Therapy for Trauma

What is trauma?

We have heard a lot of information about trauma over the past several years. One might even argue that we experienced a collective societal trauma during the Covid-19 pandemic. Trauma is a disruptive and distressing experience that engages our biological response to stress or danger. When we experience a traumatic incident, and that traumatic incident overwhelms the brain’s ability to adaptively process that experience, the memory of that experience can become a source of distress or dysfunction.

There are what we call “big T” Traumas and “little t” traumas. Big “T” traumas are things that have a clear beginning and end—for example, natural disasters, combat violence, accidents, or single-incident assaults. These are things that have a clear beginning or end. “Small t” traumas are things that happen repeatedly over time and are often relational traumas—for example, bullying, chronic abusive relationships, or emotionally damaging dynamics with family members. When you think of trauma, you probably imagine those “big T” incidents, but “small t” experiences can have a huge impact on how a person sees themselves and how they see the world.

How do I know if I have experienced trauma?

Do you find yourself stuck in negative thought patterns or behaviors? Can you trace these thought patterns or behaviors to something from your past? Because traumatic memories are not stored like regular memories, trauma can change the way we see ourselves and the world. If you feel like your past has become your present and find yourself looping around dysfunctional dynamics from your past, there may be a traumatic experience that needs to be processed in therapy. Some common traumatic experiences are:

• sexual assault or abuse

• emotional abuse or neglect

• food or housing insecurity

• witnessing violence in the home

• witnessing violence in school

• chronic and unresolved conflict in family of origin

• natural disasters and the loss of stability due to natural disasters

• car accidents

• sudden loss of a loved one

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that is triggered by a traumatic or terrifying event that you either witness or experience yourself. Many individuals who experience a traumatic event have difficulty coping, but over time and with rest and self-care are able to fully recover from the experience. However, for some, the trauma has a more lasting impact. If you are still struggling months or even years after an incident, you may have PTSD.

The symptoms of PTSD may start one month after an event or may not appear for many years. If symptoms have an immediate onset, we call this Acute Stress Disorder. PTSD symptoms are grouped into four categories: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in mood or thinking or changes in physical or emotional reactions. Intrusive memories may occur as intrusive thoughts or memories of the incident, flashbacks where you feel like you are re-experiencing the event, nightmares about the event or related events, or intense emotional reactions to things that trigger memories of the event. Avoidance symptoms involve trying to avoid situations or places that remind you of the event or refusing to talk about the event. Negative changes in mood or thinking may include a sense of hopelessness about your future, negative thoughts about the world or yourself, changes in your connection to others, issues with memory, including, but not limited to memories of the trauma, difficulty feeling good emotions, a sense of being numb, or a loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy doing. Physical or emotional reactions (or arousal symptoms) may include outbursts of aggression or anger, being easily startled or frightened, difficulty sleeping, engaging in reckless behaviors, an intense experience of guilt or shame or difficulty concentrating

What kind of therapy helps people who have experienced trauma?

We utilize a mixture of evidence based therapies for those who have experienced trauma and/or may have a PTSD diagnosis. Some of our therapists are trained in EMDR, a highly effective trauma reprocessing therapy that utilizes bilateral stimulation to reprocess traumatic memories. You can read more about EMDR by clicking HERE. Other effective therapeutic interventions include: Somatic Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Play therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Trauma focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).