Trauma therapy · Hermosa Beach · Pasadena · Online in California

Trauma Therapy in Los Angeles, for When You've Moved On but Something Still Reacts

From the outside, you handled it. You built the career, the relationship, the life. But some things still hit harder than they should: a partner's tone, a boss's silence, a plan that falls through. You know where it comes from. Knowing hasn't made it stop. We help your body settle first, then work on what it's still carrying, at a pace you control.

Book a free 20-minute consult Take the one-minute check

50-minute sessions, $180 to $500 depending on your therapist. EMDR intensives available. We reply within one business day.

A woman sitting in a chair by a window, looking out

What does your trauma sound like?

Pick the one that's closest. We'll tell you how we'd start.

Insight lives in the thinking part of your brain. The reaction lives in your body, and it fires before thinking catches up. That's why understanding your past doesn't always change how you react. EMDR and somatic work reach the part that insight can't.

Talk it through: a free 20-minute consult to find your therapist

How trauma therapy works here

Stability first, then the deeper work, so it holds when life gets stressful again.

  1. First
    Get steadyBring your nervous system out of high alert, before we go anywhere near difficult memories.
  2. Then
    Work through what's stuckEMDR helps memories lose their charge, without retelling every detail.
  3. Over time
    Make it holdNotice old reactions early: in conflict, with your partner and with your kids.

Therapists who treat trauma

Your free consult matches you with the right person. Associates are trained and supervised by Lisa Chen and Clinical Director Bob Northcutt, both LMFTs.

One-minute self-check

Is the past still showing up in your present?

Start the checkClose

After hard experiences, your nervous system can stay set to go off at things that aren't dangerous anymore. Check what's been true for you lately, and the gauge shows how much the old alarm is still running your days. You don't need to name what happened. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

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Check the statements that fit. Your result shows here.

This is a reflection tool, not a diagnosis. Only a licensed clinician can assess what's going on. If you're in crisis, call or text 988.

Want a fuller read? The Quiet Trauma Check is 12 statements and two minutes, built for people who look fine from the outside.

50-minute sessions, $180 to $500 depending on your therapist. Your first 20-minute call is free, with no commitment. EMDR intensives (longer sessions over one to three days) are priced per hour; see EMDR therapy and intensives. We're out of network. Superbills are provided through the client portal, and many employers' PPO plans reimburse a portion, so it's worth a call to your plan. More on fees and FAQs.

Book a free consult

The full guide

Lisa Chen & Associates Therapy offers trauma therapy in Los Angeles, in person in Hermosa Beach and Pasadena and online anywhere in California. We work with high-functioning adults whose past still shows up in their reactions, relationships and sleep, building stability first and then using EMDR, IFS and psychodynamic therapy to work through what's underneath. Sessions are 50 minutes, cost $180 to $500, and start with a free 20-minute consultation.

What trauma is, and what it isn't

Trauma isn't just what happened. It's how your system learned to respond, and what it still carries forward.

Trauma is defined less by the event than by how your nervous system took it in. Two people can go through the same thing and come out very differently, so there's no bar to clear before it "counts." The signs are usually in the present: reactions that feel out of proportion, trouble feeling safe or relaxed, going numb, and patterns in relationships that repeat no matter how well you understand them.

Something that happened

An accident, a loss, a medical scare, an assault, a frightening stretch at work or at home.

Something that kept happening

Attachment trauma: growing up with a parent who was unpredictable, critical, absent or overwhelmed.

Many capable people learned to cope by staying alert, doing more and needing less. That helped you succeed. It can also keep you on guard long after the danger is gone, and it often travels with anxiety, depression and burnout.

How each step works

You set the pace. You never have to tell the whole story to get better, and the goal isn't to erase the strengths you built along the way. It's to stop paying for the past in your reactions, your sleep and your closest relationships.

  1. First

    Get steady

    Early sessions are practical. We use somatic tools to bring your nervous system out of high alert, protect your sleep and give you ways to settle yourself when something hits. You'll feel more in control before we go anywhere near difficult memories.

