Complex Trauma Therapy
With Tara Arhakos, LPC
I started working with complex trauma clients 18+ years ago because I’ve been through it myself + know no one should have to go through this work alone.
Do you understand what’s wrong but still can’t change the pattern?
Do you keep wondering - why doesn't it ever work out for you?
You might know exactly what you don’t want to repeat and still find yourself repeating it. Some clients find their career becomes all they know or relationships are following the same old patterns.
Others become paralyzed by shame, feeling numb or empty, hyperindependent, or lost in the fear of never being good enough.
Knowing why something happens doesn’t always make it stop.
Clients Come To Me When They’re:
Repeating relationships
Experiencing work difficulties
Overwhelmed
Hopelessness
Lonely
Experiencing excessive guilt
Numb
Stuck in a pattern of people pleasing
Complex Trauma Therapy With Me
We start with what’s happening now. Your body is on high alert, or numb and disconnected. Together, we work toward reconnecting with your feelings and understanding what your body is communicating.
Our relationship matters deeply in this work. I want you to say what you need to say without judgment or consequence. We’ll work on the thoughts, nervous-system responses, and patterns that leave you feeling overwhelmed, reactive, or disconnected from yourself.
My Approach
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Uses the relationship between us to build trust and help you become safer and more connected with yourself.
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Works with the body and nervous system to regulate emotions and reconnect with feelings.
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Helps you notice what’s happening in the present instead of automatically falling into old patterns.
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Builds practical skills for managing emotions and responding differently when things get difficult.
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Helps you identify thought patterns that keep you stuck and develop more useful ways of responding.
Knowing Why Isn’t Always Enough
You can understand where a pattern came from and still repeat it. Therapy helps reconnect the understanding in your mind with what’s happening in your body, relationships, and choices now.
After Complex Trauma Therapy With Me
Clients report:
Trusting their gut
More confidence
More decisive choices
Greater openness
Looking forward to the future
Improved boundaries
Bigger life changes
Fewer repeating patterns
The work is about creating more choice, so the past doesn’t have to keep deciding what happens next.
“Understanding your history matters. So does changing what happens now.”
About Tara Arhakos, LPC
Hi, I’m Tara Arhakos, LPC.
I work with complex trauma because I know how deeply trauma shapes a person’s life. My approach is relational, somatic, and grounded in the idea that you don’t have to figure this out alone.
We’ll work with what’s happening now while understanding the patterns underneath it. I want you to have somewhere it’s okay to say what you’re going to say, whether it’s trauma-related or not. I won’t rush you into places you’re not ready to go.
I care deeply about the people I work with. My clients tell me they appreciate the humanity I bring into the relationship we build together.
Outside of counseling, I’m a lover of cappuccinos, punk rock, travel, family, friends, and New Jersey’s beaches.
Availability: I provide in-person therapy in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, and virtual therapy via telehealth for clients across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and South Carolina.
Education, Credentials,
& Trainings
New Jersey Licensed Professional Counselor, License #37PC00425700
Pennsylvania Licensed Professional Counselor, License #PC020319
Nationally Certified Counselor
Registered Yoga Teacher, RYT200
Master of Science in Professional Counseling, Monmouth University, 2008
Bachelor’s in Psychology, minor in Gender Studies, Rider University, 2005
American Counseling Association
Yoga Alliance
3 Steps To Get Started
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Fill out the contact form and share what’s been happening in your life.
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We’ll talk about what you’re looking for and whether therapy with me feels like the right fit.
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We’ll focus on what’s happening now, learn more about your history, and begin deciding where the work needs to go.