Trauma Therapy in
Orange County & Riverside, CA
Trauma doesn't just live in your mind — it lives in your body and nervous system. Heidi Francine is a trauma-informed, EMDR trained Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist helping clients across Orange County and Riverside County find genuine, lasting healing from trauma at every level.
Trauma Is More Than What Happened to You
Trauma is any experience that overwhelms your nervous system's capacity to cope — leaving a lasting imprint on how you feel, think, relate to others, and experience your own body. It doesn't have to be a dramatic single event. Some of the most impactful trauma is what happened repeatedly over time, or what didn't happen when you needed it most.
What makes trauma so difficult is that it doesn't stay in the past. Long after the events themselves are over, the nervous system remains on high alert — scanning for danger, reacting to reminders, and replaying experiences in the form of flashbacks, nightmares, emotional flooding, or a persistent sense that something is deeply wrong.
The good news is that trauma is highly treatable. The brain and nervous system have a remarkable capacity to heal — with the right support, at the right pace, in a genuinely safe therapeutic relationship.
Begin Your HealingYou Are Not Broken
Trauma responses — anxiety, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, difficulty trusting — are not signs that something is wrong with you. They are signs that your nervous system did exactly what it was designed to do: protect you from overwhelming experience. Healing means helping the nervous system learn that it is now safe to come out of survival mode.
Big T vs. Little t Trauma
Not all trauma looks the same. "Big T" trauma refers to major events — accidents, assault, natural disasters, war. "Little t" trauma refers to experiences that may seem less dramatic but are equally impactful — emotional neglect, chronic criticism, unstable caregiving, bullying, or repeated experiences of feeling unseen and unheard. Both are real. Both deserve care.
Trauma Can Show Up in Many Ways
Many people don't realize their struggles are trauma-related. If several of these resonate with you, trauma-informed therapy may help.
Feeling constantly on edge, anxious, or waiting for something bad to happen
Emotional numbness, feeling detached from yourself or others
Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or distressing dreams
Irritability, anger outbursts, or emotional reactions that feel out of proportion
Avoiding people, places, or situations that remind you of painful experiences
Persistent feelings of shame, guilt, or the belief that you are fundamentally broken
Sleep difficulties — trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or nightmares
Difficulty trusting others or maintaining close relationships
Physical symptoms with no clear medical cause — chronic pain, tension, fatigue
Feeling disconnected from your body, or like you're watching yourself from a distance
Startle response — jumping at sounds, feeling easily startled or overwhelmed
Repeating painful patterns in relationships despite wanting things to be different
Trauma-Informed, Nervous-System-Aware Therapy
Heidi's approach to trauma therapy goes beyond talking about what happened. It works with the whole person — mind, body, and nervous system — drawing on the most effective trauma-informed frameworks available.
🧠 EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is Heidi's primary tool for trauma processing. EMDR works directly with how traumatic memories are stored in the brain — allowing them to be reprocessed so they lose their charge and no longer hijack the nervous system. It's one of the most researched trauma treatments available, endorsed by the WHO and APA.
🫁 Polyvagal-Informed Care
Heidi's work is grounded in Polyvagal Theory — Dr. Stephen Porges' framework for understanding how the autonomic nervous system responds to perceived threat. Understanding which state your nervous system is in (safe/social, fight-or-flight, or shutdown) is key to trauma recovery. Heidi helps clients recognize their nervous system states and build the capacity to return to regulation.
🌿 Trauma-Informed Therapy
Every aspect of Heidi's practice is trauma-informed — meaning she understands how trauma shapes the way people think, feel, relate, and present in therapy. There is no pressure, no re-traumatization, and no one-size-fits-all protocol. The therapeutic relationship itself is a healing experience — one that may be the first truly safe relationship some clients have experienced.
