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Talk 1-on-1 with a Peer Specialist About Trauma Counseling

If you are looking for trauma counseling, a 1-on-1 session with a trauma Peer Specialist offers a private, peer-based alternative to or complement for formal therapy. You can talk about what you carry with someone who has lived through trauma and is further along in their own recovery.

Start with a free 15-minute intro call.

1-on-1 support

15 trauma counseling Peer Specialists

Private 1-on-1 conversations shaped by lived experience. Open a profile to read their story and book a free 15-minute intro call.

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Deirdre Millman

Deirdre Millman

Available today

Grounded, Compassionate Peer Support and Guidance.

Anxiety
Financial stress
Trish

Trish

Available tomorrow

Hi! I am 63 years old—a survivor, an overcomer, and a woman of faith who has lived through diagnoses: chronic health challenges, PTSD, grief, anxiety, and trauma. I have survived mental and physical trauma, including religious trauma, dysfunctional family dynamics, narcissistic behaviors, gaslighting, abandonment, rejection, and power and control. As the youngest of five children, these experiences affected how I saw myself for many years. Through separation, healing, faith, and self-discovery, I began to find freedom. I discovered my identity, embraced my positive qualities, and learned that I am more than what happened to me. Throughout my life, I have experienced tremendous grief. I lost a sibling in 1989, my father in 2015, my mother in 2022, and other loved ones along the way. Each loss became part of my journey and helped shape the woman I am today. I am the mother of one son and grandmother of three beautiful grandchildren. My family has faced challenges, including ADHD, PTSD, and childhood seizures, yet I also see incredible gifts, talents, strength, and potential beyond measure. From 2014 until June 2022, I was my mother's caregiver as she lived with dementia. It was one of the hardest challenges of my life. It brought me to my knees and taught me to move beyond codependency and place my complete trust in God. It taught me humility and helped me discover purpose in my pain. Although my mother had four living children, I often felt I stood alone. Others may have considered me the "black sheep," but I came to believe God had chosen and set me apart for something greater. My mother was one of my greatest influences and mentors, and I loved her dearly. My son and I are also walking through our healing journey—recovering from childhood trauma, rebuilding our relationship, and seeking spiritual healing. After 13 years of estrangement, we are reconnecting and learning how to bond again. I'm not where I want to be, but thank God, I'm not where I used to be. In 2012, substance use (prescribed medication) and an eating disorder became ways of trying to escape a painful world. But God said, "You shall live and not die." And I am still here—to use my lived experience to encourage others and share how I survived, healed, and overcame. I am an expressive writer. Poetry and spoken words allow me to release the bad, the good, and the ugly. Paper does not judge. Writing advocates and gives a voice to the voiceless. The pen 🖊 spills what our lips cannot speak—our truth. My motto is: "Knowledge Brings Clarity, and Clarity Brings Power." Professionally, I am a faith-based Certified Peer Specialist (CRSS), Dementia Facilitator, and Resource Specialist supporting women and children impacted by domestic violence. My lived experiences have shaped my passion for advocacy, education, peer support, and helping others find resources, hope, and a voice. Through everything I have endured, I have learned that every attack does not deserve a reaction. I have learned when to be silent, when to speak, and—most importantly—when to walk away. In 2025, I became a curse breaker. Through the wisdom of God and clarity received from a deeply personal experience with Him, I began breaking down layers of generational pain and trauma. My healing became about more than me. It became about what I would pass down to my son, grandchildren, and generations to come. Instead of passing down the pain of the past, I choose to pass down the greatest gift God has given us—the gift of LOVE and how to acknowledge a LIE vs the TRUTH. My journey is about healing the inner child, breaking down every layer, and gaining clarity for mental health wellness, spiritual healing, and freedom. I am breaking what no longer needs to continue. I am healing what was once left wounded. I am replacing generational pain with generational love. My global brand is Rebirth4Love—representing survival, transformation, healing, purpose, faith, generational change, unconditional love, and the power to begin again. My message to the world is: OUR PAST DOES NOT DEFINE OUR DESTINY! There is life after trauma, purpose after pain, love after rejection, freedom after breaking generational cycles, and always an opportunity for rebirth.

