Trauma Therapy

You have tried to fix it.

You made promises to yourself. You read the books. You white knuckled it for a while. Maybe it even worked, for a few weeks. Then it came back.

That is not because you are weak. It is because you have been working on the leaves, not the roots.

The Tree and the Roots

Picture a tree with sick leaves. You can pull off every brown leaf by hand. New ones will grow back brown, because the problem was never the leaves. It was the roots.

A lot of what hurts in your life works the same way. The anger that comes out of nowhere. The habit you hide. The thing you reach for at night so you don’t have to feel. Those are leaves.

The roots are older. They are the things that happened to you, or the things that should have happened and didn’t.

At Moonwater Integrative, we work on the roots. When the roots heal, the tree can heal too.

It’s a Cold, Not a Runny Nose

When you have a cold, your nose runs. You can wipe it all day long. You will still have a cold.

The runny nose is a symptom. The cold is the cause.

Most therapy and most self help goes after the runny nose. Stop the habit. Manage the mood. Push through. We go after the cold. When the cause is treated, the symptoms have less to hold on to.

What the Roots Can Look Like

Trauma is not only one big, scary event. For many adults, it looks like:

A parent who was there, but not really there
Growing up feeling like you had to take care of everyone else
A home that felt tense, loud or unsafe
Divorce, loss or a family that fell apart
Being told your feelings were too much
Painful relationships as an adult
Something that happened that you still don’t talk about

You might not even call it trauma. You might just say, “That’s how I grew up.”

What the Leaves Can Look Like

The roots show up in daily life as:

Anxiety that won’t turn off
Anger or irritation that feels bigger than the moment
Depression or feeling flat
Mood swings
No motivation, even for things you used to love
Feeling tired all the time
Avoiding people, plans or hard conversations
Losing your appetite or overeating
Thoughts that pop in and won’t leave
Habits you use to numb out and can’t seem to stop

If you see yourself in this list, you are not broken. Your body and mind learned to protect you. Those old ways of coping just don’t fit your life anymore.

How We Work on the Roots

Kristine Miller, MA, LMFT, has spent more than 30 years in the helping field. Her work is built for adults who are ready to go deeper than quick fixes.

Emotional Transformation Therapy (ETT)
ETT pairs talk therapy with light and color to help your brain process old pain. You do not have to relive every detail to heal it.

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
For adults whose depression, anxiety or trauma has not improved with other care. Offered with Journey Clinical, with medical support and guided therapy.

Attachment based therapy
Much of trauma lives in how we learned to connect with others. We work on that gently, at a pace your nervous system can handle.

Every session moves at your speed. You stay in charge. Nothing happens without your consent.

Will You Help Me Quit?

We don’t run a quit program. We work on what is underneath, so the habit loses its grip.

If you need medical help to stop something safely, we will help you find the right care first. Then we can do the deeper work together.

Who This Is For

Adults 18 and over
Individual therapy, one on one
People in Whitefish, Kalispell, Columbia Falls and across the Flathead Valley
Anyone in Montana by secure telehealth
People who are tired of managing symptoms and ready to look at the cause

What to Expect

Step 1: Book a free 15 minute call. We talk about what is going on and whether we are a good fit.
Step 2: Your first sessions. We get to know what you are carrying and what you want to change.
Step 3: Root work. We use ETT, KAP and talk therapy to help you heal what is underneath.

In person: 100 Second Street East, Suite 219, Whitefish, MT 59937
Online: anywhere in Montana
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 11 AM to 7 PM

Start With the Roots

You have spent enough time pulling leaves. Let’s look at what is underneath.

Book Your Free 15 Minute Call
Or call (737) 227-1937

Please note: Moonwater Integrative is not an addiction counseling or substance use treatment provider. We focus on the trauma that can sit underneath these struggles. If you desire traditional addiction treatment, we’re happy to help you find the right provider.

If you are in crisis right now, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.