When the aftershocks of a difficult experience linger, everyday life can start to feel small, overwhelming, or disconnected. Trauma therapy offers a compassionate, evidence‑based path to help you reclaim your well‑being. Whether your history involves a single event, repeated stress, or experiences from long ago that still affect you today, skilled support can help your nervous system settle, your relationships feel safer, and your inner voice grow kinder.
As a trauma‑informed psychotherapist, Jennifer Bearden, LCSW, blends mind‑body approaches with practical tools so you can move from surviving to living with more ease. Jennifer offers in‑person sessions in Bend and secure telehealth for clients anywhere in Oregon, meeting you exactly where you are and at a pace that honors your story.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is the impact that distressing or threatening events have on your body, mind, and sense of safety. Trauma is not just the events themselves. It can stem from many experiences, including accidents, medical procedures, loss, neglect, violence, identity‑based harm, or chronic stress in relationships and workplaces. For some people, the effects show up right away; for others, they surface months or years later.
Clinicians often describe the following types of trauma.
- Acute trauma: the result of a single incident.
- Chronic trauma: repeated or prolonged experiences (for example, ongoing abuse or bullying).
- Complex trauma: early or long‑term experiences that impact development, attachment, and self‑concept.
No matter the origin, your reactions are adaptive responses from a nervous system doing its best to protect you. Therapy helps those protective patterns soften when they’re no longer needed.
What Mental Health Issues Can Be Caused by Trauma?
The effects of trauma can show up in many ways, including:
- Persistent anxiety, panic, or hypervigilance
- Intrusive memories, nightmares, or avoidance of reminders
- Feelings of shame, numbness, or detachment from self or others
- Low mood, hopelessness, or loss of interest
- Difficulty concentrating, memory changes, or decision fatigue
- Sleep problems, fatigue, or physical symptoms without a clear medical cause
- Relationship challenges, trust issues, or people‑pleasing/withdrawal patterns
- Compulsive coping strategies or rigid routines that temporarily reduce distress
You don’t need to check every box to benefit from trauma‑focused care. If something in you is asking for relief or repair, that’s reason enough to reach out.
How Can Trauma Therapy Help Me?
Jennifer tailors treatment to your needs, drawing from research‑supported methods to help you heal at the root rather than only manage symptoms. Depending on your goals and readiness, your plan may include:
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). A structured approach that helps your brain reprocess painful memories so they feel less charged and more integrated, often reducing triggers and body‑based distress.
- IFS‑informed therapy (Internal Family Systems). Gentle “parts work” that builds a caring relationship with the protective and wounded parts of you, increasing self‑leadership, confidence, and compassion.
- CBT & ACT. Practical strategies for noticing unhelpful thinking patterns, clarifying values, and choosing actions that move you toward a life that matters to you.
- Mindfulness & nervous system regulation. Skills for grounding, breath, and body awareness so you can feel calmer and more present.
- DBT‑informed skills & EFIT (Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy). Tools for tolerating big emotions, improving communication, and creating safer attachment patterns in relationships.
- Adjunct techniques (such as Flash). Brief, client‑centered tools that can reduce the intensity of distressing memories and make deeper work feel more accessible.
- Nature-Informed Therapy. Incorporating the grounding, restorative effects of natural environments to support emotional regulation, reduce stress, and foster a deeper sense of connection.
The goal isn’t to erase your history; it’s to help you relate to it differently so that your experiences are part of your story, not the author of your future.
What Happens When I Meet with a Trauma Therapist?
First contact
You’ll start with a brief conversation to confirm fit, discuss your needs, and answer questions about therapy and scheduling.
Initial sessions
We take time to understand what you’ve been through and how it’s affecting you now. Together, we identify priorities and set goals for treatment. You’ll learn immediate coping and grounding strategies so you have support from the very beginning.
Personalized plan
Based on your history and preferences, Jennifer recommends a combination of approaches (for example, EMDR and IFS‑informed work), always with your consent and at a pace that feels safe. Preparation may include resourcing, stabilization, and skill‑building before processing trauma memories.
Ongoing work
Sessions focus on reducing symptoms, increasing resilience, and improving connection to yourself and to others. You’ll leave with practical tools to use between sessions, and progress is reviewed regularly so treatment stays aligned with your goals.
Safety & collaboration
You are the expert on you. Every step is collaborative, culturally sensitive, and grounded in respect for your lived experience.
Make an Appointment with a Trauma Therapist in Bend, OR
You deserve support that honors both your story and your strengths. Jennifer Bearden, LCSW, offers trauma‑informed psychotherapy in person in Bend at 2542 NE Courtney Dr, Ste 110, and via secure telehealth across Oregon.
Ready to begin? Reach out to request an appointment or ask questions about services, availability, and fees. Together, we’ll create a path back to balance, one step at a time.