Trauma-Informed Therapy in Peoria, AZ — for Adults + Teens
Therapy that goes deeper than coping
You may not be in crisis.
You may be functioning well enough that others don’t see the strain. But internally, something keeps signaling that the way you’ve been managing isn’t sustainable anymore.
Maybe anxiety stays close to the surface. Maybe your reactions feel bigger than the situation in front of you. Maybe your body doesn’t fully relax, even when life slows down. Or maybe you’re here because your child is struggling in ways that feel hard to name — big emotions, shutdown, behavior that doesn’t quite make sense.
This practice is for people who want to understand why these patterns exist — not just how to manage them.
At Inside Out, therapy focuses on helping you make sense of how past experiences, relationships, and adaptations shaped the way your system learned to function. We work with adults, children, and teens who are ready for care that goes beneath the surface and moves at a pace their nervous system can actually tolerate.
How trauma-informed therapy works at Inside Out
Therapy here is not about talking at a problem or trying to override it with insight alone. It’s about paying attention to what your mind and body are already doing — and working with that information rather than pushing past it.
Sessions are collaborative and paced. Some days that means slowing things down enough to notice patterns that usually run in the background. Other days it means gently engaging experiences or memories that still carry weight, so they no longer have to show up indirectly through anxiety, reactivity, or shutdown.
Our clinicians work from a trauma-informed, attachment-based lens. That means we pay close attention to safety, timing, and relationship — because change doesn’t happen just because something makes sense intellectually. It happens when your system has the capacity to integrate it.
You’re not expected to know where to begin or what the “right” focus should be. Part of the work is figuring that out together, based on what shows up in the room and what your system is ready for.
Why in-person therapy supports deeper trauma healing
This kind of therapy relies on presence, not just conversation.
Being in the room together allows us to notice the subtle things that often get missed: shifts in posture, breath, tone, pacing. It allows your nervous system to register safety through real-time connection, not just words. For trauma- and attachment-focused work, that matters.
In-person sessions create a consistent, contained environment where your system can begin to settle, experiment, and integrate change. There’s less pressure to perform, explain, or stay “on.” Instead, therapy becomes something that unfolds through felt experience as much as insight.
For children and teens especially, in-person work offers access to play, movement, and nonverbal expression — ways of communicating that don’t rely on having the right language yet.
This isn’t about intensity or depth for its own sake. It’s about choosing a format that supports regulation, clarity, and real relational repair over time.
Teen + child therapy in Peoria, AZ — sand tray, play + EMDR
When a child or teen is struggling, it often shows up indirectly — through behavior, withdrawal, big emotions, or sudden changes that are hard to make sense of. Many parents arrive here feeling concerned, unsure what’s normal, and wondering how much to intervene versus wait out.
Our work with children and teens focuses on helping them feel safe enough to express what’s happening internally — often before they have the words for it.
Sessions are developmentally appropriate and paced. Depending on age and need, therapy may include sand tray, play, movement, or creative expression alongside conversation. These approaches allow kids and teens to communicate through action and imagery, not just language, and help us understand what their nervous system is responding to.
Parents are respected as part of the process. We pay attention to context — family dynamics, stressors, transitions — without assigning blame or positioning therapy as something meant to “fix” a child. The goal is to support regulation, expression, and understanding in a way that feels steady and sustainable for the whole system.
Inside Out Therapy + Consulting is a group practice, which means your care is supported by more than one perspective — without feeling impersonal or fragmented.
Each clinician brings their own strengths and areas of focus, but the work here is grounded in a shared approach. That consistency matters. It allows therapy to feel coherent, intentional, and well-supported, regardless of who you work with.
The practice is guided by Christina Behrens, MA, LPC, Founder and Clinical Director. With experience across community mental health, inpatient and outpatient settings, group work, and private practice, Christina’s role is centered on clinical oversight, consultation, and support. She works closely with the team to ensure that care remains thoughtful, trauma-informed, and responsive to the people we serve.
For you, this means your therapist isn’t working in isolation. There is space for reflection, collaboration, and accountability behind the scenes — all in service of providing steady, high-quality care in the room.
Meet our trauma-informed therapists in Peoria, AZ
Our clinical training + approach to trauma-informed care
The clinicians at Inside Out are licensed mental health professionals with training in trauma-informed care and a commitment to ongoing learning. What matters most isn’t the length of a résumé — it’s how that training shows up in the room.
Across the practice, our clinicians bring experience from a range of clinical settings, including community mental health, inpatient and outpatient care, group work, and private practice. This breadth informs how we assess, pace, and adapt therapy based on what each person actually needs.
Common areas of training include:
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Trauma & Attachment Work
Training in trauma- and attachment-informed therapy that focuses on how past experiences shape current patterns, relationships, and nervous system responses.
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EMDR Therapy
Experience using EMDR to help the nervous system reprocess past experiences that continue to affect the present.
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Child & Adolescent Therapy
Developmentally appropriate therapy for children and teens, including play- and sand tray–based approaches that support regulation and expression.
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Anxiety, OCD & Mood Concerns
Clinical experience supporting clients with anxiety, OCD, depression, and emotional overwhelm through paced, integrative care.
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Nervous System Regulation
Body-aware approaches that help clients notice, understand, and shift patterns of stress, reactivity, and shutdown.
Clinical work at Inside Out is supported through consultation and oversight, allowing therapists to reflect on their work, stay grounded in best practices, and provide care that is thoughtful rather than formulaic.
For clients, this means therapy that is informed, responsive, and grounded in both training and real-world clinical experience — without being rigid or one-size-fits-all.
Let’s Connect
If you’re considering therapy for yourself or your child, we’d be glad to help you take the next step with clarity — and without pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Progress often shows up subtly before it feels dramatic. Clients may notice they’re less reactive, more aware of internal cues, or able to pause where they used to feel overwhelmed. Over time, patterns begin to shift — not because they’re being forced to change, but because they’re better understood and no longer needed in the same way. Therapy here is not about rushing outcomes; it’s about building capacity for lasting change.
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Inside Out is led by a Clinical Director who provides ongoing oversight and consultation to the team. This means therapists have space to reflect, ask questions, and stay aligned with best practices — all of which directly benefits client care. For clients, this often translates into therapy that feels thoughtful, steady, and well-held.
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Parent involvement is handled with care and intention. While sessions are centered on the child or teen, parents are supported with context, guidance, and collaboration as appropriate. The focus is not on assigning blame or “fixing” a child, but on understanding what the child’s system is responding to and how the environment can support regulation and growth.