Trauma & PTSD
Traumatic experiences can leave lasting imprints on how you think, feel, and relate to the world. Dr. Kim provides specialized, trauma-informed care designed to help you process painful memories, reduce distressing symptoms, and rebuild a sense of safety and control in your life.
What to Expect
Your path through treatment
Trauma therapy with Dr. Kim follows a phased approach that prioritizes your safety and readiness at every step.
The first phase focuses on stabilization and building a strong therapeutic relationship. Dr. Kim takes the time to understand your story, your strengths, and your current coping strategies. She recognizes that trust is essential in trauma work and never pushes you to revisit painful material before you are ready. During this phase, she also teaches grounding techniques, emotion regulation skills, and other coping tools drawn from DBT and mindfulness practices.
When you feel ready, therapy moves into the processing phase. Using Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and EMDR-informed techniques, Dr. Kim guides you through a structured process of confronting and making sense of traumatic memories. TF-CBT combines cognitive restructuring with gradual exposure to trauma narratives, helping you challenge distorted beliefs such as self-blame or helplessness. CPT is a structured, evidence-based protocol that targets the “stuck points” — the rigid beliefs about safety, trust, control, and self-worth that trauma often leaves behind — and helps you build more balanced, accurate ways of understanding what happened. EMDR-informed elements use bilateral stimulation and other strategies to help the brain reprocess stuck memories so they no longer trigger overwhelming emotional or physical reactions.
The final phase centers on integration and growth. Dr. Kim helps you consolidate the gains you have made, strengthen your identity beyond the trauma, and develop a forward-looking plan for maintaining your well-being. This may include rebuilding relationships, returning to activities you have avoided, or redefining personal goals that trauma had put on hold.
Throughout treatment, Dr. Kim remains attuned to cultural, developmental, and systemic factors that shape your experience of trauma. She collaborates with other providers in your care team, including psychiatrists, school counselors, and social workers, to ensure a coordinated and holistic approach to your recovery.
Who Can Benefit
Is this service right for you?
Trauma-focused therapy is appropriate for individuals who have experienced a wide range of distressing events, including:
- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- Neglect or childhood adversity
- Witnessing violence or community trauma
- Accidents, natural disasters, or sudden loss
- Bullying, harassment, or discrimination
- Medical trauma or life-threatening diagnoses
- Complex or developmental trauma across multiple experiences
- First responders and professionals exposed to secondary trauma
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
- Do you offer CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy) in Bergen County?
- Yes. Dr. Kim provides Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), a structured, evidence-based treatment for PTSD and trauma, from her Englewood office and by secure telehealth across New Jersey, serving clients throughout Bergen County. CPT helps you identify and reframe the “stuck points” trauma creates around safety, trust, control, and self-worth.
- How is CPT different from TF-CBT or EMDR?
- All three are evidence-based trauma treatments. CPT focuses on the beliefs and interpretations that keep trauma symptoms in place, using structured writing and cognitive work. TF-CBT pairs cognitive restructuring with a gradual trauma narrative and is often used with children and teens. EMDR-informed work uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess memories. Dr. Kim matches the approach to your needs, and often blends elements across treatment.
- Is trauma therapy available for teens and children?
- Yes. Dr. Kim provides developmentally appropriate, trauma-focused care for children, adolescents, and adults, coordinating with parents, schools, and other providers when helpful.
Areas Served
Trauma & PTSD near you
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Learn moreReady to get started?
Taking the first step can feel difficult, but you don't have to do it alone. Reach out today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kim and learn how trauma & ptsd services can support your journey toward healing and growth.