PTSD and Trauma Therapy in Tinton Falls, NJ

What trauma can look like

Trauma is your response to an event, or a series of events, that felt overwhelming or threatening. Two people can go through the same thing and react differently. Neither reaction is a flaw. Reactions tend to fall into four groups.¹

• Reliving

  Flashbacks, nightmares, or frightening thoughts that pull you back to what happened. Your heart may race or you may sweat, as if it were happening again.

• Avoiding

  Staying away from people, places, or conversations that remind you of the event, or pushing away thoughts and feelings about it.

• Staying on alert

  Being easily startled, feeling tense or on edge, sleeping badly, or having angry outbursts that surprise you.

• Changes in mood and thinking

  Gaps in memory about the event, harsh beliefs about yourself or the world, guilt or blame that does not match the facts, and losing interest in things you used to enjoy.

Many people notice trauma in the body first. A tight chest, a clenched jaw, or a stomach that drops when a certain smell or song shows up can all be part of it. A nervous system that has learned to prepare for danger can keep doing so after the danger is gone.

PTSD and complex trauma

Most people have strong reactions after a frightening event, and many recover from the early ones on their own.¹ Not everyone who goes through a traumatic event develops PTSD.²

PTSD is diagnosed when reactions last longer than a month and interfere with daily life. The National Institute of Mental Health lists the pattern as at least one reliving symptom, one avoidance symptom, two arousal and reactivity symptoms, and two mood and thinking symptoms.¹ A licensed professional makes the diagnosis.

About 6 in 100 people in the United States will have PTSD at some point. Many of them recover with treatment and no longer meet the criteria.²

Complex trauma

Complex PTSD describes the effects of trauma that was repeated or lasted a long time, often starting in childhood or inside close relationships. The World Health Organization recognizes it in the ICD-11 as PTSD symptoms plus three more: trouble managing emotions, a negative view of yourself, and difficulty in relationships.³ The DSM-5, the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual, does not list it as a separate diagnosis, while the ICD-11 does.³ Complex trauma and PTSD are the first area of focus on Lindsey’s profile.

You do not need a diagnosis to ask for help. If any of this sounds familiar, a conversation is a reasonable place to start.

When trauma overlaps with other struggles

Trauma often overlaps with other concerns. Anxiety, low mood, poor sleep, and strain in relationships can grow alongside it, and each can make the others harder to carry. The VA and DoD guideline includes a section on treating PTSD when other conditions are present.⁴ You do not have to sort out which problem is the main one before you begin. You can describe what is hardest right now, and the plan can start there. Related pages cover Anxiety, Depression, Relationships & Attachment, and Emotional Regulation.

How therapy for trauma works

Trauma therapy draws on several approaches. Some work with memories directly. Others work with the body, with emotions, or with the habits of avoidance and self-blame that grow up around a painful event. Therapy here is tailored to you, your history, and what you want to change. These are the approaches Living Well Counseling Center offers.

Therapists often introduce skills for steadying the body and mind before working with painful memories. The pace depends on you.

What the research says

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense updated their clinical practice guideline for PTSD.⁴ It recommends specific trauma-focused psychotherapies, including prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, and EMDR, over medication as the main treatment.^4,5 The guideline also supports delivering these therapies by secure video when the therapy has been validated for that format.^4,5

Not every approach used in practice has been studied to the same degree. EMDR has a large research base. Brainspotting has fewer studies. Lindsey’s practice integrates evidence-based therapy with brain-body and somatic approaches.

A physician or psychiatric prescriber can talk with you about medication.

Working with Lindsey Capelli

Lindsey Capelli, LPC, NCC, SAC, founded Living Well Counseling Center in Tinton Falls. Her profile lists complex trauma and PTSD first among her areas of focus, along with anxiety and mood disorders.

She sees teens and adults, in person and virtually, in the daytime and evening.

“When someone comes to me after trauma, my main goal is to build a relationship and a foundation of trust. That foundation sets the tone for how therapy will go. Trauma affects the body and the nervous system, so I pace the first few sessions by listening and paying attention to what the person needs. I do not want to overwhelm their system. Early on, I focus on safety, on keeping the relationship steady, and on understanding their story, without asking for the whole trauma narrative, because that can be very activating. I meet each person where they are and let them lead, and I hold the space for them to do it.”

Learn more about Lindsey

Getting started

What the first sessions look like

You do not have to tell your whole story in the first session, or in the first few. Lindsey begins by getting to know you: what you are experiencing now, what feels hard, how stress or past experiences show up in your emotions, relationships, thoughts, and body, and what you hope will feel different.

The early sessions focus on safety and trust. Lindsey listens, follows your pace, and does not ask for the full trauma narrative, because hearing it too early can be very activating. Where it helps, you may build skills for grounding and for settling your nervous system, so you have ways to handle what comes up in and outside of sessions.

When you are ready, the work can turn to the experiences, patterns, beliefs, emotions, or body responses that still affect you. Depending on your needs, that may include Brainspotting, EMDR, somatic work, DBT, mindfulness, and other evidence-based therapies. There is no single prescribed way to do trauma work. The work is collaborative and paced with you.

If you are worried about someone else

Watching someone you care about struggle after trauma can leave you unsure what to say. Let them decide how much to share. Listen without pressing for details. Offer to help them find a therapist, or to sit with them while they make the call. Look after your own sleep and support too, because carrying this alone is tiring. If they are in danger, call 911 or 988.

Questions about trauma therapy