Hello and welcome. My name is Sandra Wohali (she/her/hers) and I am licensed to practice psychotherapy in CA as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (#122530). I specialize in recovering from trauma, both acute and complex, using a variety of modalities including EMDR, somatic awareness, internal family systems, mindfulness, narrative therapy, and CBT. I have witnessed incredible transformation in the lives of my clients and I am truly honored to do this work. As a professional and as a person with my own complex history, I've experienced the challenges inherent in learning to address the messy stuff, heal and regulate my nervous system again. I look forward to helping you on your own journey to healing.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session, we will do some brief introductions, then I'll spend a few minutes introducing you to the concept of "confidentiality." The rest of the session will be spent discussing what brought you to therapy and your hopes for healing. This will help me create a tailored treatment plan to meet your needs in future sessions.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I believe that often the things we perceive as negative about ourselves are actually survival adaptations which kept us alive to fight another day. The key to healing is not in rejecting those parts of ourselves, but to engage in relationship with them, showering them in compassion, acceptance, and the knowledge that the war is over and the self survived. Then those agitated parts of ourselves can finally rest and stop fighting in the knowledge their job is done and the power to heal has been within us all along. No matter your personal challenges, it is my honor and privilege to support you in your journey to healing. I believe that everyone can heal and grow. None of us is truly broken, and the cracks in our shells are where all the interesting stuff happens!
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I love working with individuals whose trauma history continues to impact their daily functioning and well-being. Maybe you suffer from intrusive memories or nightmares keeping you from moving forward. Maybe other people think you should just be able to "get over it." Maybe you feel like you live life through a fog or you soothe your pain with unhealthy coping mechanisms. There is a path forward to clarity and peace. Trauma memories can be resolved and relief from constant triggers or disconnection is possible. It is hard work. I am in the best position to help those who are ready to do the work so they can finally live the life they were meant to live, free from the trauma of the past.
About Sandra Wohali
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VirtualMy treatment methods
EMDR
I am a trained EMDR therapist listed on the EMDRIA.org website. EMDR is an 8-stage system which utilizes eye movement desensitization to harness the brain's natural ability to reprocess memories, thoughts, and core beliefs to promote emotional healing. I use this method primarily for treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
We all have parts - the critic, the depressive, attachment, the going on with life part, and others. I use IFS to help clients understand and find compassion for their complex inner-emotional world and then using that understanding to comfort and heal the parts of themselves that never got what they needed in the past. IFS is a compassionate way to understand and reparent yourself.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT, in part, in almost every session. This modality is excellent for teaching clients to notice, label, and adjust their own thinking patterns and feedback loops. Noticing is the first step in change (Catch it!). Then we evaluate (Check it!). Then we can try something different (Change it!). CBT provides a framework within which to do that.
Somatic
Trauma memories are held in the parts of the brain that control body sensation and instinctual responses. When trauma is triggered, it often evidences itself physically. Good trauma therapy involves learning to understand and regulate the body's responses to trauma triggers, so the client can re-engage the frontal cortex, which handles problem solving and executive control.