Trauma Therapy

“THE TRAUMA SAID, ‘DON’T WRITE THESE POEMS. NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR YOU CRY ABOUT THE GRIEF INSIDE YOUR BONES.’ MY BONES SAID, ‘Write the Poems.’” — Andrea Gibson

What is Trauma?

 
annie-spratt-coIBOiWBPjk-unsplash.jpg

At one point in time, acute trauma was defined only by bearing witness to or being victim of a single traumatic event, as in the case of war trauma, natural disaster PTSD, accident trauma, and/or physical or sexual assault trauma. These traumatic experiences often cause life-altering physical trauma symptoms, emotional trauma symptoms, and psychological trauma symptoms synonymous with PTSD treatment, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder therapy. Now, we are seeing a wider range of trauma types causing similar trauma responses that are due to a different form of trauma healing that is often relational trauma and lasts over months or years. We call this form - complex trauma treatment and it causes C-PTSD therapy, or Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling. Complex trauma therapy occurs in relationship trauma with caregiver trauma, interpersonal trauma, workplace trauma, and even friendship trauma. It can look like :

  • Chronic emotional, physical, or sexual abuse (including witnessing of)

  • Neglect

  • Gaslighting

  • Overuse of substances or addiction within a relationship

  • Codependency or Narcissism within a relationship

  • Mental illness within a relationship

What are some trauma symptoms or symptoms of C-PTSD?

Some common symptoms of complex ptsd include:

  • Insomnia or trouble sleeping

  • Emotional dysregulation

  • Social anxiety

  • Obsessive thinking or fixating on the trauma

  • Low self-esteem resulting in false perceptions of self

  • Difficulty in relationships

  • Uncomfortable bodily symptoms like shortness of breath, headaches, chronic pain or tension in the body

  • Maladaptive coping strategies that leave you feeling guilty or depressed after (substance use, sexual promiscuity, other risky behavior)

  • Suicidal thoughts

You are not alone.

Unfortunately, trauma disorders are an incredibly common occurrence that millions of trauma survivors are suffering from. If can feel incredibly isolating when the unresolved trauma has caused is following you around like a dark cloud, further separating you from trauma recovery and functioning in the world in the way you would like to. In truth, you are not alone in your healing journey. In PTSD treatment and trauma therapy, the trauma-induced shame can start to lessen and deeper trauma healing can take place.

A holistic approach to healing trauma

Because recent trauma research has shown that PTSD symptoms and resulting trauma stress harms us through physiological trauma responses in both the body and the brain, I use a holistic trauma therapy approach to help you find the trauma recovery you are looking for. First, it is important to establish therapeutic trust and emotional security in the trauma counseling relationship between client and trauma therapist. This takes a different amount of time for each trauma survivor. Particularly if the complex trauma occurred within relationship trauma, it is to be expected that building trauma-informed trust and feeling psychologically safe is foundational to doing deeper trauma healing work. My intention is to provide a warm, compassionate, and non-judgmental trauma treatment space for you to feel safe and secure. From there, we can approach your trauma processing and the emotional wounding that occurred as a result of it with the utmost tenderness. I will continue to invite trauma-focused compassion and acceptance into the therapeutic work we do together as we go. As therapeutic boundaries arise, I acknowledge those equally as well.

Leaning on somatic trauma therapy insights gathered through the body and identifying trauma-related thoughts, beliefs, memories, bodily sensations, and emotional trauma responses associated with the traumatic experience allows for a deeper understanding of what happened within. Often times clients describe trauma symptoms like physical tension or pain, a feeling of trauma-induced stuckness, confinement, alongside emotion like PTSD-related anger, frustration, guilt, or shame. Others describe trauma dissociation combined with sensations of heaviness or tingling in the body. Because the nervous system trauma went through a period of overwhelm when the trauma occurred, it makes sense to have a variety of trauma reactions from overstimulation to utter exhaustion. Part of the role of PTSD therapist is to track for these trauma manifestations as you go so that the trauma isn't in a sense relived, but instead rewritten in a way that feels relieving and empowering to you. By becoming more aware of what is happening within, you can reclaim the parts of you that were lost to the traumatic stress. Through evidence-based trauma therapy you can become whole again.

“Beneath the surface of the protective parts of trauma survivors there exists an undamaged essence, a Self that is confident, curious, and calm…”

-Bessel A. Van der Kolk, Body Keeps the Score

In addition, trauma mindfulness techniques alongside trauma grounding exercises and emotional resourcing tools allows for further trauma integration. In evidence-based trauma therapy, we slowly and intentionally acknowledge and identify the nuances of the trauma symptoms and internal trauma responses in a way that feels psychologically safe and therapeutically supported, ultimately giving the psyche an opportunity to process trauma in an entirely new way. This trauma healing process allows for long lasting trauma recovery and relief from trauma-related suffering.

Frequently Asked Questions to Trauma and Trauma Therapy

Is trauma therapy stressful?

Focusing on your trauma can feel overwhelming at first because often we are allowing ourselves to feel what we may have blocked out at the time the experience occurred. A good therapist can track when the overwhelm is going beyond your “window of tolerance” and offer some tools to soothe the nervous system in the moment, stopping the overwhelm from becoming completely intolerable. 

How do I know when the treatment is working?

When you are able to look at what happened in your past and not become totally consumed or distraught by it nor needing to fully avoid it, you know the ptsd therapy is working. When you have different, less reactive thoughts, feelings, sensations, and emotions around the trauma, you know the treatment is taking effect. Often a sense of wisdom and deeper insight is gained as well and that’s when you know you’ve moved through something. If you are curious about more intensive treatments, ketamine assisted therapy may be a path forward for you. Read more about Ketamine Assisted Therapy.

What should I look for in a therapist to help me with my trauma symptoms or symptoms of PTSD?

All therapists are different. Doing some research prior to starting treatment can be helpful in gathering the information you need to feel comfortable and assured that you are in good hands. Often a combination of evidence-based practices alongside a therapist who uses a “trauma-informed approach” is key to getting the treatment you need and deserve. Even still, some therapists may have a personality or flavor to their therapy that you jive with more. Sometimes it takes experimenting with a few to really know what feels best. 

How do I know if what I experienced was actually trauma?

Many of the trauma symptoms listed at the top of this page are good indicators of a traumatic experience or symptoms that are common with people who have ptsd. Ultimately, deep down you know if something impacted you in such a significant way that it left a mark. Other times, we need validation. If you are unsure, you can always ask your therapist or a trusted other who knows more about trauma.