Complex Trauma Therapy
New Jersey + Pennsylvania
With Amy Rae Johnson, LCSW
I work with complex trauma because I’ve lived it.
Trauma healing changed my life, and this work is my calling.
Do you feel disconnected even around people you love?
Do relationships, achievements, or milestones feel less fulfilling than you imagined?
Complex trauma can make you feel like an outsider everywhere you go. You may look capable on the outside while feeling unseen or unfulfilled on the inside.
This is how your nervous system learned to survive, and I can help.
Clients Come To Me For:
Trust issues
Distant relationships
Feelings of emptiness
Self-criticism
Patterns that won’t break
A longing to belong
Many clients with complex trauma grew up with emotionally unavailable parents, unstable environments, abuse, narcissistic relationships, or impossibly high standards.
These early dynamics shape how the body responds to closeness, stress, and connection.
How Complex Trauma Therapy With Me Works
Healing complex trauma starts with building safety in the body. We go slowly and intentionally. Before pushing insight or change, we focus on helping your nervous system feel grounded enough to stay present.
My approach is relational and client-centered, focusing on genuine connection. Together, we work to reconnect your mind and body.
Modalities I Use
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Helps your body release trapped survival responses so you are no longer stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown.
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Focuses on how early relationships shaped your sense of safety, trust, and closeness so new patterns can form.
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Brings compassion to inner parts that learned to protect you, reducing shame and inner conflict.
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Pinpoints deep trauma held in the body when talking alone has not brought relief.
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Builds present-moment awareness so emotions feel manageable instead of overwhelming.
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Offers practical support for daily stress while deeper healing unfolds.
“I show up as myself and believe the therapist-client connection is part of the healing process.”
Change Your Story
As trauma loosens its grip, your body feels safer and life opens in a new way.
After Trauma Therapy With Me, Clients Report
Feeling seen and understood
Better self-expression
Meaningful relationships
Calmer day-to-day routines
More energy & vitality
Deeper intimacy
Less doomscrolling
Stop living in survival mode and start engaging with life more fully.
About Amy Rae Johnson, LCSW
My therapy is designed for people ready to feel at home within themselves. Healing happens when you feel seen, understood, and supported at both a nervous system and relational level.
Sessions with me are collaborative, warm, and grounded. We work together to slow things down, reconnect with your body, and release heavy burdens you’ve been carrying for too long. You do not have to perform or protect yourself here.
Outside of therapy, I enjoy hiking, painting, and gardening. I’m an ethnic food enthusiast, animal lover with two cats, and cherish my morning cup of coffee.
Availability: I work with clients via Telehealth across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Education, Credentials,
& Trainings
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Certified Brainspotting Therapist
Somatic therapy training
Polyvagal-informed therapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Mindfulness-based and compassion-focused approaches
12+ years of credentialed experience across Hawaii, Arizona, Colorado, and the Tri-State area
3 Steps To Get Started
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Fill out the contact form. If I’m not the right fit, I’ll help you find someone who is.
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We’ll talk through what’s been going on and see if working together feels right.
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We’ll begin building safety, trust, and a pace that supports your nervous system.