Why I Do This Work: Understanding Trauma, Motherhood, and the Call to Show Up

Written By Maria Rawson

There’s nothing “wrong” with you — your nervous system is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

That truth changed everything for me.
As I began my trauma work and later stepped into motherhood, I found myself reflecting more deeply on how our nervous system responses often reflect adaptations to pain or trauma we were never equipped or meant to face alone. That realization became the foundation of my work.

When you understand trauma not as something broken inside you, but as a natural survival adaptation, the shame starts to soften. That shift is what I aim to offer every client I sit with.

From personal understanding to community need

Motherhood opened my eyes even wider.

I witnessed firsthand the gaps in mental health care for women, especially during pregnancy and postpartum. I met too many women carrying silent burdens; unsure if their thoughts were “normal,” unsure where to turn, and afraid of being judged if they told the truth.

It’s one thing to understand trauma on a clinical level.
It’s another to feel the weight of it in your own body, your own relationships, your own community.

I knew then that I wanted to be more than just a therapist.
I wanted to be an advocate. A soft place to land. A lifeline for women navigating the silent storms of trauma, motherhood, and healing.

What I offer through State of Grace

State of Grace was born from this calling, to create a space where women can feel seen, validated, and deeply supported.

I’m not just trauma-informed, I’m a trauma specialist.
My work is grounded in advanced training, lived experience, and a deep understanding of how trauma shapes the nervous system, relationships, and self-worth over time.

I specialize in:

  • Perinatal mental health, including postpartum depression, anxiety, and grief

  • Trauma-focused therapy for women navigating complex or developmental trauma

  • Support for intrusive thoughts, emotional dysregulation, and chronic overwhelm

  • Helping clients rebuild self-trust, reconnect with their bodies, and feel safe again

This is not about fixing you.
It’s about helping you reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been in survival mode for too long and doing so with care, compassion, and clinical expertise.

What you’ll find here

In this blog, I’ll be sharing:

  • Tools and techniques for coping with anxiety, trauma, and emotional dysregulation

  • Gentle reframes that honor your lived experience

  • Reflections on therapy, motherhood, and the healing journey

  • Guidance for navigating parenthood and maintaining relationships through major life transitions

  • Education to help you feel more informed, empowered, and less alone

You are not broken.

You are responding exactly as anyone would, given what you’ve lived through.
And you don’t have to carry it all on your own.

I’m so grateful you’re here.

Curious about therapy or support options? Learn more about working with me here.

Maria Rawson