The Marriage & Family Institute
Trauma Therapy
Therapy to help children, teens, and adults understand their trauma, develop effective coping strategies, and ultimately, find peace and fulfillment in their lives. In-person sessions in Columbus with online trauma therapy across Ohio.
Process and heal from traumatic experiences
Feel comfortable in your body & your world
Build trust in yourself and the people you care about
Trauma can leave a lasting impact
Trauma can overwhelm your mind and body, making it difficult to focus or feel calm. These intrusive thoughts can seem relentless, making it feel like you’re re-living the traumatic event over and over again. This constant state of alertness and worry can interfere with your daily activities, sleep, and overall well-being.
Trauma Therapy in Columbus
What Is Trauma Therapy And How Can It Help?
When you’ve experienced a traumatic event, such as physical or sexual abuse, natural disasters, auto accidents, or combat, your brain develops defense mechanisms to help you cope with overwhelming emotions. These defenses can manifest as anxiety, hypervigilance, dissociation, or avoidance behaviors that impact your daily life and well-being. Trauma therapy is designed to reduce these distressing symptoms and help you regain a sense of control and safety.
Our experienced therapists are dedicated to providing compassionate and effective trauma therapy. We tailor our approach to meet your unique needs, helping you navigate the path to healing and reclaim your life.
When you are facing the effects of:
- Infidelity (sexual or emotional)
- Abandonment and neglect
- Negative Schema beliefs
- Lack of nurturing and caregiver support
- Childhood sexual, emotional, or physical trauma
- First responder PTSD
- Relational trauma
- Night terrors or other sleep issues
We can navigate this journey with you.
The Marriage & Family Institute
How Trauma Therapy Can Help
Our experienced therapists use an evidence-based approach, including EMDR Therapy, Trauma-Focused CBT (TFCBT), Schema Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Play Therapy (for children) to create a space where you can feel safe to express your emotions and take the first steps toward healing.
Managing Anxiety and Racing Thoughts
When trauma leaves you grappling with constant anxiety and racing thoughts, it can feel like you’re never at peace. Trauma therapy provides tools and strategies to help you manage anxiety and intrusive thoughts, allowing you to feel more at peace and in control of your mind.
Reducing Hypervigilance and Restlessness
Feeling constantly on edge and restless is a common response to trauma, making it hard to relax or feel safe. Through trauma therapy, you can learn techniques to calm your nervous system, reducing feelings of hypervigilance and restlessness, and helping you to feel more relaxed and safe.
Reconnecting with Yourself
The dissociation caused by trauma can create a sense of disconnection from your own body and emotions, making you feel detached and out of touch with yourself. Trauma can make you feel disconnected from your own body and emotions. Therapy helps you re-establish a connection with yourself, fostering a sense of grounding and presence.
Improving Relationships and Connections
The effects of trauma can create barriers to intimacy and trust, making it difficult to form and maintain healthy relationships. Trauma therapy can enhance your ability to connect with others by addressing barriers to intimacy and trust, helping you build healthier, more fulfilling relationships.
Understanding and Processing Trauma
Trauma can leave you feeling stuck, unable to move past the pain of your experiences. Therapy provides a safe space to explore and understand your traumatic experiences, allowing you to process these events and integrate them into your life in a way that reduces their hold over you.
Building Resilience and Coping Skills
The impact of trauma can make it challenging to handle stress and future challenges effectively. Trauma therapy equips you with resilience and coping skills to handle stress and future challenges more effectively, empowering you to live a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Get started today!
Book an appointment or free consultation online or contact us directly.
Why Us
The Marriage & Family Institute
We understand that while we can't change the difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and overcome the challenges you face today.
With decades of combined experience, we take an integrative, compassionate, and genuine approach to therapy, rooted in the philosophy that all parts of the human person need to be addressed to bring long-lasting and substantial change. We believe in a holistic therapy approach that considers all aspects of your experience — psychological, spiritual, and physical to help you heal from trauma, improve relationships, and live a fulfilling life.
At The Marriage & Family Institute, our mission is to strengthen individuals and families by promoting healthy relationships, building resilience, and fostering secure attachments. We provide evidence-based, compassionate, and comprehensive services to help couples, individuals, and families navigate life’s challenges and achieve a fulfilling life together.
Together, we support you in creating a life that feels meaningful and fulfilling.

