PTSD/ Trauma
“As long as you keep secrets and suppress information, you are fundamentally at war with yourself…The critical issue is allowing yourself to know what you know. That takes an enormous amount of courage.”
― Bessel A. van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Trauma-informed Therapy
Maybe you keep trying to forget what happened to you, or perhaps you’ve started to realize how things from your past are affecting you today. Maybe you’re always feeling on edge and worried something bad is going to happen. Perhaps you blame yourself for what happened (If I hadn’t drank that night, nothing would have happened...) or maybe you simply feel nothing, like your emotions are shut off. You may feel like you only have bits and pieces of memories from the past, and wonder if what you remember really DID happen. When you watch TV or a movie, you may hope you don’t see any sexual violence because it’s just too overwhelming for you. You’re not sure what happened to you, and you’re worried this is your new normal.
Whatever it is that you’re experiencing, you’ve begun to notice the impact of trauma in every facet of your life: It’s hard to sleep without having nightmares, and you’re always on edge. You’ve noticed that you’re easily triggered by simple things like certain smells, or the tone of someone’s voice, and you sometimes feel out of control. You struggle with opening up to people and trusting them. You’re tired of feeling numb and disconnected from yourself and others, and you just want to feel normal again… You’re wondering what to do.
What is Trauma, And How Do I Know If I’ve Experienced It?
Trauma is defined as any experience that overwhelms us, and creates negative, long-lasting impacts on our day-to-day life. When we’re faced with an overwhelming experience, our body goes into fight or flight mode as a form of protecting ourselves in the moment. The issue is that after the danger has passed, our body gets “stuck” and may not know how to return to the state it was in before the traumatic event occurred.
Sometimes it’s not just one event, but a series of events that can cause trauma. For example, someone can be in a car crash and feel fine afterwards, and then be robbed at gunpoint and begin experiencing symptoms of trauma. This type of trauma is known as “complex trauma”, which stems from repeated exposure to multiple traumatic events.
The main takeaway is that it’s not so much what you go through, but how it impacts you. Because of this, everyone responds differently to different situations and therefore, trauma treatment is very specific to each person.
Developmental Trauma
While some experiences can be overly traumatic, there are also more discreet forms of trauma, such as developmental trauma. Developmental trauma is the result of childhood experiences of mistreatment or abuse that have been repeated many times. Sometimes we didn’t get our basic needs met, like the need to feel safe, heard, and valued. This can lead us to develop certain negative behaviors and false beliefs about ourselves. For example, if you were neglected or grew up in an overly tense environment, you may feel triggered when someone is angry at you, or you may experience intense anger yourself. You may also struggle with trusting people and being able to develop solid relationships. With the help of an experienced, trustworthy therapist, you can work towards bettering your life and lessening your trauma’s impact on you.
What to Expect in Trauma Therapy….
Trauma treatment can help you regain a sense of control over your life. One of the most important aspects of trauma counseling is to help you learn how to feel safe again. Therapy can help you understand and identify triggers and how to manage them so that you feel more in control.
The most important thing to remember about trauma therapy is that you are in control of what is worked through and discussed during your session. You never have to face anything that makes you uncomfortable, scared, or anxious.
Before you get anywhere close to trauma work, we will spend ample time preparing to work on your trauma and learning coping skills to manage it. When we do start to work on your trauma, we will work through small bits of memory at a time and never push you to work on anything you’re not ready to confront yet.
What’s The Goal of Trauma Therapy?
Our goal in trauma therapy is to take away what we call the “emotional charge” of what you went through. If you were to think about a time when you tripped and fell as a child, it’s unlikely that you would feel very upset now, even though, at the time, it was probably pretty upsetting. This is a good example of how you can feel about the things you’ve been through. We can’t actually change what happened to you, but what we CAN change is how the trauma feels now when you look back on it. That’s our goal, and it’s definitely attainable.
Working on trauma can help.
It may feel impossible now, but you can wake up refreshed after a good night’s sleep, and feel confident and light. You can have a normal day without random memories popping into your head. You can walk down the street without having to think about who is walking behind you. You can feel comfortable and actually enjoy intimacy with your partner without being triggered. You can connect with others without feeling guarded all the time, and have deeper and more meaningful relationships. We can help you get there.
It’s crucial to work with someone who is compassionate and skilled and who can ensure your path to recovery is as safe and successful as possible. There are a range of ways to process trauma, and we will work together to find the approach that suits you best.
Nightmares, flashbacks, and feeling on edge don’t have to be your story.
You’ve been through enough. Don’t let what happened to you continue to affect you and your life. Reach out now for expert help.
Trauma FAQs
What if I am afraid of reliving my trauma?
This is very normal, and most people are understandably concerned about reflecting on some of the most difficult things they’ve been through. The most important training we have as trauma therapists is how to help our clients feel safe and work on their trauma without overwhelming them. We are highly trained in doing this safely, and want to assure you that you can do this. One of the most important parts of trauma therapy is that you are in full control of what we work on, and we will never go faster than you want to.
I’m ashamed of my trauma and its impact on me.
You are not to blame for your trauma and you won’t be judged in the slightest. Your trauma is not your fault. Feeling ashamed of your trauma is very normal, but trauma therapy can help you change these feelings to help you walk a path of self acceptance.
How long do I need to be in therapy for?
It will depend on a number of things, including how much trauma you’ve been through, how old you were when the trauma took place, how much support you had after the trauma, and many other things. At a minimum, therapy will take at least 4-6 sessions, and may take longer than that. It’s important to realize that this type of therapy is deep life changing work, and the time needed to reach your goals reflects that.
How Do We Get Started?
That’s easy! Just contact us to schedule a free 30 minute phone consultation, or schedule your intake session in the client portal. We’ll discuss what you are looking for help with, and see if there is a good fit. We’ll also answer any questions you may have.
