Trauma Therapy in Sherman Oaks
Trauma Therapy in Sherman Oaks with Julie Klamon, LMFT
Trauma does not stay in the past the way we wish it would. Long after the event is over, the body keeps reacting as though the danger is still here. A sound, a smell, a certain tone of voice, and suddenly you are flooded. You might find yourself on edge for no clear reason, sleeping badly, snapping at people you love, or going numb to keep the feelings at bay. None of that means something is wrong with you. It means your nervous system is still trying to protect you from something that already happened.
For more than 20 years as a licensed marriage and family therapist, I have helped people work through trauma of many kinds: accidents, assaults, sudden losses, medical events, and the kind of ongoing stress that wears a person down over years. The work is careful and never rushed. My job is to help you feel safe enough to face what happened so it loses its grip.
My office in Agoura Hills is about 30 to 35 minutes from Sherman Oaks via the 101 West. I also offer secure virtual sessions to anyone in California, and we can decide together which setting feels safer for this kind of work.
How Trauma Can Show Up
Trauma does not look the same in everyone, and it does not follow a schedule. Some people feel the effects right away, others years later. Common signs include:
- Flashbacks, intrusive memories, or nightmares
- Feeling constantly on guard, jumpy, or unsafe
- Anxiety, panic, or irritability that seems out of proportion
- Avoiding people, places, or reminders connected to the event
- Numbness, detachment, or feeling cut off from yourself
- Trouble sleeping, concentrating, or trusting others
Trauma Therapy for the Sherman Oaks Community
Many of the people I see from Sherman Oaks are high-functioning and constantly in motion. The area runs on ambition, and the pace rarely lets up. That can be its own kind of trap for someone carrying trauma, because staying busy keeps the difficult feelings at arm's length. As long as the schedule is full, there is no quiet moment for the past to surface. The cost is that the trauma stays unprocessed, leaking out as anxiety, short temper, or a body that never quite relaxes.
There is also an unspoken expectation in an accomplished community to have it all together. People here are used to solving problems and moving on. But trauma does not respond to willpower or to a better calendar. It needs to be approached directly, gently, and with someone trained to do it safely. The clients I work with from Sherman Oaks are not falling apart. They are finally giving themselves permission to slow down and deal with what they have been outrunning.
How I Approach Trauma Therapy
Safety and pacing are the foundation of trauma work, and I do not skip them. Before we approach anything painful, we make sure you have the stability and the grounding skills to handle it, so you are never left overwhelmed. From there we work, using trauma-informed methods, to process the experience so the memory becomes something you can hold rather than something that hijacks you. You stay in control of the pace the entire way. You can read more about my general approach on my trauma therapy page.
The aim is not to forget what happened or to pretend it did not matter. It is to take the charge out of the memory so it stops running your present, and to help your nervous system finally register that the danger has passed. Healing from trauma is genuinely possible, and people who once felt permanently changed by it do get their lives back.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trauma Therapy in Sherman Oaks
Trauma therapy helps you process difficult experiences in a safe, paced way so they have less hold over daily life. That includes single events like an accident, an assault, or a sudden loss, as well as trauma that built up over time. We work on calming the nervous system, reducing flashbacks and hypervigilance, and helping the past feel like the past. Sessions are at my Agoura Hills office or by secure video.
Yes. I work with children ages 8 and up, teens, and adults, and I have extensive experience helping young people recover from frightening or distressing events using age-appropriate techniques. I also guide parents on how to support a child who is healing from trauma.
Absolutely, and it is common. In a fast-moving, achievement-focused area like Sherman Oaks, a lot of people stay busy precisely because slowing down lets old feelings surface. You can be successful, capable, and still be carrying trauma that shows up as anxiety, irritability, trouble sleeping, or a sense of being on guard. Functioning well on the outside does not mean the trauma is resolved, and therapy can help.
My Agoura Hills office is about 30 to 35 minutes from Sherman Oaks via the 101 West. Secure virtual sessions are available throughout California, and we can decide together whether in-person or virtual feels safer and more comfortable for this work.
Who I Work With
Children (8+)
Teens
Adults
Seniors
In-Person and Virtual Trauma Therapy Near Sherman Oaks
My office is in Agoura Hills, CA 91301, an easy drive west of Sherman Oaks on the 101. I also work with clients from the surrounding communities, including Encino, CA, Studio City, CA, Van Nuys, CA, and Woodland Hills, CA. Virtual therapy sessions are available to anyone located anywhere within the state of California.
If something you went through is still affecting your daily life, you do not have to keep pushing through it alone. Schedule a complimentary phone consultation and we can talk about what healing might look like for you.