PTSD
Fear of abandonment
Andrea Cahill

Andrea Cahill

Available today

Peer Recovery Specialist/Coach & full-time group facilitator

Anxiety
Addiction
Amy Grinnell

Amy Grinnell

Available today

Feel seen heard and supported through compassion and a safe space. Through substance use/other addictive behaviors and struggling and trying to cope with mental health diagnoses - anxiety, depression, ptsd, bi-polar and BPD, I have found my purpose in creating positive, trusting, non-judgmental and supportive spaces with those seeking connection as they navigate addictive behaviors, mental health disorders, difficult emotions, trauma, and life challenges. My approach centers on empowering others and providing hope. My own journey is lived experience with childhood trauma, ptsd, mental health conditions, substance use, domestic violence and toxic relationships. My joy is being a mom to two boys, three cats and my bird. I love the city but I am a country girl by heart delighted to have lived next to a farm growing up. This shaped my love of all animals. Musical theater and music are my passion. I am a Haunt actor at Legends of Fear and play a different witch every year. Definitely typecast lol. My dream job is to be a Panda Nanny. I am an introvert who wears a mask as an extrovert. It’s very hard for me to escape childhood trauma and to trust but I am learning and healing one minute at a time.

Anxiety
Emotional regulation
Kaitlin Weigle

Kaitlin Weigle

Available tomorrow

Broad lived experience & passionate about helping. CPSS.

Anxiety
Depression
Carol Johnson

Carol Johnson

Available today

I bring a passion for growth and learning to every circle I join. My lived experience in navigating anxiety, depression, panic, agoraphobia, and addiction recovery, has fueled my commitment to supporting others navigating their own paths to healing. In recent years, I have focused on mastering my self-care journey, developing resilience against anxiety, panic, and depression. This personal work has refined my natural empathy and creativity, allowing me to show up authentically and compassionately. I am truly excited to share this space with you and contribute to our collective journey.

Anxiety
Depression
Tori Anderson

Tori Anderson

Available today

CPS-MH ready to help with my lived experiences

Eating disorders
Autism
Cristina DiMatteo

Cristina DiMatteo

Available tomorrow

CPSS, Art Therapy Facilitator, Creative, Trauma Survivor, Narcissistic Abuse Survivor, Bipolar, STE, Spiritual Emergence. After a sharp hit to the skull, I had my first psychosis at the age of 33. Rather than getting imaging done, the ER assumed it was psychological and sent a psychiatrist to diagnose me with bipolar disorder. No physical check was done, no evaluation of my past family trauma. I believe I had a Spiritually Transformative Experience or Spiritual Emergence. I've had a few since then and have realized that I want to be a part of fixing a broken health care system. I've survived emotionally immature parents (a complacent mother and narcissistically abusive father), abusive siblings, and I'm still working on myself to this day. Writing has helped me with perspective, I hope to publish my memoir soon. I am also an artist who is certified as an art therapy facilitator to compliment my CPSS (certified peer support specialist) that I received in the state of Arizona.

Anxiety
Grief
Why it helps

How a Peer Specialist helps with trauma counseling

A trauma Peer Specialist helps because access to trauma counseling can be difficult, expensive, or feel like too much too soon. A 1-on-1 session with someone who understands trauma from the inside offers grounding, validation, and a gentler entry point, without requiring you to retell everything from the beginning.

In a session

What a trauma counseling specialist session often covers

  • Trauma symptoms: triggers, hypervigilance, flashbacks, avoidance, and nervous-system overwhelm
  • The emotional weight of carrying trauma, including shame, self-blame, and isolation
  • How trauma is affecting daily life, relationships, safety, and self-trust
  • What your specialist found helpful in their own recovery, including the role of therapy and peer support
  • Pacing, grounding, and building steadiness without rushing the process
Good fit for

Who these specialists may help

  • People looking for trauma support who are not yet in formal counseling or on a waitlist
  • Anyone wanting peer-level connection alongside trauma therapy or other care
  • People who have tried therapy but want something more accessible for ongoing support
  • Anyone navigating the long arc of trauma recovery who does not want to do it alone
Keep exploring

Related topics

These topics often connect with trauma counseling and may lead you to another specialist who fits what you are navigating.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between trauma counseling and a trauma Peer Specialist?

Trauma counseling is provided by a licensed therapist and involves evidence-based clinical treatment. A trauma Peer Specialist offers 1-on-1 peer support from someone who has personally lived through trauma. Many people use peer support as a more accessible first step, in the gaps between appointments, or when formal counseling is not yet available.

Do I have to describe my trauma in detail during a session?

No. You share only what feels right. Many people find peer sessions most helpful when the focus stays on present-day impact, grounding, and how the specialist navigated their own recovery, rather than detailed retelling of what happened.

Can a trauma Peer Specialist help alongside therapy?

Yes. Many people use 1-on-1 peer support alongside therapy because it adds lived-experience connection and validation that complements what they are working on clinically. Peer support is not a replacement for trauma-focused treatment.
Group support

Want to join a group conversation about trauma counseling?

Join a free peer-led trauma counseling support group with others who understand.

See Trauma Counseling groups

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