Specialties
Trauma Therapy in Brookline, MA
Trauma can shape how safe you feel in the world, in your body, and in relationships — often long after the events themselves have passed. As a trauma therapist in Brookline, MA, I help college students and adults heal at a pace that feels safe, so the past loosens its grip on the present.
In short: Trauma therapy with Dr. Rebecca Rabin, PsyD helps you process painful experiences safely and reduce their hold on daily life. She integrates psychodynamic depth, CBT skills, and mindfulness for regulation, always led by safety, pacing, and the therapeutic relationship — in Brookline, MA and via telehealth statewide.
How trauma can show up
Trauma is not only about what happened — it is about how an overwhelming experience lives on in the body and mind. Many people are surprised to learn that their struggles are rooted in trauma at all, especially when the events were ongoing rather than a single incident.
Anxiety, hypervigilance, or feeling constantly on guard
Numbness, disconnection, or feeling far away from yourself
Trouble trusting others or feeling safe in relationships
Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
Avoiding people, places, or reminders of what happened
A harsh inner critic and deep-seated shame
PTSD, complex, and developmental trauma
Post-traumatic stress can follow a single frightening event — an accident, an assault, a loss. Complex and developmental trauma, by contrast, grow out of prolonged or repeated experiences, often beginning early in life within important relationships. These earlier wounds can quietly shape self-worth, emotion, and how you relate to others for years.
Whatever the source, healing is possible. As I often share with clients, hope can emerge from even the darkest of times, and human connection is the basis of recovery.
My integrated approach to trauma
There is no single path through trauma, so I tailor treatment to you — blending evidence-based methods with warmth, patience, and respect for your own timing. Learn more about the psychodynamic approach that anchors much of this work.
Psychodynamic depth
Together we gently explore how past experiences echo in the present — the recurring themes, relationship patterns, and protective responses that once kept you safe but now feel limiting.
CBT skills
Practical cognitive-behavioral tools help you work with intrusive thoughts, reduce avoidance, and regain a sense of choice and steadiness in daily life.
Mindfulness for regulation
You'll learn to notice and calm the body's alarm system, building the capacity to stay present with difficult feelings without becoming overwhelmed.
Safety, pacing, and the relationship
Trauma work only heals when it feels safe, so we never rush. We move at a pace you set, building trust before approaching painful material — because the therapeutic relationship itself is often where deep repair happens. You are always in control of what we discuss and when.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, please reach out for immediate support — in the U.S. you can call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at any time. When you're ready, I invite you to reach out for a free consultation to see whether we're a good fit.
Trauma therapy for college students and adults
I work with college students and adults across Massachusetts, in person on Beacon Street in Brookline and through secure telehealth statewide. With training at Harvard Medical School and post-doctoral experience at the MIT and Boston College counseling centers, I have a particular understanding of how trauma affects high-achieving students and professionals — people who often keep functioning outwardly while carrying real pain underneath.
You do not have to have a dramatic story, or to be certain that what you went through 'counts,' to deserve support. If difficult experiences are still shaping how you feel, think, or relate to others, that is reason enough to reach out. Healing rarely happens in a straight line, but it can happen — and it doesn't have to happen alone.
Trauma therapy FAQs
How does therapy help with anxiety?
Trauma therapy helps you process overwhelming experiences safely so they lose their grip on the present. Using psychodynamic understanding, CBT skills, and mindfulness for regulation, we work at your pace to reduce symptoms, rebuild a sense of safety, and restore connection with yourself and others.
What is the difference between PTSD and complex trauma?
PTSD usually follows a single frightening event, while complex trauma grows from prolonged or repeated experiences, often early in life. Complex trauma tends to affect self-worth, emotion, and relationships more broadly. Both are treatable, and therapy can be tailored to whichever fits your history.
Will I have to relive the trauma in therapy?
No. We move only as fast as feels safe for you, and you always control what we discuss. Much of trauma work focuses first on building stability and trust. We approach painful material gradually, never in a way that leaves you overwhelmed.
Do you offer online trauma therapy in Massachusetts?
Yes. I offer secure telehealth sessions to clients across Massachusetts, alongside in-person sessions in Brookline. Many people find that a familiar, private space at home helps them feel safer and more settled while doing this deeper work.
What if I'm in crisis right now?
If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, please seek urgent help now. In the U.S. you can call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911. Therapy is valuable ongoing support, but crisis lines are there for emergencies.
I'm here for you.
Do you want to feel understood and discover a pathway forward?
Reach out today and let's get you started.