Compassionate
We create a safe and respectful environment that allows space for deep healing and transformation.

Integrative
We address intergenerational trauma in addition to your psychological, spiritual, & physical well-being to foster lasting change.

Authentic
We believe in being genuine and transparent with ourselves, colleagues, and clients, to support personal & relational growth.
Meet Our Team
Match With A Trauma Therapist
Our Approach
How Trauma Therapy Works
We get to know you
We use an assessment to understand the degree of trauma you’ve experienced, empowering you as the leader of your journey.
We develop a treatment plan
We use this assessment to determine if further trauma work is right for you, and administer an MID or DES assessment as neccessary.
We Help You Move Forward
We collaborate to form a treatment plan at least 10-12 sessions long. Each session is a step toward healing as we continually adapt your treatment plan and work on coping skills and strategies.
The Marriage & Family Institute
Questions About Trauma Therapy
Does trauma therapy actually work?
Yes, trauma therapy can be very effective. According to the National Institute of EMDRIA, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) has been known to resolve trauma in as little as 4-5 sessions, with more sessions needed for complex trauma. Clients often report relief even after just a few sessions! EMDR, IFS (Internal Family Systems), and Schema therapy are all evidence-based interventions proven to provide results.
How do I know if I have trauma or anxiety?
Our clinicians specialize in treating both trauma and anxiety and will help you navigate the cues and symptoms to bring clarity to your unique situation. Often, trauma and anxiety go hand in hand. Our clinicians will help identify the causes of your symptoms and provide appropriate treatment suggestions for trauma resolution.
Can I bring my partner to the session? Therapy makes me nervous.
Yes, you can bring a supportive person with you to your sessions. It’s common to feel nervous about starting therapy, and having a loved one with you can provide encouragement and support. As you begin to process trauma, it’s not uncommon for anxiety to temporarily increase, so having a supportive person by your side can be helpful.
Do I have to relive the trauma to feel better?
No, trauma therapy, specifically EMDR, does not require you to relive the trauma for it to be processed. Instead, the therapist can help you focus on the negative thoughts and feelings internalized from the trauma and work to reconstruct healthier thoughts and emotions. This way, the effects of the trauma can be processed without having to relive the event.
Will I have to do therapy with my abuser?
No, if you are in a physically, emotionally, or psychologically abusive relationship, the therapist will recommend individual trauma therapy before any family or relational counseling. Relational therapy is not recommended when abuse has taken place. It is crucial that you feel emotionally and mentally safe at all times. If you are being triggered in sessions, trauma therapy may be recommended to address your individual needs first.
Trauma Therapy in Columbus
Positive Outcomes of Trauma Therapy
Trauma therapy is the first step toward healing. It takes time, but with commitment and consistency you may notice improvements such as:
- Reduced anxiety, allowing you to enjoy more peace in your daily life
- Improved emotional regulation
- Healthier and more fulfilling relationships
- An increased sense of safety and security, internally and in your environment
- Greater self-awareness as to how trauma has affected you
- Feeling equipped with the tools and coping strategies to handle future challenges
The Marriage & Family Institute
How To Get Started
*Free 15-minute consultations
*For fastest response, please use the contact form.
Locations
- German Village: 855 S. Wall St. Columbus, OH 43206
- Worthington: 6797 North High St. Suite 203 Worthington, OH 43085
- Grove City: 2684 Columbus St, Grove City, OH 43123 (Telehealth)
- Online therapy sessions are available across Ohio.
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Trauma Therapy in Columbus & Across Ohio
The Marriage & Family Institute
Helping you heal from trauma and reclaim a life filled with peace, connection, and resilience.