Trauma and its healing is Andreea’s passion and goal for her clients. As a mental health counselor with experience working with children, adolescents and adults, she uses a variety of theoretical perspectives. She has experience with individual, couples, family and group therapy sessions.
Conducted mental health therapy for a variety of disorders including Adjustment Disorders, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Depressive Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Cognitive Disorders and Borderline as well as Personality Disorders.
I work from the lens of trauma and how the effect of adverse situations impacts our brains, emotions, behavior and interpersonal relationships.
What is trauma?
Psychological trauma is a response to an event or events that a person finds highly stressful. Trauma shatters your sense of self, security and trust in the world and others. Trauma can cause a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms. Trauma is part of life but sometimes people need some help to overcome it and become their better selves. That is where therapy comes in.
Not everyone who experiences a stressful event will develop trauma. There are also various types of trauma. Some people will develop symptoms that resolve after a few weeks, while others will have more long-term effects. With the right treatment, people can address the root cause of the trauma and find constructive ways to manage their symptoms.
The charity Mind in the United Kingdom lists the following as potential causes of trauma:
- Lack of validation of feelings (not been seen, heard or felt)
- Neglect
- Growing up with parents with unresolved trauma
- Taking on adult responsibilities at a young age
- Not being able to be yourself or expected to be independent too soon
- Emotional incest
- bullying
- harassment
- physical, psychological, or sexual abuse
- traffic collisions
- childbirth
- life threatening illnesses
- sudden loss of a loved one
- Constant moving or feelings of not belonging or inadequacy for long periods of time
- being attacked
- being kidnapped
- natural disasters or war
Traumatic events can be isolated or repeated, ongoing events. A person can also experience trauma after witnessing something traumatic happening to someone else.
What does a trauma therapist do?
A trauma-informed approach seeks an awareness of the widespread impact of trauma on life experience and relationships. It recognizes trauma’s role in the outlook, emotions and behavior of a person with a trauma history. A trauma-informed approach also accepts that trauma’s impact is far more prevalent than most people realize.
As trauma-informed therapist, I focus not only on the behavior someone is trying to change —but also on the underlying reasons for the behavior and the relief it provides currently.
We focus on behavior, beliefs and desired relief so we can do repair work at the deepest level to make the change long lasting. A trauma-informed approach attends to the underlying trauma from any cause.
Trauma-focused therapy sessions aim to help youth discover skills and improve coping strategies to better respond to reminders and emotions associated with the traumatic event.
The following are some of the basic goals of trauma therapy:
- To successfully handle the reality of the traumatic event that occurred in the past ( it prevents it from getting a hold on you).
- To eliminate or ameliorate the symptoms of trauma
- To change the focus of the past event to the present
- To boost day to day functioning
- Getting people to know about hereditary trauma
- Helping individuals regain their “personal power” and “sense of self”
- Helping individuals getting over addictions caused by traumatic stress
- To equip individuals with skills to help prevent deterioration or relapse
- To develop healthier and more fulfilling relationships.
Therapist Background:
Andreea graduated from Johns Hopkins University with an MA in Clinical Counseling. She have worked as a special education teacher, behavior specialist, and Math tutor for 20 years. Throughout this time, she obtained a BCBA license ( Board Certified Behavioral Analyst) as well as the EMDR certification. Andreea has an specialization in individuals with developmental disabilities.
Mrs. Solfavi has a lot of experience in behavior modification, mostly with individuals with developmental disabilities. For the past 8 years, she has worked mostly with complex trauma, attachment and dissociation. She also have several testimonials from clients that have greatly benefited from empowerment and boundary setting, which I would say is a strength of mine. She is also trained in IFS, DBT, and has worked with eating disorders as well.
Andreea Sofalvi is currently pursuing her PHD in Clinical Sexology. She has been working with clients with various sexual concerns, LGBTQIA+ clients and provides sex positive support for Kink and Nonmonogamy oriented clients. Treatment and interventions are tailored to the client’s needs; the clinician draws from narrative, IFS and existential therapies to support the client. Ms Sofalvi used the bio-psycho-social model to address physical limitations or illness that might be hampering the client’s sexual wellness (biological), the client’s emotional reactions to sexuality such as past traumas or current stressors that affect it (psychological), and societal influences and expectations around sexuality such as the client’s religious views and the gendered roles they were taught as a child (social).
