Trauma-informed Therapy
What is trauma?
Trauma is an event that overwhelms the central nervous system, altering the way we process and recall memories. Bessel van der Kolk states “Trauma is not the story of something that happened back then," he adds. "It's the current imprint of that pain, horror, and fear living inside people.”
Symptoms of anxiety, fear, self-doubt, and other uncomfortable feelings may be an indication that there is unresolved trauma. Even though the trauma may have occurred long ago, the body still remembers and often re-creates the physical sensations that were felt when the trauma was originally experienced.
Why is trauma-informed therapy important?
Past traumas that have not been fully processed can continue to cause upset and imbalance in the mind and body. A person may be "frozen in time" and feel as though they are reliving the trauma. In fact, people often describe having "flashbacks" as if the event were happening in the present.
These memories can have a lasting effect that impacts the way a person views the world, the way they feel, and the way they relate to others.
A more gentle approach to resolving the negative impact of trauma…
When we have experienced trauma, the last thing we want to do is have to think about or talk about it. It can bring up a lot of discomfort and trigger us into reliving the trauma.
I use a gentle approach that helps release emotional and physical discomfort with significantly less discomfort (and often doesn’t require you to disclose much about your trauma). This often results in less discomfort during trauma processing work, and can significantly reduce and eliminate mental, emotional, and physical discomfort that you are experiencing as triggers (reminders) of the trauma(s).
I can help you release the negative effects of troubling past experiences. By removing the blocks that keep you stuck in the past, you may then be able to feel better emotionally and physically and have more success in making the changes you are seeking in your life.