Trauma Therapy for Relationships in Falls Church, VA: What If Conflict Doesn’t Have to Mean Chaos?
Why can’t romantic relationships just be simple and easygoing all the time? You dread the moment that you arrive at a conflict, because you figure once you get there, this is when everything will implode. Or you always worry if your partner is mad at you, and you ask them for frequent reassurance. You wish it could all just feel easier. What is going on? This is a question we explore in trauma therapy for relationships in Falls Church, VA.
Avoidance and People-Pleasing: Old Strategies that Aren’t Working so Well Anymore
The reality is: relationships are triggering, especially our closest relationships. This is particularly true when we did not experience emotional security in our primary relationships while growing up. If the adults around you were unpredictable in their moods, struggled to apologize and model repairing (making up) in relationships, or were often on edge, then you were likely on edge a lot too.
Teaching Your Body that Conflict Coexists with Connection
Growing up, you may have learned that conflict came with ignoring, rejection, criticism, or a whole variety of other unmet needs. If your whole being and system have learned to expect emotional abandonment when conflict arises, well, you might just do everything in your power to prevent conflict. And you may also struggle during conflict itself. You may notice that, in present-day relationships, communicating disagreements or your needs and feelings during disagreements feels terrifying or extremely stressful. It may even be hard to verbalize these things at all, which is something a trauma therapist for relationships can help with.
Trauma Therapy for Relationships in Falls Church, VA, Helps You Slow Down
Slowing down both outside of and during conflict is critical because you likely speed up or even disconnect right now. When you feel urgency or threat, you probably people-please rather than state your feelings, needs, and boundaries. In childhood trauma therapy at Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy, we work together to find grounding and anchoring strategies that allow you to be present and connected even in these tough moments. We also support you in building your awareness of and vocabulary for what you are feeling and when these feelings are present within you. This develops as we restore your mind-body connection, particularly during high-stress moments (like conflict).
Begin Childhood Trauma Therapy for Relationships at Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy
Alice Zic, MPH, LCSW | Trauma Therapist & Owner of Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy, LLC
At Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy, we provide warm, trauma-informed care designed to help you feel safe again, reconnect with your inner resilience, and gently come back to yourself.
Getting started is simple:
Reach out and schedule your complimentary 15-minute consultation.
Complete a short pre-consultation questionnaire.
Connect with trauma therapist Alice Zic to talk through your goals and concerns.
Take the first step toward healing childhood trauma through dedicated childhood trauma therapy.
In-Person Therapy in New Orleans: A Safe Space to Heal
Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy provides in-person therapy services in New Orleans on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For individuals and families in the Greater New Orleans area seeking support for childhood trauma, the impact of an emotionally immature parent, or anxiety therapy for teens, our Mid-City New Orleans office offers a welcoming and supportive space for healing. Our in-person setting is designed to help you feel grounded, supported, and cared for as you begin your therapeutic journey.
Virtual Childhood Trauma Counseling in Virginia
Online childhood trauma therapy offers a flexible and accessible way to begin healing. As a therapist licensed in Virginia, I work with clients living throughout the state, providing secure and supportive online therapy from the comfort of your own space. With a reliable internet connection, a private environment, and your preferred device, therapy can fit into your life with ease. No commuting or added stress. You can begin by scheduling a complimentary consultation call below.
Other Online Therapy Services We Offer at Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy
In addition to childhood trauma therapy, Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy provides online therapy services for teen anxiety in Connecticut, Virginia, and Louisiana, along with in-person therapy in New Orleans. If you or your teen are navigating the effects of parentification, emotional overwhelm, or healing from childhood neglect, our practice offers a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where growth and healing can take place, both virtually and in person, across these states.
Meet Alice: Supporting Healing Through Trauma-Informed Care
Alice Zic is a licensed clinical social worker based in New Orleans, Louisiana, offering both online therapy across Louisiana, Connecticut, and Virginia, as well as in-person sessions in New Orleans. As a childhood trauma therapist, Alice supports perfectionistic, mother-wounded women as they work through early relational trauma and grow into confident, self-trusting adults.
Her approach is attachment-based and grounded in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, an evidence-based, trauma-informed modality that helps integrate the mind and body while gently reparenting wounded, critical, and protective parts. If you’re interested in working together, you can schedule a complimentary consultation today.