Trauma can continue affecting daily life long after the event itself has ended, influencing sleep, relationships, concentration, emotional responses and a person’s sense of safety. For San Diego residents looking for professional support, SD Psychology provides trauma and PTSD therapy through an approach that combines established therapeutic methods with care tailored to the individual. The practice was founded by licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Stamatia Daroglou, who has worked in mental health for more than 30 years. Her career has included forensic psychological evaluations, graduate-level teaching and work as a behavioral health consultant for the U.S. Navy. Today, SD Psychology has offices in La Jolla and Encinitas and also provides telehealth services across California.
Experience Shapes Trauma Care
SD Psychology approaches trauma care with the understanding that traumatic experiences do not affect everyone in the same way. Symptoms can emerge soon after an event or develop later, and people may experience intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance, emotional distress, difficulty concentrating, irritability or an increased startle response. The practice evaluates these concerns through clinical interviews, screening tools and, when appropriate, coordination with other healthcare professionals.
The clinical backgrounds within SD Psychology support that individualized approach. Dr. Daroglou works with trauma and PTSD as part of her practice and integrates psychodynamic psychotherapy with evidence-based methods. Her earlier work with the U.S. Navy included providing psychological care at a Naval Hospital to people coping with the emotional effects of physical illness.
Other clinicians add further trauma experience. Dr. Casey Adamson has spent more than 15 years working with people who have experienced trauma through community-based services, including a decade working with veterans. She uses approaches that include Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy. Together, those backgrounds give San Diego Therapy a clinical foundation that reaches across different types of trauma and life experiences.
Treatment Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
Trauma therapy is not simply a matter of repeatedly discussing a difficult experience. Effective care considers how that experience continues to influence thoughts, emotions, behaviors and relationships. SD Psychology develops personalized treatment plans designed around each client’s experiences, needs, goals and pace of recovery.
Depending on the individual, therapy may draw from cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-focused approaches, mindfulness-based strategies or integrative psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help clients identify patterns of thinking that contribute to distress. Trauma-focused therapy provides a structured setting for processing difficult memories, while mindfulness strategies may help people strengthen present-moment awareness and manage emotional responses.
For someone seeking to improve your mental health after trauma, this flexibility matters. Recovery does not follow a universal timeline, nor does every person respond to the same therapeutic technique. SD Psychology emphasizes collaboration between therapist and client so treatment can evolve rather than forcing a predetermined formula onto an individual’s experience.
San Diego’s Military Connection
Trauma care carries particular relevance in San Diego, a region with deep military ties. Active-duty service members and veterans may seek therapy for trauma exposure, sleep problems, relationship strain, anxiety, grief, anger or the transition from military to civilian life. SD Psychology specifically offers therapy for active-duty service members, veterans and military-connected adults.
The practice’s connection to military communities extends beyond offering a service category. Dr. Daroglou’s previous role as a behavioral health consultant for the U.S. Navy gives her firsthand professional experience within a military healthcare environment. Dr. Adamson’s decade of work with veterans adds another layer of relevant clinical experience to the team.
SD Psychology’s military therapy may address hypervigilance, emotional shutdown, stress, communication problems and difficult memories. Clinicians can draw from cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-informed care and exposure-based principles while adapting sessions to the client’s goals and comfort level. A PTSD diagnosis is not required to seek military therapy through the practice.
Access Extends Across California
Where therapy happens can influence whether someone is able to remain consistent with treatment. SD Psychology offers in-person trauma and PTSD therapy at its La Jolla office, along with another location in Encinitas for people in North County. The practice also provides secure virtual trauma therapy for clients elsewhere in California.
That combination is useful in Southern California, where distance, traffic, work schedules and family responsibilities can turn a recurring appointment into a logistical headache. Telehealth gives eligible clients another way to maintain regular contact with a psychologist without traveling to an office for every session.
Access also involves finding a clinician whose experience fits the client’s concerns. In addition to Dr. Daroglou and Dr. Adamson, SD Psychology’s team includes Dr. Ivy Kensinger, whose work includes trauma, chronic illness and grief, and Dr. Danna Gonzalez Casas, a bilingual Spanish-English psychological associate who has trained in outpatient, inpatient and community mental health settings.
Recovery Focuses on Daily Life
SD Psychology’s trauma services ultimately focus on more than identifying symptoms. Therapy can help clients understand their responses to past experiences, develop coping strategies and work toward greater stability in everyday life. The practice also recognizes that trauma may overlap with anxiety, depression, grief, relationship concerns, chronic illness or major transitions, which can shape what treatment needs to address.
When medication may be appropriate as part of PTSD treatment, SD Psychology states that it can help clients locate a physician trained in trauma care for medication management. Psychotherapy remains the practice’s central role, allowing its clinicians to concentrate on psychological treatment while recognizing when care may need to involve another healthcare professional.
For people across San Diego and elsewhere in California, SD Psychology offers trauma care grounded in clinical experience, evidence-based methods and individualized treatment. Its La Jolla and Encinitas offices, statewide virtual option and clinicians with backgrounds in trauma and military populations give clients several ways to begin working toward recovery.
