Trauma-Informed Care
Safe, compassionate therapy, evaluations, psychiatry, speech therapy, and OT for children, teens, and adults
At Mala Child & Family Institute, trauma-informed care isn’t just a specialty, it’s the foundation of everything we do. Whether you're seeking support for yourself, your child, or your entire family, we offer healing-centered, neurodiversity-affirming care for both acute trauma and long-term adversity. Our services are grounded in compassion, nervous system science, and a deep respect for each person’s unique story and strengths.
What sets Mala apart is our multidisciplinary team approach. Our therapists, psychiatric providers, occupational therapists, and psychologists don’t work in silos—they collaborate across disciplines to provide comprehensive care that treats the whole person. We integrate trauma-informed psychotherapy, psychiatric medication management care, occupational therapy, speech therapy, school advocacy, and psychological evaluations to ensure clients receive personalized, coordinated support.
We provide in-person care in Plymouth, Ann Arbor, and Farmington Hills, and offer virtual trauma therapy statewide across Michigan.
What Is Trauma-Informed Care?
Trauma-informed care means understanding that behaviors are adaptations, not problems. It means creating emotionally safe environments where clients feel seen, heard, and empowered, not pathologized.
Our team is trained to:
Recognize the widespread impact of trauma on behavior, learning, and relationships
Avoid re-traumatization in all services, from intake to intervention
Honor each person’s cultural identity, neurotype, and developmental stage
Build trust through consistency, collaboration, and compassion
Offer care that centers voice, choice, and empowerment
We work with individuals who have experienced childhood trauma, school trauma, sexual trauma, intergenerational trauma, racial trauma, medical trauma, loss, and systemic oppression, and we meet each person exactly where they are in their healing journey.
Who We Serve
Abuse, neglect, or witnessing violence
Loss of a caregiver or loved one
Adoption, foster care, or family disruption
School refusal or trauma from educational systems
LGBTQIA+ identity trauma or non-affirming environments
Sexual trauma survivors
Immigration, racism, and systemic harm
Birth trauma, NICU stays, or medical trauma
Complex PTSD from chronic stress and adversity
Our Trauma-Informed Services
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Our evaluations are never about finding what’s “wrong.” Instead, we help identify how trauma, stress, or neurodevelopmental differences may be impacting behavior, learning, or emotional regulation. Reports are written with compassion, rooted in curiosity, and designed to inform strength-based support plans at home, school, or work.
NOTE: We do not conduct court-ordered assessments related to trauma.
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Our OT services for children and adults address how trauma shows up in the body—through sensory sensitivities, or difficulties, emotional dysregulation, or difficulty with transitions, routines, self-care, or other daily activities. Sessions may involve sensory integration, regulation strategies, and body-based healing through movement and building body awareness, always at the client's pace with a strengths-based and collaborative approach.
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At Mala, our speech therapy services are trauma-informed and recognize that communication is deeply connected to a person’s sense of safety, regulation, and lived experiences. Our speech-language pathologists integrate sensory processing and nervous system regulation into care, supporting communication development through a compassionate, whole-person approach.
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Medication can be a meaningful part of healing for those managing trauma-related symptoms like anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, or hyperarousal. Our psychiatric team approaches care with deep respect for your lived experience, offering collaborative decision-making, informed consent, and care that aligns with your values and goals.
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Our therapists offer individual, family, and group therapy using approaches such as:
Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)
EMDR
Play and Art Therapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Somatic and mindfulness-based work
Attachment-based therapy
DBT and emotion regulation skills
We support clients of all ages and neurotypes, and we never rush the healing process. We trust that with the right support, people can recover not just from trauma, but into joy, purpose, and connection.
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For many children, school has not been a safe or supportive place. Whether due to bullying, punitive discipline, unmet learning needs, ableism, racism, or repeated misunderstandings of neurodivergent behavior, school-related trauma is real, and it often shows up in a child’s emotional well-being, self-esteem, and nervous system regulation.
