What is Trauma?
|
Trauma results from events that are experienced as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening. When a person feels that she cannot run or fight or protect herself from danger, she shuts down. According to neuroscience, memories of these types are "filed away in the wrong part of the brain". The brain will do anything it can to work through the experiences so that they can be put to rest. Usually, the brain will replay the event like a vinyl record whose needle is skipping. This is the brain's attempt to integrate the event(s) and store them in their proper places. Stories play OVER AND OVER, haunting the person to the point of exhaustion. The painful memory is truly stuck.
You and I will work in innovative and creative ways to re-integrate these memories or events into the proper place in your brain, thereby easing depression, anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Here are some examples of trauma: betrayal, breach of trust, abandonment, triangulation, gaslighting, physical or verbal abuse, neglect, not being heard, not feeling like you matter, mis-attunement from a caregiver (or spouse), blaming, shaming, isolation. No matter when it happened, it all tends to get dragged into the present. You may feel emotional numbness, recurrent depression, panic, anxiety, looping thoughts, lack of safety in relationship, lack of safety in the world, inability to be oneself, feeling stuck, or paralyzed. Another surprising symptom of relational trauma or abuse is chronic pain and illness. These painful roadblocks cause a person to curl inward on him or herself, not knowing how, or who to trust. Not knowing what to do to make it better. My specialty is providing successful help, in unique ways, creating relief and release from the misery and desperation you may be feeling. Innovative Therapy Integrative Therapy |
|
Traumatic memory needs to be re-set so that memories can comfortably settle back in with all the other memories of one's life. Neuroscience tells us that this cannot be done through talk-therapy, alone. It takes a special kind of work to access the part of the brain that holds these hurt memories.
There are three main types of trauma: Acute, Chronic, and Complex Trauma
Trauma can happen at any age. Childhood trauma generally imprints on the brain at a subconscious level, which can take longer to resolve. But fearful or threatening situations can happen at any phase of life - and they can stick with us. If you've ever had a painful experience or relationship that you just can't shake - it's probably sitting in that "wrong part of your brain" that holds traumatic memory.
There are three main types of trauma: Acute, Chronic, and Complex Trauma
- Acute trauma results from a single incident.
- Chronic trauma is repeated and prolonged: such as domestic violence or abuse.
- Complex trauma is exposure events, often of an invasive, manipulative or cruel interpersonal nature. We may call this RELATIONAL TRAUMA.
Trauma can happen at any age. Childhood trauma generally imprints on the brain at a subconscious level, which can take longer to resolve. But fearful or threatening situations can happen at any phase of life - and they can stick with us. If you've ever had a painful experience or relationship that you just can't shake - it's probably sitting in that "wrong part of your brain" that holds traumatic memory.
Some types of trauma:
- Sexual abuse
- Physical abuse
- Domestic violence
- Neglect, deprivation
- Traumatic grief
- Death of a loved one
- Divorce
- Losing one's children in a custody battle, or other circumstance
- Losing a fortune
- Betrayal
- Being Gaslighted in a way that threatens one's sense of trust in oneself or others
- Being unfairly blamed or shamed
- Victim of a crime
- Kidnapping
- Physical Accidents
- Medical injury, illness, or procedures
- Community or Social violence
- School violence
- Natural disasters
- Loss of all kinds, and the grief that ensues
What Is the Best Treatment for Trauma?
The first rule of trauma treatment is DO NO HARM. In this case, it means that we therapists do everything in our power NOT TO RE-TRAUMATIZE you. I have heard some pretty disturbing stories of therapists who used trauma treatment wrongly, and it caused more damage. (Or worse - untrained life coaches and hypnotherapists who don't know how to manage high emotional arousal, extreme emotional confusion, or very difficult cases.) I've heard of such practitioners using modalities like Exposure Therapy inappropriately, in an attempt to heal trauma. Exposure Therapy is a good modality for certain phobias, and can work well in the right hands. But it's not indicated for relational or Complex PTSD. Clients have come away feeling terrified of working with their trauma, thereafter - and rightly so! The coach unknowingly "did harm". This is why it's so important to seek out a highly trained trauma therapist.
There are multiple forms of treatment used to relieve symptoms of trauma. EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Hypnosis, and Eidetic Imagery, to name a few.
I have found that using a combination of these treatments reaches the deepest places of the brain where those traumatic stories are trapped. It is quite gentle and the success rate is high. Imagery is fascinating to both therapists and clients alike, as it "slides past" the rational, logical, thinking mind, and takes us straight to the subconscious places that need our help. Your subconscious knows exactly what it needs. If given the chance, your subconscious will lead us straight to the perfect healing for you.
There are multiple forms of treatment used to relieve symptoms of trauma. EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Hypnosis, and Eidetic Imagery, to name a few.
I have found that using a combination of these treatments reaches the deepest places of the brain where those traumatic stories are trapped. It is quite gentle and the success rate is high. Imagery is fascinating to both therapists and clients alike, as it "slides past" the rational, logical, thinking mind, and takes us straight to the subconscious places that need our help. Your subconscious knows exactly what it needs. If given the chance, your subconscious will lead us straight to the perfect healing for you.