sessions is figuring out, together, what actually fits.
How long does trauma therapy take?
There is no honest single number. One contained event may shift in a shorter stretch; a history built over years usually needs more room. The first sessions help us understand what you are carrying and build steadiness, and then I can give you a clearer sense of the arc without turning it into a deadline.
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