Trauma Therapy
Are You Struggling To Move Past A Traumatic Experience?
Have you noticed that you flash back to painful experiences that occurred long ago and wonder why these memories pop up during a normal day? Are you struggling with guilt and shame following a horrible experience? Maybe you feel irritable and angry toward yourself for feeling excited, anxious, dependent, incapacitated or out of control. You might experience unusual emotional and physical responses to present situations and wonder why you feel this way. Do you struggle with insomnia and worry about having the same terrifying dreams over and over? Do you wish you could finally overcome the trauma that continues to interfere with your thoughts, emotions and relationships?
In daily situations, you may feel that you are doing well, but then you suddenly experience high anxiety and feel unsafe. For example, when you become anxious, your heart may begin to race and you may struggle to talk to the person you are with. You may even feel like you can't breathe and want to run out of the room. You may become hyper-vigilant but do not understand why you feel this way.
People who experience trauma often start to wonder whether they were a victim or a willing participant, a confusion which causes deep distress. Some individuals who experience deep betrayal from a partner or spouse, such as infidelities and domestic abuse, may also blame themselves for staying in the relationship and wonder why they are unable to leave.
These are just a few experiences that individuals affected by trauma have voiced. If you have any of these responses, traumatic triggers and memories may be holding you back from a fulfilling life. The good news is that there is hope for you to reclaim your life through trauma therapy.
Trauma Is A Very Common Yet Complex Issue
Many people believe trauma only affects war veterans who, after returning home from their tour of duty, struggle with unpredictable moods. These are the stories we are exposed to in the media and within our family and friend groups. While war-related trauma is a very real problem that our veterans struggle with due to horrific experiences, trauma can also result from a variety of other scenarios.
Trauma is an unbearable and intolerable emotional and physical response to an experience so overwhelming to the person that their brain immediately clicks into a fight, flight or freeze mode to cope. This is a total survival response. Trauma can result from a situation that is directly happening to a person or it can be simply witnessed by a person. Traumatic incidences may include an accident, physical or sexual assault, a near-death experience, childhood abuse (such as abandonment, physical and emotional abuse and neglect), a natural disaster, community violence and combat experiences. An individual may even experience trauma through betrayal.
Trauma not only affects the person who is directly exposed to an overwhelming experience, but also all of those who are close to the traumatized individual. Whether the experience seems like a mild trauma or a large horrific event, individuals are deeply affected.
Individuals react to trauma in a wide range of ways – sometimes at the time of occurrence or many years later – but research has been able to identify developing patterns. A majority of people who experience post-traumatic reactions are able to find lasting relief rather quickly. A smaller percentage of people (approximately 25 percent) experience post-traumatic stress reactions that are present occasionally or long after their traumatic incident occurred. This is usually due to a situation that triggers a memory or experience of the original trauma. These symptoms often become chronic, ranging from mild to excruciating severity, and are sometimes even life threatening. Thankfully, trauma therapy can help you move past these stuck points so you can live freely.
Move Forward In Life With Trauma Therapy
Please do not hesitate to call me for a consultation on trauma therapy. During your first appointment, I will guide you through a thorough history evaluation so we gain a deeper understanding of your experiences. I will help you to develop a treatment plan that is tailored to your specific needs and personal experiences. Your sessions are held in a confidential, nonjudgmental environment so you can feel as comfortable as possible throughout your healing process.
Trauma therapy is not a narrowly focused treatment approach. Therapy will be directed to resolve the trauma you experienced and alleviate your primary symptoms. Also, if you have secondary symptoms, such as panic, anxiety, depression, or even addiction and compulsion, our sessions can help you overcome these painful side effects.
The process of treating your trauma will include a focus on your interpersonal issues of shame, self-blame and inability to trust others as well as help you define personal life meaning. Depending on your needs, some of the trauma therapy approaches that I utilize include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), internal family systems (IFS) approaches, guided imagery, mindfulness, meditation, yoga therapy and nutritional approaches.
No matter the type of trauma you have experienced or the severity of your symptoms, you always have hope to recover. Through trauma therapy, you can remove the heavy burden of trauma and begin to experience life with more peace and stronger connections with your loved ones.
You may be interested in trauma therapy but still have a few fears or concerns…
I want to get over my traumatic thoughts but I fear that I cannot.
Our sessions are held in a safe and confidential environment so you can comfortably explore your history in order to find new ways to cope. Your feelings of uncertainty and hesitation are natural, especially if you are used to responding to new situations in a certain way. I can guide you to discover your strengths within yourself that you may not believe you have. Our sessions will allow you to work at your own pace so that you can build the confidence and trust within yourself.
I fear that I will feel the pain of my traumatic experience all over again.
Though your fears and anxieties are very real, it is important to remember that your traumatic experience is not happening right now. It may feel very difficult , but taking the courageous steps to work through trauma will free you and allow you to live your life the way you choose, instead of constantly trying to manage your stress, anxiety and difficult memories.
In sessions, we can use different techniques such as guided imagery so you will be able to develop a personal ally in times of stress and high anxiety. I will be with you every step of the way to escort you toward accessing your strengths and implementing new responses to daily living. Your painful trauma responses do not need to feel like a dark cloud hanging over you any longer.
You may also wonder if you have PTSD or Complex PTSD…
What is PTSD?
The four symptoms that can determine whether or not an individual suffers from PTSD are:
1) Development of numbing behaviors to cope with painful emotions and cognitive changes in the brain that are related to the incident
2) Hypervigilance and hyperarousal
3) Engagement in avoidance behaviors to escape the pain of the trauma and memories
4) Dreams or flashbacks to the incidents as well as memories that cause the individual to re-experience the trauma
People who develop PTSD are stimulated by an abnormally high stress response to distressing physical and psychological symptoms of the traumas that they were exposed to. It is not uncommon for individuals to experience acute anxiety, depression, insomnia and dissociative symptoms. They may even turn to drugs and alcohol, sexual compulsions and other addictive/compulsive behaviors to cope with painful symptoms. While these mechanisms may work temporarily, they may grow into a secondary problem for the individual.
What Is Complex PTSD?
In addition to the four sets of symptoms listed as PTSD, additional symptoms may occur in individuals who are subjected to prolonged and prevailing traumatic experiences. These experiences result in complex PTSD, which affects an individual’s physical and emotional development. Complex PTSD can be especially overwhelming to children and adolescents who do not yet have the experience and capacity to understand what is happening to them. In this case, the affected child's development is then dominated by fear. If a child experiences complex PTSD, he or she may hold on to a lower self-esteem or sense of self-worth as well as struggle to maintain trusting relationships with others.
If You Feel Ready To Begin Your Journey, Call To Schedule Your Appointment Today
If you wonder if you have trauma symptoms, please do not hesitate any longer. Call today so you can begin your road to recovery and put your past behind you with trauma therapy. You can gain and define the life that you want. Use the contact page on this site, call me at (810) 964-5400 or email me at nvcase0911 (at) outlook.com.
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