Trauma Therapy for Nightmares: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You cannot remember the last time you had a good night’s sleep. You usually wake up frightened, sweaty, and with a pounding heart. Nightmares that repeat night after night feel so real that they stick with you even during the day. You know it was just a dream, but your body doesn’t believe you, making you feel upset and exhausted. You begin to dread going to sleep because sleep doesn’t bring the peace and rest you need. It brings memories you never chose to revisit.

You may wonder, “Why do I keep having nightmares every night?” Or, “Are my nightmares due to PTSD?” “When will they stop?”

As a trauma therapist, I’ve often seen how nightmares can be a trauma response and how deeply they can affect both our nights and days. In this article, I’ll explore whether PTSD can trigger nightmares, why they occur, and what you can do to reduce or stop nightmares caused by trauma.

Anxiety Counselor Explains CBT Therapy

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You've noticed that your anxiety gets in the way of daily life, making it hard to focus at work, enjoy yourself, or feel fulfilled in relationships. You overthink every decision, replay conversations in your head like a broken record, lie awake at night, and worry constantly about what the future might bring. And it's just… exhausting.

You've heard about cognitive behavioral therapy and wonder if CBT can help with anxiety. It's perfectly reasonable to want to know more before you begin counseling. People often have many questions about CBT when they call our practice, such as how CBT works, what cognitive behavioral therapy does, or why, for some people, CBT doesn't work. In this article, I will answer these questions and more to help you understand what to expect.

Orlando Counselor Providing Anxiety Relief

Does making decisions give you anxiety? No matter what you decide to do, you are plagued with internal distress? Do you feel stuck in the mud because none of the choices you make seem to be exactly right? Do you agonize over decisions because you are afraid you’ll make the wrong decision?

Anxiety Counselor Explains Phobias: Causes, Types, and Treatments That Work

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You know you have irrational fears that are holding you back. You want to move forward in your life, but these fears keep you stuck. Maybe it’s turning down a promotion at work that involves travel or delaying that long-planned trip to Europe because you’re afraid of flying. Or perhaps you have a fear of insects that prevents you from a backpacking adventure because you can’t imagine sleeping in places crawling with insects. For someone with a phobia, these reactions aren't just nerves. They're overwhelming waves of fear that seem impossible to control. But you're not powerless. And you're definitely not alone. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, about 12,5% of adult Americans experience a specific phobia sometime in their life.

People have many questions about phobias when they come for anxiety therapy, like how phobias develop, how they affect daily life, or what is the common treatment for phobias? In this article, I will walk through each of these questions and more to help you understand where your phobia symptoms come from and what type of therapy is best for phobias.

Orlando Therapist Explains Anxiety vs. Intuition: How to Tell the Difference

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You’re at a crossroads and a feeling washes over you: don’t move forward. You sense it in your body, but you can’t quite explain it. The question starts spinning in your mind, is this my intuition guiding me, or is it fear holding me back?

You don’t want to live a fear-based life. You’re ready to take risks, to expand, to learn, and to grow. You know that living in fear keeps you playing small, and you’re no longer willing to settle for that.

It’s common to wonder what your body is trying to tell you. Is it an intuitive hunch, or is it fear? When you first start leaning into your gut and listening for intuition, it can feel confusing. In the beginning, it’s hard to tell the difference between fear holding you back and the wisdom of your body pointing the way forward.

In this post, we’ll look at what makes intuition different from anxiety and explore practical ways to strengthen your intuition. By the end, you’ll have tools to help you recognize whether it’s fear speaking or your inner wisdom guiding you.

Anxiety Therapist Answers: What is Exposure Therapy?

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You often decline invitations to birthday parties, family gatherings, or after-work drinks, saying you're too tired or have other plans, just to avoid feeling judged or awkward in social situations. You refuse to go on family vacations that require flying because you are too afraid of it.

You've lived with anxiety for so long that avoiding uncomfortable situations, thoughts, and feelings has become so natural. But deep down, you know that avoiding everything that provokes anxiety will not make things better in the long term. Maybe you've heard about exposure therapy and how effective it can be for treating anxiety, and now you're searching online for "exposure therapy near me." Still, the idea of facing the things you fear can sound scary, or at the very least, uncomfortable. You might be wondering, “What exposure therapy actually treats?” “When is it not recommended?” or “Could it really help with my anxiety or phobia?”

I am an anxiety therapist, and I'll answer these questions and more in this article so you can make an informed and confident decision when choosing the right anxiety treatment in Orlando. Exposure therapy is one of the most researched and effective forms of anxiety treatment in Orlando and beyond.

