Trauma Therapy
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Emotional Trauma, Ongoing Relentless Stress
Is this you?
Do you struggle with intense and overwhelming emotions on a regular basis? This might look like frequent mood swings, irritability, anger, sadness, anxiety, or even emotional numbness.Do you have vivid flashbacks or intrusive thoughts about the traumatic event(s)? These involuntary memories can be triggered by certain sights, sounds, smells, or even unrelated experiences, causing you to re-experience the trauma as if it were happening again.Do you try to avoid any reminders of the traumatic event? You may avoid places, activities, or people that bring back painful memories.Do you have a hard time concentrating, difficulty getting good sleep, irritability, a constant feeling of being on edge, or an exaggerated startle response (like you scare easily)?Do you disconnect from the present moment? You might feel disconnected from your body, or experience gaps in memory or time.Do you view yourself in a negative way? Do you have feelings of guilt, shame, or low self-worth? Do you think that you had something to do with what happened? Or do you think that you are damaged in some way?Are you struggling with trust, intimacy, or have difficulty expressing your emotions and needs in relationships?Are you having headaches, feeling tired or exhausted, and noticing changes in your appetite?
If you were reading that and thought, “Umm.. that’s me….” Please read on to see if I can help you.
I can help you tolerate and better regulate your emotions so that they don’t feel so overwhelming and they stop causing such a problem in your life.
I can’t erase the trauma from your memory, and stop the flashbacks, but I can help keep the memory in your past, where it belongs, so it doesn’t feel like you are re-living it when you experience certain sensations in your everyday life.
I can get you back to your life before the trauma, so that you are not avoiding things that remind you of the trauma and you can actually concentrate, sleep better, and don’t scare so easily.
You will be able to feel present in the moment and connected to your body again. Your sense of yourself will be improved. You might actually be able to tolerate yourself again, or in the best case scenario, you might like yourself again!
A sense of trust and intimacy in your relationships will return and it will be easier for you to express emotions and needs in your relationships.
As we are able to address the trauma, your physical health will improve, so you will have less headaches, improved energy, and your appetite will improve.
So, how exactly would that happen?
I can also help you understand the biology of your brain and body’s trauma response so that we can better manage and address your own individual unique trauma experience.
I have found that people that seek me out for trauma therapy, need some time to become comfortable with me. So, we’ll work on the therapeutic relationship first, and when you feel comfortable, we’ll learn some skills that will help you immediately manage the symptoms that you are experiencing now. These skills will also help us manage difficult emotions and sensations as we start to do some work “around” the trauma.
I have heard trauma therapy compared to barrel racing. I think this is a great comparison. A therapist that is experienced in trauma therapy never goes head on with the trauma, instead we see the target (the barrel) and continually work toward it in circles, as the rider and horse can tolerate it, making smaller and smaller circles, until we are at the target.
There are aspects of cognitive behavior therapy that are very effective with helping people with their trauma and EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing) is proven to decrease symptoms. I am certified in EMDR therapy and have witnessed the power of people shifting their lives to their former selves or in some instances, their best version of themselves, by using this powerful therapy to address their trauma. For example, I had a woman client that was suffering from agoraphobia that stemmed from trauma. She was not able to go in social situations or public places due to severe anxiety. Using EMDR, she was able to proceed with her life as a middle aged woman who needed to be able to go to stores, go to church, run errands, and enjoy her life with her family.
I can help you regain control of your life after experiencing trauma. You are not your trauma. The trauma is now part of you, but doesn’t control you. Let me help.
