Hi, I’m Martha Chica,
A trauma therapist in Owings Mills, MD
helping adults heal anxiety, overthinking, and
relationship patterns rooted in childhood trauma.
Many of the people I work with have spent years trying to hold everything together on their own. You may look “fine” on the outside while internally feeling overwhelmed, emotionally reactive, disconnected from yourself, or stuck in patterns you can’t fully explain.
In therapy, I help you understand what’s underneath those patterns instead of just managing symptoms on the surface. Together, we explore how past experiences may still be shaping the way you feel, respond, and relate to others today.
My approach is warm, grounded, and trauma-focused. I integrate Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic awareness, and attachment-focused work to help you process experiences at a deeper level while still feeling emotionally safe and supported.
I believe therapy should feel collaborative, steady, and human, not like you have to “perform” or have everything figured out before you begin.
Starting Trauma therapy can feel vulnerable.
You don’t have to have it all figured out to begin.
I’ll meet you where you are.
You have learned to push through, minimize what you’re feeling, or tell yourself you should be “over it by now.” But when painful experiences go unaddressed, they often continue showing up through anxiety, emotional overwhelm, overthinking, or patterns in relationships, not because something is wrong with you, but because your nervous system has been trying to protect you.
In our work together, we move at a pace that feels manageable and grounded. You don’t need to come in with the “right” words or have everything figured out before you begin. We start with what’s already there: your experiences, emotional reactions, and the patterns that keep repeating themselves
This isn’t about quick fixes or simply learning to push your feelings aside. It’s about understanding what’s underneath those patterns so that healing feels deeper, steadier, and more lasting. Over time, you may begin to feel more connected to yourself, more confident in your relationships, and less controlled by the survival responses that once felt necessary.
Long-term healing for childhood trauma, anxiety, and relationship patterns.
In our work together, the focus isn’t just on managing what’s happening right now, it’s on understanding what’s underneath it. I help you get to the root of the patterns you’re experiencing, especially when they’re connected to earlier experiences that continue to shape how you think, feel, and relate to others.
Many of the people I work with feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure why things feel the way they do. Rather than seeing yourself as broken, we begin to understand how your system has been trying to cope and protect you.
Together, we look at the full picture, your emotions, your thoughts, your body, and your relationships, so the changes you make feel more integrated and lasting.
This work is about creating shifts that go deeper than surface-level coping, so you can move through your life with more clarity, steadiness, and a stronger sense of connection to yourself.
What it’s like to work with me
My approach is collaborative, grounded, and responsive to what’s coming up for you in the moment. Rather than following a rigid structure, I pay attention to your pace, your experiences, and the patterns that feel most important in your life right now.
Together, we explore how earlier experiences may still be shaping the way you think, feel, and relate to yourself and others today. Instead of only focusing on managing symptoms, we work toward understanding what’s underneath them so change feels more lasting and meaningful.
Our sessions are often conversational, but we also slow things down when needed. I help you notice how anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and relationship patterns show up not only in your thoughts, but also in your emotions and body.
I integrate Brainspotting, somatic awareness, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and attachment-focused work to help process experiences that may still feel unresolved or emotionally activating. This work is done at a pace that feels manageable and grounded, so you don’t feel pushed beyond what feels safe. Over time, many people begin to feel more connected to themselves, more emotionally steady, and less stuck in the same patterns.
You don’t have to perform, explain everything perfectly, or have it all figured out before you come in.
My Experience
I began my work in inpatient settings, supporting individuals navigating the effects of childhood trauma and trauma-related experiences during some of the most overwhelming moments of their lives. Many of the people I worked with felt emotionally exhausted, disconnected from themselves, and unsure how to move forward.
That experience shaped how I understand trauma and the ways it can continue showing up over time through anxiety, emotional overwhelm, overthinking, and patterns in relationships.
Today, I work with teens and adults in outpatient therapy in Owings Mills, MD, helping clients move beyond simply managing symptoms and toward deeper, long-term healing. My approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded. I create a space where you can feel emotionally safe while also gently exploring the patterns that may be keeping you stuck.
I integrate Brainspotting, somatic awareness, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and attachment-focused work to help process experiences at a pace that feels manageable and supportive. Over time, many people begin to feel more connected to themselves, steadier in their emotions, and more confident in their relationships.
I’m here with you not only in the moments that feel clear, but also in the ones that feel confusing, overwhelming, or hard to sit with. Together, we create space to understand what’s underneath those experiences so you can feel more grounded, connected, and less stuck.
Here, you don’t have to carry everything alone anymore.
TRAINING & EDUCATION
I’m committed to ongoing education and specialized trauma therapy training so I can continue supporting adults healing from childhood trauma, anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and relationship patterns.
My approach integrates evidence-based and body-aware modalities that help clients move beyond surface-level coping toward deeper, long-term healing..
Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology
Masters of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health.
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional I
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional II
Training in Internal Family System
Training in Brainspotting.
Where does the practice’s name come from?
Many of the experiences we carry from childhood don’t simply stay in the past. They can continue to shape how we think, feel, relate to others, and move through the world. When painful experiences aren’t fully processed, they often continue showing up through anxiety, emotional overwhelm, overthinking, or patterns in relationships.
The name Healing Wounds Psychotherapy reflects the belief that these experiences deserve care, understanding, and attention — not to be minimized or pushed aside. Trauma therapy is not about “getting over it.” It’s about understanding how your experiences have shaped you, so that healing can feel more possible and lasting.
In our work together, we begin building a different relationship with those parts of yourself, with more compassion, clarity, steadiness, and self-understanding.
Ready to begin trauma therapy in Owings Mills, MD?
Frequently Asked Questions
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Not at all. Many people begin therapy knowing something feels overwhelming, repetitive, or emotionally exhausting, but they may not fully understand why yet. Therapy can help you make sense of what you’re experiencing and begin identifying patterns, triggers, and goals over time.
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Sometimes therapy may not have felt like the right fit, approach, or pace for what you needed at the time. My approach is collaborative, trauma-informed, and focused on helping you understand the deeper patterns underneath anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and relationship struggles rather than only managing symptoms on the surface.
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No. Many people I work with don’t initially describe their experiences as “trauma.” They may notice anxiety, overthinking, emotional reactivity, people-pleasing, difficulty trusting themselves, or repeated relationship patterns. Often these experiences are connected to earlier environments, relationships, or survival patterns that developed over time.
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Yes. Therapy can help you better understand why certain emotions, reactions, or patterns continue showing up in your life. Together, we explore what may be underneath those experiences so you can begin responding to yourself with more clarity, steadiness, and self-awareness.
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Childhood trauma can continue affecting people in subtle ways long after the experiences themselves have passed. It may show up through anxiety, emotional overwhelm, perfectionism, difficulty trusting others, fear of conflict, people-pleasing, or feeling disconnected from yourself in relationships.
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The length of therapy varies depending on your goals, experiences, and what you’re hoping to work through. Some people come to therapy for support during a specific season of life, while others choose longer-term work focused on deeper healing and lasting change.
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Yes. I offer virtual therapy for adults located throughout Maryland, including Owings Mills and surrounding areas.