Trauma Therapy Orlando: Making Sense of Chaotic Relationships

If you regularly feel guilty, bad, anxious, overwhelmed, angry, lost, or powerless in relationships (romantic or otherwise), seeing this discord through the lens of the trauma triangle can be life-changing. Yes, you read that right, this could Change. Your. Life. Once you can see what is happening and develop some tools to do something different, you will be able to experience connection without the chaos.

Anxiety Therapy Orlando Guide to Creating Resilient Teams and Stronger Leaders

If you feel like your team crumbles under stress, or that your own exhaustion is fueling burnout around you, you’re not alone. Resilient teams aren’t built by pushing harder; they’re built by leaders who know how to manage their own anxiety and create safety. This series is your action plan for exactly that.

Throughout this series, we've explored several key strategies to help you foster resilience within yourself and your team. From managing your nervous system to embracing psychological safety, each post has provided tools that empower leaders to navigate stress, build stronger teams, and reduce burnout.

In case you missed any of the posts or need a refresher, here’s a recap of the core strategies and the links to the full articles.

EMDR Therapy in Orlando: Costs, Insurance, and Who It’s Right For

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You’ve heard about EMDR therapy, and you’re wondering if it might be right for you. You want to feel informed before reaching out to a therapist, and you should be. People often have many questions about EMDR therapy when they call our practice. For example, what does it cost, is it covered by insurance, what does EMDR treat, and who might not be a good candidate? In this article, I will walk through each of these questions and more to give you a clear picture of what to expect.

Anxiety Therapy Orlando: How to Cultivate a Resilient Team That Doesn't Burnout

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

As an anxiety therapist, I see every day how fear of judgment can hold people back from speaking their truth. In the workplace, it’s no different. Maybe you’ve been in a meeting where the room goes quiet, where ideas are kept inside, and mistakes are brushed under the rug. The silence feels heavier than the issue itself, and before long, stress takes the lead.

What if instead of hiding struggles or protecting egos, you and your team could face obstacles together with clarity, openness, and trust? What if challenges became opportunities for growth and innovation? That’s exactly what the ACE Strategy is designed to create: a culture of psychological safety and resilience.

Orlando Anxiety Therapy: How Anxiety Can Affect Your Relationship Choices

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Making decisions has always made you feel uncomfortable. Anxiety has a way of turning fairly simple choices into overwhelming battles in your head. There are just too many "what ifs." You feel overwhelmed with options and fear that whichever choice you make, it might be the wrong one.

In this article, we'll explore how anxiety can sway your relationship decisions and how the right support, like anxiety therapy, can help you shift from fear-driven choices to those based on your values and needs. 

Anxiety Therapy Orlando: How Psychological Safety Reduces Workplace Stress

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You’ve been in that meeting. The one where someone shares an idea and the room goes quiet. Not because it wasn’t helpful, but because no one wants to say the wrong thing. So they say nothing at all...

Or maybe you’ve watched a high performer stop offering feedback. A new hire holds back a question. A manager pushes through exhaustion, too afraid to ask for help.

This is what a lack of psychological safety looks like. Not drama. Not a disaster. Just… silence. Disconnection. People are protecting themselves instead of engaging. A psychologically safe workplace doesn’t mean people are always comfortable. It means they’re not afraid.

Anxiety Therapist Shares How to Become a Better Decision-Maker

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Your friends invite you out to dinner. You’re excited…it’s been too long since you’ve had a chance to catch up. But then, there’s that project waiting on your desk, the one with a deadline breathing down your neck. Part of you wants to say yes, and another part feels you should stay home and finish the work. No matter what you choose, guilt creeps in, and you feel stuck in the middle. Sound familiar?

When even simple choices like what to eat, what to wear, or whether to accept an invitation start to feel overwhelming, decision-making can turn into a source of stress rather than freedom. And when anxiety is part of the picture, those everyday moments of choice can feel paralyzing.

Anxiety Therapist Orlando Shares How to Break Free from Menopause Anxiety

 Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You're in your 40s or 50s. You know changes are part of this stage of life, yet they still catch you off guard. You feel like you're on edge all the time. You worry nonstop about everything. It feels like stress hits harder than it used to. Some days, you can't focus on even the simplest tasks. You forget things all the time. And then there's sleep. You've always been a good sleeper who drifted off easily, but now you find yourself lying awake for hours. The longer the sleepless nights last, the more worried and uncomfortable you feel, and soon you notice it spilling over into your mood and daily life.

If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. For many women, this midlife transition is about much more than hot flashes and shifting hormones. It can also bring emotional ups and downs that feel unsettling and, at times, overwhelming.