Trauma Therapy in Los Angeles

Trauma is more than the event. It's everything the body and mind learned in order to survive it: the vigilance, the bracing, the way an old threat floods a present that has become safe. Long after the event is over, the adaptations keep going. As a trauma therapist in Los Angeles, I work with trauma slowly, stability first. I see clients in person in Northeast Los Angeles, serving Altadena, Pasadena, Highland Park, and Downtown LA, and online across California.

A body-centered, depth-oriented model

Trauma lives in the nervous system as much as in the story, which is why our work engages the body directly. It pairs a psychodynamic formulation, where the injury began and how it organizes the present, with somatic, body-centered work aimed at releasing what the system still holds. The body remembers; the work gives it somewhere to set that down.

Presentations

• PTSD after a single overwhelming event
• Childhood and relational trauma, surfacing in adult relationships
• Racial trauma and the cumulative weight of discrimination
• Intergenerational trauma carried through families
• Grief and loss that has waited for room to move

What to expect

We start with a brief phone consultation. Trauma work goes in phases. The first is stabilization: safety, regulation, and resources, before any processing begins. Processing waits until there's stable ground to do it from; the pace stays inside what's bearable, so the work integrates. Intake covers history and current symptoms, and the early focus is capacity. Cultural and racial context stays part of the picture throughout.

On outcomes

Resolution tends to mean the memory loses its charge; it can be recalled while the body stays in the present. The hypervigilance eases. The nervous system updates to a present where the danger has passed.

Frequently asked questions

Will I have to describe the trauma in detail? No. Stabilization comes first, and processing is paced to stay tolerable. You decide what gets spoken, and when.

What is somatic trauma therapy? A body-centered approach that works with the physical residue of trauma, the activation and bracing and dysregulation, alongside its meaning; trauma is stored in the nervous system as much as in memory.

Is online trauma therapy effective? Yes, for many presentations, on a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. I assess fit individually; some acute situations are better held in person.

Fees and insurance? I charge $200 per 50-minute session for individuals. A limited number of sliding scale spots are available.

I do not take insurance but I can provide superbills for you to submit for reimbursement.

Free 15-minute consultation: 818-925-8623 or yasmin@yasminsauditherapy.com.

Yasmin Saudi, MSW, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker #141050