Aviva Psychology Services
Trauma informed care in Massachusetts
Helping those who have experienced trauma to heal at their own pace within a framework built on safety, trust, and compassion.
When you are ready to move through the trauma rather than around it
You may have spent a long time managing your symptoms. Finding ways to get through the day, avoid what feels too heavy, and keep things from getting worse. Maybe you have tried therapy before and found it helpful to a point. But something has remained unresolved, and you sense that what you really need is to address the trauma directly.
That is a significant and courageous recognition. And it requires a specific kind of care. Not just a safe space to talk, but a structured, evidence-based framework designed to help you process what happened and reduce its hold on your present life.
If you are looking for trauma informed care in Massachusetts with experienced doctoral-level psychologists, we invite you to explore whether Aviva may be the right fit for your needs.
What is trauma informed care?
Trauma informed care is a clinical framework that shapes how all care is delivered to individuals who have experienced trauma. It recognizes the widespread impact of trauma on emotional, physical, and psychological safety, and it integrates that understanding into every aspect of assessment, treatment, and the therapeutic relationship.
The framework begins with a fundamental shift in perspective. Rather than asking "what is wrong with you?", trauma informed care asks "what happened to you?" This is not a small distinction. It changes the entire orientation of the clinical relationship, from one of diagnosis and correction to one of understanding and healing.
At Aviva, trauma informed care means creating a collaborative environment where clients feel seen, heard, and empowered. It is consent-based, paced to your readiness, and designed to avoid re-traumatization at every stage. SAMHSA identifies trauma informed care as an evidence-based framework grounded in six core principles: safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment, and cultural sensitivity.
Whose trauma-informed care is for
Trauma informed care is appropriate for adults navigating the impact of trauma, including:
- A single overwhelming event such as an accident, assault, or medical crisis
- Ongoing or repeated experiences such as abuse, neglect, or chronic stress
- Childhood trauma and its lasting impact on adult relationships and sense of self
- Systemic oppression, discrimination, and identity-based harm
- Complex trauma and its effects on identity, relationships, and daily functioning
- Acute trauma responses including Adjustment Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder
- Longer-term trauma impacts including PTSD, Complex PTSD, and Prolonged Grief Disorder
Trauma informed care is also appropriate for individuals who have engaged in other forms of therapy but have not yet addressed the trauma directly, and for those who want a structured, targeted approach with clear timelines and measurable outcomes.
Trauma treatments we offer at Aviva
Trauma informed care is the framework. The treatments delivered within that framework are specific, manualized protocols that have been extensively researched and shown to produce lasting relief. Manualized treatment matters because structure is protective in trauma work. It gives clients and clinicians a clear, predictable path through difficult material, reducing the risk of re-traumatization and increasing the likelihood of lasting change.
At Aviva we offer three manualized trauma treatments:
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
CPT is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy developed specifically for PTSD. It focuses on identifying and challenging the unhelpful thoughts and beliefs that trauma often produces, such as self-blame, shame, and a distorted sense of the world as permanently unsafe. CPT is typically completed in 10 to 14 weekly sessions and is recognized by the National Center for PTSD as a first-line treatment for PTSD. It does not require clients to describe their trauma in extensive detail, which many clients find important.
Written Exposure Therapy (WET)
WET is a brief, five-session manualized treatment for trauma. Clients are guided through structured writing assignments about their traumatic experience across five sessions. Despite its brevity, WET has demonstrated strong and lasting outcomes, with symptom reductions maintained at 12-month follow-up. It is a particularly accessible option for clients who want effective treatment with a short, defined timeline.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
PE is a 15-week structured treatment for PTSD that targets the avoidance behaviors and fear responses that keep trauma active in daily life. It includes psychoeducation, breathing training, and gradual exposure to trauma-related memories and situations through imaginal and in vivo approaches. PE has one of the strongest evidence bases of any PTSD treatment and is recommended as a first-line intervention by the National Center for PTSD.
Why we use this approach
Trauma-informed care is not an add-on to how we work. It is the foundation. We recognize that trauma is complex and deeply personal, that it is shaped by identity, culture, and the systems a person has moved through, and that effective trauma treatment requires a clinical environment where safety is not assumed but actively built.
Our psychologists are trained in all three manualized treatments we offer, CPT, WET, and PE, as well as in the broader trauma-informed framework that shapes every aspect of how sessions are structured. We are unwaveringly LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC welcoming, and we approach all trauma work through an intersectional, identity-affirming lens.
We also recognize that not everyone is ready for manualized trauma treatment from the outset. When integrative approaches are more appropriate, our psychologists draw on psychodynamic, IFS, and ACT frameworks to support stabilization and readiness before more structured trauma work begins. You can learn more about our clinicians and their training
here.
What does a session look like?
