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Trauma
What you survived doesn't disappear with time.
Combat, an assault, a medical crisis, a childhood you don't talk about. Trauma can stay quiet for decades and then return, especially when life slows down. Total Life therapists are trained to work with older adults whose trauma is resurfacing, gently and at your pace. Covered by Medicare. By phone or video. From home.
Lily is Total Life's AI wellness coach, here for everyday support and answers. She is not a medical provider and does not replace therapy.
Medicare-covered
Covered by Medicare and most major plans
You're not alone
What trauma can feel like in later life.
- Memories you thought were behind you keep returning.
- Sleep is broken by dreams that feel too real.
- You startle easier than you used to.
- Anniversaries of difficult events sit heavier than they used to.
- Certain sounds, smells, or places make your body brace.
- You avoid people or topics that remind you of what happened.
- You've never told anyone the whole story, and you're not sure you want to.
- Retirement gave you time, and the time brought the memories with it.
These are common experiences, not a diagnostic checklist. A licensed therapist can help you understand what you're feeling without rushing to label it.
Why this is different after 65
Why trauma often resurfaces after 65.
Many older adults carried trauma for decades by staying busy: work, raising kids, building a life. In later life, that scaffolding falls away. Retirement opens up the quiet hours. A medical event puts you back in a hospital bed. The death of a peer brings the war, or the childhood, or the assault back into focus. Late-life trauma is a recognized pattern, not a personal failure, and there are licensed therapists who specialize in walking with you through it at your pace.
~10%
Vietnam-era veterans show current PTSD symptoms decades later
Source: National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
1 in 4
Older adults report a serious adverse childhood experience
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Adverse Childhood Experiences Study
How therapy helps
How therapy supports you with trauma.
Move at your pace, never faster
Trauma-informed therapy with older adults is slow on purpose. Your therapist will follow your lead on what to talk about, what to set aside, and how much each session covers.
Learn how trauma lives in the body
Many older adults didn't grow up with words like 'PTSD' or 'flashback.' Understanding how trauma shows up physically, in sleep, in startle, in mood, often makes it feel less personal and more workable.
Find ground in the present
Therapists use grounding techniques and present-focused tools to help you stay steady when memories surge. The goal is not to relive what happened, but to give you more room around it.
How It Works
Getting started is simple.
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Find Your Match
After a short conversation about your needs, we recommend an experienced counselor and schedule your first session.
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Start Your Journey
On the scheduled date, your therapist reaches out by phone or video, and you begin working through what matters to you.
Why Total Life
Total Life vs. in-person therapy
| Total Life | In-person | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Matched with a therapist within 24 hours | Often weeks on a waitlist |
| Where you meet | From home, by phone or video | Drive to an office |
| Specialization | Therapists who focus on adults 65+ | General practice, varies |
| Medicare | Covered by Medicare; most members pay $0 | May be out of network |
| Scheduling | Flexible times that fit your week | Limited office hours |
| Comfort | Talk from your own home | An unfamiliar waiting room |
All 50
States served
200+
Licensed providers
6+
Insurances accepted, plus Medicare
Meet Our Providers
Licensed therapists who specialize in older adults.
TA
Dr. Tanya Alonso
Licensed Psychologist
Licensed in your state, with a master's-level education or higher and specialized training in the mental health of older adults.
IR
Dr. Ian Rivera
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Licensed in your state, with a master's-level education or higher and specialized training in the mental health of older adults.
PV
Dr. Preeti Vidwans
Licensed Psychologist
Licensed in your state, with a master's-level education or higher and specialized training in the mental health of older adults.
Why Our Clients Choose Total Life
Total Life has served over 10,000 adults and led over 100,000 sessions.
92% of members stay with their assigned therapist.
Dr. Tim Calvin has been a God Send. He is a kind, gentle and humorous man.
Read Reynold’s full storyShow less
Dear Total Life. Thank you for your wonderful service of therapy for the elderly. I had been searching for some time for therapy services for the elderly. I kept running into roadblocks until I ran across Total Life on the internet.
I had been an MSW/LCSW for 54 years and a BSW for 11 years before that. Yes, I will be 87 a few days from now. I just fully retired on March 31, 2026. I found myself drifting in the middle of Lake Michigan for some months until I found Total Life and realized there was a group of therapists reaching out to Medicare patients.
I was really fortunate I had not found someone before Total Life. I have been working on Erikson’s last stage of life and addressing the new life situations that “old age” has brought knocking. I find this a more pleasant experience compared to earlier therapy addressing the traumas and problems of growing up, plus the stress of relationships, children, addiction, financial, education and work.
A giant “THUMBS UP” for Total Life and Tim (Dr. Calvin).
Reynold Wolter
Total Life member · Working with Dr. Tim Calvin · MSW/LCSW (retired, 54 years) · Age 87
What Members Experience
Progress, session by session.
3
After three sessions
After three sessions a majority of clients have hope that their situation is improving.
6
After six sessions
After six sessions a majority of clients have reflected that actual change occurred.
Take the first step. We'll do the rest.
Covered by Medicare. Most members are matched with a therapist within 24 hours.
Common questions
Questions older adults ask about trauma.
I'm a veteran. Do your therapists understand combat trauma?+
Yes. Total Life therapists include clinicians who work specifically with older veterans, including those carrying trauma from Korea, Vietnam, and later conflicts. You can ask to be matched with a therapist who has that background.
Something happened to me 50 years ago. Is it too late for therapy to help?+
No. Many older adults begin trauma therapy in their 70s and 80s and find real relief. Time alone does not heal trauma; many people simply got good at living around it. Therapy gives you a place to set it down, even decades later.
I don't want to relive what happened. Can therapy still help?+
Yes. Modern trauma-informed therapy does not require you to tell the whole story. Many approaches focus on the present, on the body, and on building skills for hard moments. You stay in control of what you share and when.
I survived something as a child I've never told anyone. Where would I start?+
You can start by telling your therapist there's something you have not talked about, without describing it. That's enough to begin. Your therapist will follow your pace.
I had a medical event that left me shaken. Is that trauma?+
It can be. A serious surgery, an ICU stay, a near-death event can leave older adults with symptoms that look like trauma: flashbacks, fear of hospitals, sleep problems. Medical trauma is real, and therapy can help.
I'm a survivor of domestic violence or assault. Are your therapists trained for that?+
Yes. Total Life therapists are trained in trauma-informed care for survivors of interpersonal violence at any age, including older adults whose experiences happened decades ago.
Will I have to take medication?+
Not from us. Total Life therapists provide talk therapy, not prescriptions. If medication might be helpful, your therapist will say so and help you talk with your primary doctor. You decide.
Is what I tell my therapist confidential, even if it involves a crime from long ago?+
Yes, with very limited legal exceptions (imminent danger, abuse of a child or vulnerable adult). Your therapist will explain confidentiality clearly in the first session.
Is trauma therapy covered by Medicare?+
Yes. Medicare covers behavioral health sessions with a licensed clinician as a Part B benefit, including trauma-focused care. Original Medicare covers 80%, and most members with supplemental insurance pay $0. Total Life is a Medicare provider.
Total Life is a Medicare provider. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or part of Medicare or any government agency.