At Mala, our school advocacy services are trauma-informed at every step. We approach each child’s experience with compassion, curiosity, and a deep understanding of how trauma impacts learning, behavior, and identity. Our team of school psychologists and occupational therapists works collaboratively with families to:
Validate and understand school-based trauma without blame or shame
Assess how trauma is impacting the child’s ability to engage, learn, and self-regulate
Create strengths-based support plans that center safety, trust, and regulation
Advocate for trauma-informed accommodations and interventions in school settings
Coach parents on navigating difficult conversations with educators and systems
Attend IEP or 504 meetings to ensure the child’s needs and story are heard
We believe every child deserves an education that feels safe and affirming. Our role is to help families rebuild trust in learning environments, and to advocate for systems to do better by our most vulnerable students.
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When a child or teen has experienced trauma, the entire family system feels it. At Mala, we offer trauma-informed parent coaching and family therapy to support healing not just within the individual, but within the relationships that matter most.
Our therapists help families:
Understand how trauma affects nervous systems, behavior, and attachment
Learn co-regulation tools to support children during meltdowns, shutdowns, or panic
Break cycles of yelling, avoidance, or disconnection by fostering emotional safety
Repair trust after ruptures or difficult family events
Align as caregivers or co-parents on parenting strategies that are consistent and compassionate
Rebuild a family culture that centers connection, regulation, and shared values
We meet families where they are, with no judgment, no pressure to be perfect, and a deep belief that healing happens in relationships. Whether you're parenting a trauma-exposed child, navigating your own trauma history, or trying to reconnect as a family after a crisis, our team is here to walk alongside you.
Why Choose Mala for Trauma-Informed Care?
Multidisciplinary Care Under One Roof
Healing from trauma often requires more than just one type of support. That’s why we provide truly integrated services, including psychotherapy, occupational therapy, psychiatric care, speech therapy, and trauma-informed psychological evaluations. Our providers collaborate across disciplines to ensure you or your child receive comprehensive, coordinated care that addresses the mind, body, and environment.
Deep Expertise in Children, Teens, and Families
We specialize in trauma work across the lifespan, but particularly with children, adolescents, and families. Our team understands how trauma affects development, behavior, and family dynamics, and we partner with caregivers to co-create healing environments both in session and at home. Whether your child is navigating emotional overwhelm, sensory issues, school avoidance, or complex PTSD, we offer age-appropriate, developmentally informed, and attachment-sensitive care.
We Support the Mind, Body, and Soul
We understand that trauma impacts every part of a person: thoughts, emotions, nervous system, identity, and spirit. Our team is trained to integrate somatic work, mindfulness, movement, and sensory-based interventions to regulate the body, while also holding space for spiritual exploration, cultural traditions, and ancestral practices that may be meaningful to you. Whether you’re reconnecting with your roots, your faith, or your sense of purpose, we honor it all. Healing is not just clinical; it’s deeply human, and we walk with you in that truth.
Rooted in Neurodiversity, Inclusion, and Intergenerational Healing
At Mala, we believe trauma never occurs in a vacuum, it’s shaped by systems, identities, and histories. That’s why our work is grounded in a commitment to neurodiversity-affirming, culturally responsive, and socially conscious care. We are deeply committed to dismantling shame and stigma, empowering families across generations to break harmful cycles and build something new.
Accessible In-Person and Virtual Care Across Michigan
We offer in-person trauma-informed services at our welcoming clinics in Plymouth, Ann Arbor, and Farmington Hills, and provide telehealth sessions statewide for individuals and families across Michigan. Whether you’re seeking ongoing therapy, an evaluation, or a consult for medication or sensory needs, we make compassionate care easy to access.
We Accept Insurance
Mental health care should be both high-quality and accessible. We are in-network with major insurance providers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), Blue Care Network (BCN), and Aetna, and offer private pay options as well. We also provide a free 15-minute phone consultation to help you understand your options and get started.
Fill out our enrollment form based on the service that is best for your needs.
We will match you with the right provider and offer you an appointment time slot.
You fill out the enrollment forms.
Care starts.
In-person and virtual therapy available
Accepting BCBS, BCN, Priority Health, Aetna, and private pay
Get Started Today
