Services/Trauma Recovery
Trauma RecoveryA safe, steady place to work through what happened, in Winter Park and Orlando, and by secure telehealth anywhere in Florida.
Most people go through something traumatic at some point: a car accident, abuse or neglect, the sudden death of someone they love, violence, war, a natural disaster. Many recover over time, carried by the people around them, and find their own resilience on the other side.
For others, it doesn't stay in the past. Long after it's over, they're still living with deep emotional pain, fear, confusion, or post-traumatic stress. If that's where you are, you don't have to keep carrying it alone. A therapist can help in ways that are hard to manage on your own, and I'd be glad to be that person for you.
I work with adults, especially women, who are healing from abuse and other trauma. Trauma doesn't follow a schedule, and an event doesn't have to be "big enough" to count. What matters is what you're living with now.
Maybe you avoid places, sights, sounds, or situations because they bring it all back. Maybe it's nightmares or flashbacks, or thoughts that show up when you don't want them. You might always feel on guard, quick to anger, or unable to sleep. Some people lose interest in things they used to love, or feel numb. Others notice gaps in their memory, or habits that changed after it happened and never changed back.
If you're recognizing yourself here, naming what's happening is a good place to start, and it often makes things feel more workable.
A lot of my work is with adults carrying something that started long before they had words for it. The event may be decades old, but what you concluded from it about safety, about trust, about whether it was somehow your fault, can still shape your days. Those beliefs can change, and working on them is often some of the most meaningful work we'll do together.
This is the fear that keeps a lot of people from ever reaching out, so I want to answer it directly. You don't have to retell your story endlessly to put it down. The work tends to unfold in three movements.
Before anything else, we build trust and give you tools to stay grounded. You set the pace, nothing happens before you're ready, and "not yet" is always an okay answer.
When you're ready, we work with the memory itself, using structured trauma-resolution tools instead of open-ended retelling. This is also where grief lives, for the time that was taken and for the person you might have been without it.
With the past quieter, we turn toward what's next: boundaries, relationships, and a sense of yourself that isn't organized around what happened.
I'm trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), EMDR, and the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories, and I enjoy using these tools to resolve traumatic memories for my clients.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess memories that got stuck, so they can finally feel like the past. ART is a structured protocol, usually done in an extended session, for working through a specific traumatic memory. RTM, the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories, is another structured protocol that works toward the same goal by a different route.
Which one fits depends on you and what you're carrying, and we'll decide that together. We don't begin any of them until the groundwork is in place.
Resolving a memory is one part of trauma recovery, and usually not all of it. I also make room for the things trauma tends to hurt along the way: letting people close, boundaries, what a healthy relationship is supposed to feel like, patterns of revictimization, codependency, self-esteem, and the family-of-origin pieces underneath. That part is slower than a protocol session, and we take the time it needs.
When words aren't the easiest way in, we can use sand tray inside your individual sessions.
I'm Cristina, and I'm the owner of Flourish. I'm passionate about walking alongside trauma survivors, and my work has included serving survivors of human trafficking and leading recovery groups for women across the Orlando area. Read more about me.
You have the right to find the right therapist for you, and the first step is smaller than it looks. Take your time, and be patient with yourself on the way in.
You set the pace, from the first session to the last. Nothing in this work happens before you're ready for it.
You can see me in person at the Winter Park office, 2431 Aloma Ave., Suite 111, a short drive from Orlando, Maitland, Baldwin Park, Oviedo, and Casselberry. If coming in feels like too much right now, we can meet by secure, private telehealth from anywhere in Florida.
All sessions are self-pay. A superbill can be provided on request for possible out-of-network reimbursement. See rates & insurance for current fees, or read our FAQ.
A structured therapy that uses guided bilateral techniques to help the brain reprocess distressing memories.
ExpressiveA hands-on form of expressive therapy for adults, using a tray and miniatures to work with what's hard to say.
AdultsOne-on-one counseling for anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationships, and life transitions.
I work with adults, especially women, who are healing from abuse (including sexual abuse), childhood and relational trauma, and experiences that still feel present years later. My work has also included serving survivors of human trafficking.
No. We move in three gentle steps: safety and grounding first, then resolving what happened with approaches like EMDR and ART, then growing forward. You set the pace, and nothing happens before you're ready.
That's okay, and it's really common. The first part of our work is about helping you feel safe and steady, so you don't have to come in ready. Be patient with yourself.
We're not on insurance panels, so sessions are self-pay: $185 for a 50-minute session. If your plan has out-of-network benefits, just ask and I'll give you a superbill you can submit for possible reimbursement. HSA and FSA cards are welcome.
Request a 10-minute phone consultation through the client portal. It's a chance to ask your questions and see if we're a good fit, and you only share what you want to.
Request an appointment and we'll help you find the right fit. Already a client? Sign in to your portal.
Have questions? See our FAQ.