  2. Then

    Work through what's stuck

    EMDR helps your brain reprocess memories so they lose their charge, without retelling every detail. Internal Family Systems works with the parts of you that took on the job of protecting you. Psychodynamic therapy brings your blind spots into view, so you can see the pattern while it's happening.

  3. Over time

    Make it hold

    We bring the changes into your daily life: how you handle conflict, how you show up with your partner and kids, and how you notice old reactions early. When trauma is playing out in a relationship, couples sessions can help.

How our approach compares

A lot of trauma care is either talk without change or processing before you're ready. Here's what's different here.

What people often expectHow we work
The focusTalk through what happened, againStability first, then processing at a pace you set
The methodTalk therapy on its ownSomatic work, EMDR, IFS and psychodynamic therapy
Your strengthsYour coping treated as the problemWe keep what works about how you operate
Your lifeTreated as yours alone to carryWe look at the ripple onto your partner and kids, with couples sessions when it helps
The costFound out on the first callPublished below, with superbills for your insurance

Where we see clients for trauma therapy

Hermosa Beach · Pasadena · Online, anywhere in California
The waiting room at the Lisa Chen & Associates Hermosa Beach office

Hermosa Beach

2615 Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 326. Parking on site and an elevator. Weekly therapy and EMDR, including intensives. Close to Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo and Torrance.

In-person therapy in Hermosa Beach
A tree-lined street with the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance

Pasadena

150 S Los Robles Ave, Suite 850. Weekly trauma therapy Monday to Friday. Call (626) 344-0475.

Therapy in Pasadena
A man in a white shirt and glasses on a video session at his laptop

Online, anywhere in California

Secure video sessions, including EMDR. Many people find it easier to start trauma work from a place that already feels safe, like home.

Online therapy in California

Nearby: Manhattan Beach · Redondo Beach · Torrance · Pasadena

Often comes with trauma

EMDR therapy Anxiety Depression Burnout Perfectionism Highly sensitive people Couples therapy Free trauma check

Trauma therapy questions

Still deciding? A free 20-minute call is the easiest way to see if we're a fit. You won't be asked to talk about what happened.

Book a free consult

What type of therapy is best for trauma?

There isn't one best therapy for everyone. EMDR and trauma-focused therapies have the strongest research for PTSD. Many people also need help calming the body first, which is where somatic work comes in, and help with the patterns trauma left behind, which is where IFS and psychodynamic therapy fit. We combine them and pace the work to you.

How do I know if I have trauma?

You don't need a dramatic event to have been affected. Common signs are reactions that feel bigger than the moment, trouble relaxing even when things are fine, going numb, staying on guard around other people's moods, and relationship patterns that repeat. If several fit and understanding them hasn't changed them, it's worth talking to someone.

Does EMDR work for trauma?

For many people, yes. The World Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs both recommend EMDR for PTSD. It helps the brain reprocess memories so they feel less charged, without retelling every detail. We offer weekly EMDR and EMDR intensives in Hermosa Beach and online, usually after some stabilizing work first.

What is attachment trauma?

Attachment trauma comes from early relationships that felt unpredictable, critical, absent or unsafe. Later it often shows up as trouble trusting, fear of being left, over-giving or pulling away, and big reactions in close relationships. Those patterns made sense once. Therapy helps you update them, and couples sessions can help when they play out with a partner.

Do I have to talk about what happened?

Not in detail, and not before you're ready. Early sessions focus on stability: grounding skills, sleep and feeling more in control day to day. When you do work on specific memories, EMDR and IFS don't require you to retell the whole story. You set the pace, and you can pause at any point.

How much does trauma therapy cost?

Weekly sessions are 50 minutes and cost $180 to $300 with an associate, $250 to $325 with a licensed therapist, and $425 to $500 with Lisa Chen, LMFT. EMDR intensives are priced per hour. Your first 20-minute consultation is free. We're out of network and provide superbills, and many employers' PPO plans reimburse a portion.

Do you offer trauma therapy online?

Yes. We see clients online anywhere in California through secure video, and in person in Hermosa Beach and Pasadena. EMDR is offered in Hermosa Beach and online. Many people prefer starting trauma work from somewhere that already feels safe, like home, and you keep the same therapist if you switch between formats.

If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.