Domestic violence therapist Michele Root, LCSW sits on a grey couch with her hands together on her lap in a brightly lit room. She smiles warmly, wears a beige button-down shirt, and has long brown wavy hair.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THERAPIST IN CAMPBELL, CA

Therapy for survivors of
intimate partner violence

I won’t downplay what you experienced (it counts).

I won’t judge you for staying as long as you did.

I won’t shame you if you’ve gone back.

I will help you do the internal work of trauma therapy, so you have peace again.

Available in-person in Campbell, CA and virtually throughout CA & PA.

Reach out for a consultation

You’re getting out…but now you’re facing the aftermath

    • Overwhelm at how much to do to feel safe again: protective orders, housing, financial detangling, kids’ safety…

    • Flooded with shame about how you were cut off from family and stayed with your abuser for as long as you did 

    • Wondering if what you went through “counts” as abuse, because maybe it wasn’t physical or “that bad”

    • Guilt when you think about your own healing, because you believe you should be prioritizing your kids right now

Michele Root, LCSW writes “you matter” in a notebook on a wooden desk, beside a laptop, a spiral notebook, and a coffee cup.

My approach helps you find both external safety and internal healing

How can you truly heal from domestic violence if you don’t feel safe in your situation yet? 

Are you still in the process of leaving and establishing a secure home base for you and your children?

Our work starts there. 

We explore the best next steps for your situation and help you find the confidence to take action. 

Once you’re safe, we look inward. It makes a big difference to have a trusted, supportive professional guiding you through this tumultuous time.

How therapy for domestic abuse victims works

  • A potted blue hydrangea plant, stack of books, and candle is on a wooden coffee table in a brightly lit room.

    Feel safe and stable

    Your nervous system may be in an activated state, so we often start with grounding and calming techniques. This helps your body feel safe in the moment, and lays the groundwork for trauma therapy and EMDR. 

  • Michele Root, LCSW has long brown hair and wears a beige dress shirt. She sits on a couch as she listens intently to a person who is off-camera.

    Build trust

    I meet you where you are and we work together to identify what we want to focus our work on as we turn towards inner healing for yourself.

  • Michele Root, LCSW holds and operates an EMDR handheld device with a display screen and control buttons, viewed from above against a neutral background.

    Reprocess with EMDR

    When you’re ready, we begin EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. 

    We revisit memories while allowing your brain to process them differently this time, so they feel more neutral and less “alive” in your day-to-day life.

More About EMDR Therapy

A safe, peaceful, happy future is possible

  • Right away

    You have a safety plan in place. You no longer feel helpless. Next steps feel manageable.

  • Short-term

    You’re beginning to feel safe in your environment. You’re able to focus on the emotional and mental toll with self-compassion. You begin to let go of the shame and guilt.

  • Long-term

    Your trust in your own judgment and perception are restored. You’ve reconnected with family and friends. You’re able to think or talk about what happened without being pulled back into it emotionally. You’re proud of the life you’ve built!

Reach out for a consultation
Abuse therapist Michele Root, LCSW smiles warmly with her hands in her pockets in a well-lit room. She has long, brown, wavy hair and is wearing a beige sweater.

I’m Michele Root, LCSW, a domestic violence therapist

I don’t have all the answers, but I’ll dip down into the darkness with you and help you find the light again.

  • I have extensive experience in Victim Services and CPS related to intimate partner violence. I’ve seen the full range of what abuse can look like, so I won’t be shocked or dismissive about what happened.

  • I have advanced training in EMDR for trauma and complex trauma (trauma that adds up over time). We don’t “just talk.” We reprocess where the trauma is stuck in your body.

Want to know more about my experience and approach?

More about my practice

Therapy can be your lighthouse as you rebuild

You don’t have to make it through the dark places on your own. 

We can light the way together.

Start Therapy

Ask an abuse therapist

  • Absolutely. Intimate partner violence is not exclusively physical abuse. 

    I work with people who have experienced emotional abuse (criticism, control, gaslighting, isolating, belittling, and more) as well as financial abuse (controlling your money, preventing you from working, sabotaging your ability to earn, taking out debt in your name, and more).

  • Yes, I do. Visit my sexual assault and abuse specialty page to learn more.

  • I primarily work with adults, and occasionally older teens. However, I can connect you with the right children’s therapist for your kids, so that they get help as you get help. 

  • Yes, many of my clients have been in relationships with a narcissistic partner. Narcissistic abuse often follows a familiar cycle of love-bombing, isolation, gaslighting, and emotional abuse or manipulation.

Reach out for a consultation