Online Trauma Therapy in California & Virginia
ACT-led care for PTSD, C-PTSD, attachment, and anxiety, offered online across California and Virginia, with limited in-person sessions in Folsom (by appointment).
Recovery, Resilience, and Renewal: Your Next Mission Starts Here.
How I Help in California & Virginia
Healing from trauma is not just about easing symptoms; it is about reclaiming more of your life. I am Dr. Sheila Vidal, a licensed clinical psychologist, and I offer ACT-led, trauma-informed therapy online across California and Virginia, with limited in-person sessions in Folsom by appointment. Together, we work to reduce hypervigilance and avoidance, build steadier emotional footing, and make choices guided by your values.
My approach is collaborative, culturally responsive, and paced to your nervous system so you do not feel rushed or pressured. My practice is self-pay and insurance-free: I do not bill insurance or submit your therapy information to insurance companies for reimbursement, and I review confidentiality and its limits with you before care begins.
Therapy at a Glance
Modality: Telehealth statewide, plus limited in-person sessions in Folsom (by appointment)
Approach: ACT-led, integrating CBT, CPT, and mindfulness, with carefully paced exposure work when clinically appropriate
Focus: Adults living with PTSD, C-PTSD, attachment wounds, anxiety, and mood struggles
Availability: Statewide in California and Virginia
Fees: $300 per 50-minute session • Self-pay • Superbills available
Licensure: CA PSY36022 • VA 0810007130
Getting started: Book your complimentary 15-minute consultation
Understanding the Impact of Trauma
According to the World Health Organization (2024), nearly seven in ten people worldwide will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. Trauma can be sudden or prolonged, and its effects may surface long after the event.
I provide trauma-informed, culturally responsive online therapy to help adults across California and Virginia address the lasting effects of PTSD, complex trauma, and related conditions. If trauma has shaped how you think, feel, and relate, you deserve care that meets you with safety and respect, and offers skills you can use today.
Specialized Trauma Therapy for Adults in California & Virginia
I've built Next Mission Recovery to help adults move from surviving to living with purpose. I combine Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with trauma-focused approaches to help you reduce hypervigilance, manage triggers, and reconnect with the people and activities that matter.
PTSD & Trauma Recovery
If you're living with flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, or emotional numbing, you're not alone. I use CPT, CBT, and ACT to help you process trauma, rebuild safety, and restore a sense of control, at your pace and aligned with your values.
Complex PTSD (C‑PTSD) & Developmental Trauma
Chronic, early, or repeated trauma can impact identity, boundaries, and relationships. I provide structured, compassionate care to build emotional regulation, self-understanding, and a more integrated sense of self.
Anxiety, Mood & Emotional Regulation
Trauma-related anxiety and depression can erode focus, sleep, and motivation. Together, we'll develop practical skills, mindfulness, grounding, values-guided action, to improve mood stability and daily functioning.
Attachment‑Based Challenges (Anxious, Avoidant, Disorganized)
Attachment wounds often show up as mistrust, over-accommodation, distancing, or conflict. We'll strengthen insight and boundaries so you can relate with more security and authenticity.
Clinical Focus: PTSD • C‑PTSD • developmental trauma • anxiety and depression • attachment challenges • moral injury
Ready to explore fit? See Services for details, or learn more about where I provide care in California and Virginia.
My ACT-Led, Trauma-Informed Approach
Healing isn't one-size-fits-all. I prioritize emotional safety, collaboration, and respect for your lived experience. My work is ACT-led, which means we focus on what you value, build psychological flexibility, and take small, sustainable steps toward the life you want. This approach can be especially supportive for adults whose histories, responsibilities, or professional roles make privacy, pacing, and trust central to care.
Trauma‑informed: We pace treatment to your nervous system, not a rigid protocol.
Culturally responsive: Care that honors identity, context, and community.
Evidence‑based: ACT, CBT, CPT, Prolonged Exposure, and mindfulness, tailored to your goals.
Why ACT for trauma recovery: ACT helps us focus on what matters most to you, even when distress shows up. We build psychological flexibility, skills that let you make room for hard thoughts and feelings while you move toward chosen goals. When helpful, I integrate CBT, CPT, and carefully paced exposure work, and we decide together what's right for your timeline, culture, and context.
How Online Therapy Works
Simple scheduling: Start with a free 15‑minute consultation to discuss fit and goals.
Private & secure: Sessions are conducted through a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform, and confidentiality and its limits are reviewed before care begins.
Flexible care: Weekly or bi‑weekly sessions, with skills practice and resource support between sessions.
Where I Provide Care
I am licensed in California (PSY36022) and Virginia (0810007130) and provide secure telehealth to adults throughout both states. Whether we meet online or in person, you'll receive the same collaborative, trauma-informed care.
I offer secure telehealth across California, including the Sacramento Metro region, Northern California, and Southern California, and across Virginia, including Northern Virginia.
For those seeking in-person care, I also offer private, by-appointment sessions in Folsom, California. The exact office details are shared after scheduling to ensure client privacy and safety.
Who I Support
Veterans & active-duty military
Federal employees and high-security-clearance professionals (confidential, insurance-free care)
Immigrants & refugees navigating displacement, raids, and cultural trauma
LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities affected by systemic stressors
Families surviving the impacts of trauma and PTSD
