You've probably managed for a long time.

You function. You show up. You handle things. From the outside, you look like someone who has it together. But underneath that, your thoughts churn. Your body reacts before your mind understands why. You scan rooms without meaning to. You can't fully power down. You brace, even when nothing is happening.

You may not call it trauma. You might call it stress, or just how you are. You've been this way so long, you may not realize it could be different.

Or maybe you've tried traditional types of trauma therapy that include exposure and re-living.  and came out of it feeling worse than when you started. Flooded. Destabilized. Like something got reopened that never fully closed again.

That experience is more common than most people know. And it's a specific reason this approach exists.

You Don't Have to Relive It for It to Change

Trauma doesn't always live in the story you can tell. It lives in the way your shoulders stay raised. In the vigilance you can't turn off. In the pain that flares when you're under pressure. In the part of you that stays braced even when nothing is wrong.

This approach works with those responses directly, without requiring you to narrate what happened. The process begins with what your nervous system is doing now, and on creating enough stability and stillness to integrate the past at a pace that doesn't overwhelm you.  The focus is on reconnecting to the parts of yourself that were pushed down and are still holding painful memories.  These parts of us have needs and we can meet them where they are.

Some things are unspeakable. That is understood here from the start.

People searching for a PTSD therapist who does not rely on re-exposure or retelling often find that stabilization-first and parts work and somatic models are a better fit for complex or early-life trauma.

Complex PTSD, particularly trauma rooted in childhood, family of origin, or repeated relational harm, carries a different clinical profile than single-incident PTSD, and C-PTSD treatment addresses these layered needs directly.

Why People Trust This Work

This is the part of the page where trust matters most, so it is worth being specific.

Dr. Amie Sharrits, MD, is a psychiatrist with 20+ years of clinical experience. Her medical training gave her a strong foundation in the biological and social determinants of health and how to understand the ways we suppress overwhelming emotions, even from ourselves! Over time, she found it wasn't enough for people who were stuck, cycling through the same patterns, or carrying experiences that couldn't be put into words. She pursued specialized training in trauma psychotherapy, hypnosis, and targeted acupuncture specifically because she saw firsthand that retelling and reliving were not the best way to process very early and repetitive types of trauma for most people.

She has spent years working with people who were harmed or left feeling hopeless after attempting trauma treatment. That history is not a footnote here. It shapes how every session is structured.

Most psychiatrists don't provide this depth of psychotherapy work. This practice does.

What This Work Actually Involves

The first session is a 60-minute psychiatric evaluation. Your history, current symptoms, safety, and concerns  are all reviewed. A targeted and intentional starting point is decided together from there, with your priorities in mind

Most sessions combine several approaches: psychodynamic and parts-oriented trauma work, self-hypnosis to access difficult material in a controlled, calm state, and acupuncture and somatic techniques within the session for nervous system regulation.

Acupuncture within the session functions as a supportive foundation, part of a broader somatic trauma therapy approach that works with the body's responses rather than requiring verbal retelling.

Most people notice a physical shift within the first few minutes. Shoulders drop. Breathing slows. Jaw and face soften. That settling is what makes the deeper work possible, and it often surprises people who expected the process to feel harder than it does.

For people whose previous treatment intensified symptoms, it can be hard to imagine trauma therapy and integration work that is structured without repeated re-exposure to painful material.

When symptoms are severe enough to get in the way of therapy itself, psychiatric medication management may be recommended to create a more stable baseline first. Medication is used carefully and sparingly, never layered unnecessarily.

For many trauma survivors, the nervous system dysregulation that drives emotional symptoms also underlies conditions addressed in chronic pain treatment, including migraines, tension, and pain that flares under stress. 

Sessions are weekly. You are not expected to disclose everything at once. The pace follows what your nervous system can currently hold, starting where you are.  Between sessions, you can reach out by text on the practice business line.

Who Tends to Find This Helpful

• You function well on the outside but feel exhausted underneath
• Your trauma is rooted in childhood, family of origin, or repeated relational harm
• A previous therapy experience left you feeling worse, not better
• You carry something that has always felt unspeakable or impossible to explain
• Symptoms like depression, anxiety, chronic pain, or insomnia haven't responded to standard treatment
• Your current therapist referred you here for additional support

This practice works with adolescents (13+) through older adults, with particular depth serving survivors of abuse and women navigating long-standing trauma patterns. Men are welcome here. Trauma in men is frequently unrecognized and undertreated.

Fees

• Trauma Integration Psychotherapy (with acupuncture): 60 minutes, $240
• Psychiatric Medication Management (with acupuncture): 60 minutes, $280
• Restorative Individual Acupuncture: 55 minutes, $180

Not in network with insurance. A 24-hour cancellation policy applies. No controlled substances are prescribed without a medication contract in place.

Questions People Ask Before Reaching Out

Do I have to talk about what happened in detail?

No. Sessions work with your present nervous system responses, not with the details of what happened. You are never required to retell or re-expose yourself to the event. Some things are unspeakable, and that is not a problem here.

What if therapy made me feel worse before?

That experience is taken seriously here. Dr. Sharrits has worked with people harmed by previous trauma treatment for over two decades. Nothing moves into integration work until stabilization is established. The pace is set by what your nervous system can hold, not by a protocol.

Does acupuncture hurt?

No, not for most people. Acupuncture needles are 1/20 the diameter of needles used to draw blood, but insertion can be tender at times.  Most describe it as calming. If you are hesitant about needles, that is addressed directly, and you move at your own pace. Needles are not required.

What happens at the first appointment?

The first session is a 60-minute psychiatric evaluation. It covers your history, current symptoms, safety, and what has and hasn't worked before. A starting point is determined from there, together.

You don't need to be certain this is the right fit before reaching out.

If you've been managing symptoms quietly for years and are ready to explore something different, you can book an appointment at the downtown Raleigh office.