Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment
Trauma is not only what happened — it's what your nervous system decided to do about it, and keeps doing long after the danger has passed. Hypervigilance in calm rooms. Numbness where feeling should be. Reactions that seem to belong to someone else.
We treat trauma with methods built for it. Dr. McVey is trained in EMDR, and the practice combines it with Internal Family Systems and psychodynamic work — so treatment fits the trauma, not the other way around.
Trauma we work with
- Single-incident trauma — accidents, assault, loss
- Complex and childhood trauma
- PTSD, including in veterans and first responders
- Betrayal and relational trauma
- Trauma that has affected intimacy and trust
- Medical and health-related trauma
How trauma treatment works here
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps the brain reprocess memories that have stayed raw, so they become things that happened rather than things that are still happening. It is one of the most researched trauma treatments available and does not require retelling the story in detail.
Internal Family Systems approaches the protective patterns trauma leaves behind — the inner critic, the numbness, the part that never lets its guard down — with respect rather than force. Psychodynamic work helps make sense of how the past organizes the present.
Pacing is everything. We build stability and trust first; processing comes when you're resourced for it.
Practical details
55-minute sessions, $215 with a sliding scale from $150–194, free 15-minute consultation first. In person at One Franklin Square or via secure telehealth across DC. EMDR works well in both formats.
Common questions
Ready to begin?
The 15-minute consult is where most people begin.