Trauma informed sessions at Aviva are built around three things: safety, transparency, and your pace. Before any structured treatment begins, your psychologist will complete a thorough assessment of your history, your current level of functioning, and your readiness for specific trauma-focused work. Nothing moves forward without your understanding and your consent.
Sessions are predictable and collaborative. You will always know what to expect in a given session, why a particular approach is being used, and how to communicate if something feels too much. Your psychologist will check in regularly, attune to how you are responding, and adjust accordingly.
If you are working through CPT, WET, or PE, sessions will follow a defined structure. That structure is not rigid. It is a clinical scaffold designed to keep the work safe and productive while remaining responsive to your individual needs and pace.
Many clients find that the experience of being genuinely heard, believed, and not pushed beyond their capacity is itself a meaningful part of the healing process.
Common concerns addressed through trauma informed care
Trauma informed care at Aviva addresses PTSD, Complex PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder, and Prolonged Grief Disorder, as well as the lasting psychological impact of abuse, neglect, systemic oppression, and chronic stress. It is also effective for trauma that has shaped identity, relationships, and a sense of safety in the world, including trauma that occurred early in life or that has not previously been addressed in a clinical setting.
Contact us
For more information and to assess fit, please contact us.
Benefits of trauma informed care
A framework built on safety
Every aspect of assessment and treatment is structured to minimize re-traumatization and ensure you feel in control of your own healing process.
Targeted, lasting relief
Manualized treatments such as CPT, WET, and PE offer structured, research-backed pathways to meaningful and lasting symptom reduction with clear timelines.
Treatment that meets you where you are
Trauma informed care is not one-size-fits-all. Your psychologist will work with you to determine the right approach and the right pace based on your individual readiness, history, and goals.
CPT, WET, and PE each have substantial bodies of clinical research supporting their effectiveness for PTSD and trauma-related conditions. CPT and PE are both recognized as first-line treatments for PTSD by the National Center for PTSD, with multiple randomized controlled trials demonstrating significant and lasting symptom reduction. WET has demonstrated comparable outcomes to longer treatments in a fraction of the sessions, with reductions maintained at 12-month follow-up.
Clients often report meaningful reductions in flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, and hypervigilance, as well as improvements in relationships, daily functioning, and overall sense of safety.
While outcomes vary by individual, many clients working through structured trauma treatment begin to notice meaningful shifts within the first several weeks.
Is trauma-informed care the right fit for you?
Trauma informed care may be a good fit if you are ready to address the impact of trauma directly and want a clinical framework that prioritizes your safety at every stage. It is appropriate for individuals at many different points of readiness, including those who are just beginning to explore treatment options and those who are ready to engage with a specific manualized protocol.
It is also common to feel ambivalent about trauma treatment. Wanting to heal and being afraid of what that process might involve are not contradictory. Your psychologist will discuss this openly during the assessment process and help you determine the right approach and timing for your specific situation.
What to expect when you begin
Starting therapy can feel overwhelming, but we keep the process simple and supportive. Here’s what to expect:
Request an Appointment
Once you complete the form, we will reach out to schedule a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to assess fit together.
Assessment and Planning
The first 2 to 4 sessions involve assessing your history, concerns, and goals. You and your psychologist will establish a treatment plan and discuss next steps.
Ongoing Weekly Sessions
Sessions are typically weekly for 55 minutes at a consistent time. You and your psychologist will work together at a pace that feels right for you.
FAQs about CBT-I
What is the difference between trauma informed care and trauma therapy?
Trauma therapy refers broadly to any therapeutic work that addresses trauma. Trauma informed care is the specific clinical framework that shapes how that work is delivered, prioritizing safety, consent, pacing, and the prevention of re-traumatization. At Aviva, all trauma work is delivered within a trauma informed framework, with manualized treatments available for clients ready for structured, targeted care.
Will I have to relive my trauma in detail?
Not necessarily, and not before you are ready. CPT focuses on thoughts and beliefs rather than detailed narrative. WET uses structured writing rather than verbal discussion. PE involves gradual, paced exposure carefully scaffolded by your psychologist. Your psychologist will explain what each treatment involves and help you determine what feels appropriate for where you are right now.
What if I am not ready for structured trauma treatment yet?
That is a valid and important question. Not everyone is ready for manualized treatment from the outset. At Aviva, if integrative approaches are more appropriate initially, your psychologist will work with you to build the safety and stability needed before moving into more structured trauma focused work.
Is trauma informed care available via telehealth?
Yes. We offer both in-person sessions at our offices in Boston and Northampton and telehealth sessions for clients across Massachusetts.
Ready to explore your options?
If you are considering care for yourself in Massachusetts, a consultation can help determine whether Aviva and our trauma treatments are the right fit for your goals. We will review your concerns, answer questions, and outline next steps if fitting.
