Therapy for Trauma
What is Trauma?
Trauma occurs when an experience overwhelms our brain’s ability to properly process and cope with it. People process experiences differently, and not everyone has the same reaction to any event; what one person experiences as trauma may not cause distress for another. Trauma can be experienced directly (e.g., it happens to you or you witness it happen to someone else) or indirectly (e.g., being told about trauma experienced by another person).
Trauma comes in many forms. It can be a car accident, natural disaster, violent crime/assault, physical or sexual abuse, war, or any other significant life-altering event that causes profound psychological distress and lasting impact (i.e., Big T traumas); or it could be emotional neglect, a breakup, a job loss, abandonment or any other experiences that are distressing and emotionally impactful but do not typically involve life-threatening events or physical harm (i.e., little t traumas). A traumatic experience can be a single event or multiples events in a short or extended period of time. As such, it is not the size or duration of the event that determines whether something is traumatic but how it is stored in the nervous system that causes memory to be traumatic.
Examples of the Effects of Trauma:
Pervasive feelings of shame, guilt, self-blame, and despair.
Fears of betrayal, abuse, and abandonment in relationships.
Mistrust of self, others, and the world.
Irritable behavior, emotional outbursts, and rage.
Intrusive, distressing memories or dreams about traumatic events.
Emotionally numb and reduced ability to feel pleasure and positive emotions.
Avoidance of internal (e.g. thoughts, feelings, memories) and external (e.g. people, places, conversations) reminders associated with traumatic events.
Hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, and frequently on guard.
Feelings of impending doom with no identifiable reason.
Trauma creates a disconnection from experiences with self, others, and the world.
Unhealed trauma can deeply affect your emotions, behaviors, and relationships. It can often present as depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, chronic pain, and a wide range of other mental and emotional health challenges. You may find that you blow up in response to minor provocations or benign situations. You may also find that you frequently experience difficulty being vulnerable and connecting deeply in relationships with others.
That is why I am dedicated to helping you heal trauma and improve the overall quality of your life.
Healing trauma is key to living a healthier, more balanced life.
I provide a safe, nonjudgmental space for us to explore and understand the early life experiences and critical events that contributed to the development of coping strategies you may have used to survive childhood— strategies which no longer serve you today and, in fact, lead to a tremendous amount of pain.
We will work together to break through the defenses that are serving as barriers to you living a fulfilling, purposeful life. Furthermore, you will learn new ways of relating to yourself and others in a more authentic and healthy manner.