Complex Trauma Therapy
With Vineel Maharaj, LMFT, LCSW
As someone who grew up with a narcissistic father, I understand firsthand how complex trauma follows people into adulthood.
For 10+ years, I’ve focused on complex trauma therapy, and helped more than 900 people deal with their pasts.
Did you grow up walking on eggshells?
Do you wonder if this is just how life will always feel?
Do you avoid certain places, conversations, or situations because they remind you of the past?
Maybe you always have to plan ahead and around certain things that may trigger you. You might feel stuck in relationships that aren't good for you, or feel exhausted and hypervigilant.
Even if the past is driving the bus more than you want it to, I’m here to say that can change.
Clients Come To Me When They’re:
Attempting to avoid painful memories only to feel trapped
Stuck in survival mode
Easily triggered
People pleasing
In unstable friendships or relationships
Experiencing imposter syndrome
Burned out at work
Drained from not making progress towards the life they want
“Many people arrive knowing something is wrong, but not knowing why. I can help you do less surviving and more thriving.”
Complex Trauma Therapy With Me
We begin by understanding your past and how it impacts your life today.
Together, we'll identify your triggers, understand the patterns that developed to protect you, and decide what you want to work on first.
My approach is practical and goal-oriented. I'm not the therapist who sits quietly for an hour asking how everything feels. We actively build strategies you can use between sessions and then review what's working.
“We stop trying to optimize the pressure cooker and start breaking patterns.”
Modalities I Use
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Helps identify and challenge beliefs created by trauma so you can stop expecting the worst and start responding more intentionally.
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Builds emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills so triggers don't control your day.
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Helps process traumatic memories that continue to affect your reactions, relationships, and sense of safety.
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Quickly helps reduce the emotional intensity of difficult memories and experiences.
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Creates momentum when you know you need change but feel stuck taking action.
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Helps calm a nervous system that has spent years preparing for danger.
You don't have to spend years talking in circles. Therapy should help you understand what happened, why it still affects you, and what to do next.
Actionable Therapy That Works
The goal isn't to erase your past. It's to stop letting it run your future.
After Therapy With Me, Clients Report:
Asserting their boundaries
Feeling safer in new situations
Better sleep
Confidence
More stable relationships
Emotional intelligence
Sense of purpose
Resilience
Healthier habits
“Clients tell me that life feels less heavy and burdensome than it was.”
About Vineel Maharaj, LMFT
For over a decade, I've helped people understand how complex trauma shapes adulthood and how to break the patterns that keep them stuck.
My therapy is designed for people who want insight and action. Understanding your story matters, but so does having a plan.
Together we'll identify what’s keeping you stuck, build practical strategies, and create meaningful change both inside and outside the therapy room.
Before becoming a therapist, I spent years in marketing, startups, and entrepreneurship. I was a co-founder, chief marketing officer, and helped build a company that was eventually acquired. Many of my clients appreciate that I understand both trauma and the realities of high-pressure careers.
Outside of therapy, I spend time with my wife and our baby. When I have free time, you'll usually find me listening to old-school hip hop, lifting weights, catching up with college friends, or reading about personal finance.
Availability: I provide in-person therapy for clients in Menlo Park, and telehealth sessions throughout California. Weekend appointments available.
My practice works exclusively with individual adults. I do not offer couples, family, group sessions or court mandated therapy. I do not write letters or recommendations for court.
Education, Credentials, and Trainings
Licensed Psychotherapist
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Motivational Interviewing
Trauma-Informed Therapy
10+ Years Treating Complex Trauma
Featured In Entrepreneur, Psychology Today, Yahoo News, Nasdaq, HuffPost, and Elite Daily
3 Steps To Get Started
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Fill out the contact form and tell me a little about what's bringing you to therapy.
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We'll have a short conversation to see if we're a good fit and answer any questions you have.
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We'll begin understanding your history, identify the patterns causing the most pain, and create a plan for where to start.