🔄 Nervous System Regulation
Before diving into trauma processing, Heidi builds nervous system resources — teaching clients how to recognize dysregulation, use grounding and stabilization skills, and develop a greater window of tolerance. This foundation makes trauma processing safer and more effective, and gives clients tools they can use in everyday life.
No Matter What You've Been Through, Healing Is Possible
Heidi has experience working with a wide range of traumatic experiences and trauma presentations.
Childhood Trauma
Neglect, emotional, physical or sexual abuse, unstable or unsafe caregiving environments, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that shaped how you see yourself and the world.
Complex PTSD
Resulting from prolonged, repeated trauma — often in childhood or in relationships. Characterized by emotional dysregulation, negative self-concept, and difficulty in relationships.
Relationship & Attachment Trauma
Toxic relationships, emotional abuse, domestic violence, betrayal trauma, and attachment wounds that make it hard to trust or feel safe with others.
Single-Incident Trauma
Accidents, medical trauma, assault, natural disasters, or any overwhelming single event that left a lasting imprint on your nervous system.
Grief & Loss
Traumatic or sudden loss, complicated grief, and bereavement that has become stuck and is preventing you from moving forward.
Generational & Cultural Trauma
Trauma that has been passed down through families or communities — affecting how you relate to yourself, others, and the world even without direct personal experience of the original events.
Meet Heidi Francine, LMFT
Heidi Francine is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in trauma, PTSD, and trauma-informed care across Orange County and Riverside County, CA. EMDR trained and Polyvagal-informed, she brings deep clinical expertise and genuine warmth to every session.
With thousands of hours of experience working with trauma — including complex PTSD, childhood trauma, relationship trauma, and difficult cases — Heidi understands that healing isn't linear and that every client's path looks different. Her approach is always paced to what feels safe and manageable for you.
As one client shared: "Heidi has been nothing short of a guiding light in my life. Her personalized techniques have helped me process emotions and rebuild my life in a way I never thought possible."
Real Healing from Real Clients
Heidi has been nothing short of a guiding light in my life. When I was battling depression and anxiety, her compassionate approach helped me not only confront my struggles but also see the world through a new, positive lens.
Heidi is an amazing EMDR therapist. She completely transformed my life. She met me where I was at in life, she always showed up for me and made me feel safe throughout the whole process.
Hedi is incredibly intuitive and is really skilled at leading me to discover my own truth. I've made incredible progress working with her.
Trauma Therapy — Frequently Asked Questions
No — and this is one of the most important things to understand about trauma-informed therapy. You are never pressured to share more than you're ready to. EMDR in particular can process traumatic memories without requiring you to narrate them in detail. The therapeutic relationship is built on safety and your sense of control at all times.
This is one of the most common things clients say. Trauma doesn't have a minimum threshold — if an experience overwhelmed your nervous system and left a lasting impact on how you feel and function, it deserves care. You don't need a dramatic story to benefit from trauma therapy.
EMDR is one of the tools Heidi uses within a broader trauma-informed approach. Trauma therapy may also include nervous system regulation work, somatic awareness, parts work, and other trauma-informed techniques depending on what's most appropriate for you.
It depends on the complexity of what you're working on. Single-incident trauma can often be significantly resolved in a handful of sessions. Complex or childhood trauma typically takes longer — often months to a year or more. Heidi will give you a realistic picture after your first session.
$180 per session. A sliding scale is available based on income and consistent attendance. Super Bills are accepted for PPO Insurance holders.
Yes — secure, HIPAA-compliant Zoom sessions are available to all California residents. Online trauma therapy, including EMDR via telehealth, is highly effective and offers the flexibility to work from the comfort and safety of your own home.
Four Ways to Get Support
In-person therapy in Riverside, Huntington Beach, and Costa Mesa — plus secure online sessions throughout California.
Huntington Beach Office
16052 Beach Blvd Suite 214Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Costa Mesa Office
2900 Bristol St Suite G-101Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Online & Zoom Sessions
Available statewideCalifornia residents only