Hope, Growth and Healing Counseling
What is trauma and intergenerational therapy?
Trauma and intergenerational therapy is a way of looking at what is happening now, the anxiety, the low motivation, the quickness to shut down. From there, you learn steadier ways to cope so you can begin to understand and heal from what came before, including what was carried down to you.
Does this sound like you?
Trauma does not stay in the past. It shows up in your days like this:
Your mind keeps circling back to the negative and will not settle.
You have a hard time getting along with family and the people you love.
You feel stuck in the past, unsure how to move forward or what forward even looks like.
You shut down when you’re reminded of your past
You do not want to pass down what was done to you, and you want to break the cycle.
Who I work with
Adults carrying trauma from childhood or family systems
People working to break intergenerational patterns and not repeat them
LGBTQIA2S+ folks navigating trauma and identity
Autistic and ADHD adults whose trauma and neurodivergence overlap
BIPOC and multicultural clients who want culturally responsive care
People who feel stuck in the past despite knowing what happened
Anyone who shuts down or gets triggered by reminders of the past
How I help
We start with safety and skills
We do not go straight into what happened. First you learn coping strategies so you feel more grounded and less at the mercy of what sets you off.
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We work at your pace
This is collaborative. I check in along the way, and you never have to talk about anything before you are ready.
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We understand the patterns
Once you feel steadier, we look at what still affects you today and where it traces back to, including what was handed down through your family.
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We draw on proven methods
I integrate Brainspotting, DBT, Internal Family Systems, ACT, somatic approaches, and narrative work, matched to you rather than a script.
My care is individualized around what matters to you: your culture, your people, your values, and the words you use for your own life. I do not pathologize you. I look at the systems around a struggle instead of locating the problem inside you, because advocacy, empowerment, and freedom from suffering are things I believe everyone has a right to.
Benefits of Trauma and Intergenerational Therapy
Steadier days
The circling thoughts ease, and the negative stops setting the tone.
Emotions you can hold
Big feelings become something to manage, not something that runs you.
A calmer body
The nervousness eases and the guard your body keeps starts to drop.
Room for joy again
Motivation and clarity return, and you feel more like yourself.
Modalities I draw on
Brainspotting
Brainspotting uses points in your field of vision to help you access and process trauma held in the body, without needing to talk through every detail. I have completed Brainspotting Phases 1 and 2.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT teaches concrete skills for managing intense emotions, tolerating distress, and staying grounded when the past gets triggered. I am DBT certified.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS, also called parts work, helps you understand the different parts of yourself that carry pain, protection, or fear, so they can settle rather than run the show. It is a gentle way to work with trauma without forcing anything.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you make room for hard thoughts and feelings while moving toward what matters to you. Rather than fighting your inner experience, you learn to hold it and keep living by your values.
Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy works with the body, not the mind alone, since trauma lives in the nervous system as much as in memory. We track physical sensations to help release what talking cannot reach.
Postmodern Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy separates you from the problem and looks at the story you have been handed about your own life. You become the author, finding your own meaning rather than a label someone placed on you.
How to Get Started
1
Reach Out
Book a free 15-minute consultation by phone or through the contact page, and bring any questions you have.
2
Free Consultation
We talk through what brings you in and whether we are a good fit, with no pressure to commit.
3
Begin Therapy
Start sessions built around your goals and your pace, in person in San Diego or online across California.
Trauma and Intergenerational Therapy FAQ
Christina Ames-Cotto, LMFT
Christina Ames-Cotto is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California who helps people work through trauma and the patterns handed down through families. She is trained in Brainspotting and certified in DBT, and clients say they get someone warm, grounded, and real. Her care is built around who you are, your culture, your people, and your values, and she does not pathologize what you are carrying.
