Trauma Therapy
Feeling Like You’re Stuck In The Past?
Do you suspect that traumatic events from the past still affect you?
Have you struggled with feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or the belief that you are not good enough?
Rather than feeling emotionally connected to others, do you repeatedly end up in unhealthy, toxic relationships?
If you experienced ongoing trauma as a child—such as verbal or physical abuse or emotional neglect—it might feel like you never shed the weight of that pain. Whether or not you have connected the dots, these experiences may be contributing to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem that impact all facets of your life.
Or perhaps a one-time traumatic incident—such as a car accident or sexual assault—has never left you and you remain stuck in that terrible moment. If you suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anything that triggers a memory of the event could lead to nightmares, flashbacks, and panic attacks.
You Might Be Checked Out Emotionally
As a way to protect yourself, you may have become withdrawn and disconnected from your emotions. Although you avoid experiencing the pain of heavier emotions this way, you also miss out on joy and desire. Lacking motivation to reach your full potential, you might feel unsatisfied and uninspired.
Making friends and maintaining friendships may be hard for you. You might be a people pleaser and put others’ needs ahead of your own in fear of losing the friendship otherwise. If only you felt comfortable in your own skin, you could settle into healthier relationships and not be afraid to explore your emotions.
Trauma therapy can help you examine the root causes of your distress and process the emotional wounds that keep you stuck. In counseling, you can learn how trauma gets stored in the body and implement effective techniques that can help release it.
We Often Internalize Blame For Our Trauma
As Alina Frank writes, “Trauma often leads to the development of negative core beliefs, which are deeply ingrained and can limit our lives. These beliefs are often rooted in a sense of helplessness or a lack of control, and can lead to feelings of shame, worthlessness, and mistrust." [1]
We commonly associate trauma and PTSD with “Big T” trauma events like warfare, physical assault, or sexual abuse. However, “little t” trauma is often more subtle but can still negatively impact our lives. Growing up, being taught to hide or shut down heavier emotions, such as anger or sadness, is in itself traumatic. Being raised in an environment where we were told our feelings and emotions weren't important requires exploration and healing.
Trauma Survivors Often Struggle With Self-Advocacy
While trauma can manifest in different ways, it often results in a sense that we are “less than.” Because we’ve been conditioned to put others’ needs before our own, we aren’t used to advocating for ourselves, practicing self-care, and respecting our own emotional needs. We could benefit from learning how to set and reinforce healthy boundaries with others and allowing ourselves to be the priority.
The focus of trauma counseling will be to acknowledge your own self-worth and cultivate compassion for yourself. Working with a trauma-informed counselor gives you the tools and encouragement to advocate for yourself without shame or embarrassment.
Therapy Can Help You Access Emotions And Resolve Your Trauma
Living with trauma feels like you’re frozen in place. Not only have you been unable to overcome the obstacles keeping you stuck, you may have trouble recognizing what’s been holding you back for so long. If you compare your experiences with others who have suffered far worse, you might minimize or diminish your feelings, unaware of how it has impacted you. Trauma can result from “death by a thousand cuts”—whenever our caregivers dismiss, downplay, or invalidate our emotions.
Therapy helps you develop a deeper awareness of your emotions and your beliefs about yourself, allowing you to positively shift your perspective about how worthy you are of love and self-compassion. By nurturing a safe environment to process painful experiences, trauma therapy will provide you with the skills, psychoeducation, and encouragement needed to make changes that can lead to a happier, healthier life and outlook.
What To Expect In Sessions
We will begin sessions working on a specific concern you’re having, such as struggles in your current relationship. Exploring your family of origin dynamics will help us discover patterns and beliefs that may contribute to what’s happening presently. We may find that you developed negative core beliefs that continue to influence how you perceive yourself and relate to others. And because trauma affects both body and mind, I will provide you with psychoeducation that explains the function of the nervous system and the way it can be affected when we are triggered into fight-or-flight mode.
Drawing from a wide variety of approaches, we can collaborate to customize your treatment to ensure it is effective and resonates with you. In addition to identifying triggers and breaking down unresolved feelings of shame and guilt that may prevent you from accessing your emotions, you will be empowered to set healthy boundaries with others and learn how to advocate for yourself.
I Offer A Range Of Modalities For Trauma And PTSD Treatment
As a specialist helping people heal from trauma and PTSD, I want my clients to have treatment options. That is why I have trained in a variety of effective treatments, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Brainspotting, and Psychedelic Somatic Interactive Psychotherapy (PSIP).
Each of these modalities brings something important to the table when addressing the root causes of trauma. For example, IFS can be an invaluable way of understanding the different parts of yourself that coexist together. By acknowledging the less acceptable parts that may have lived in exile while growing up, you can finally be allowed to validate your feelings without shame or judgment. In addition, we may incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) into sessions to help you identify your core values and ensure you are living aligned with those values.
You are resilient and capable of change. All it takes is making a commitment to therapy and prioritizing yourself. Once you embark on a journey to mental wellness, you will be amazed by the shifts in perspective you’re capable of.
But Maybe You’re Not Sure If Trauma Therapy Is Right For You…
I don’t think trauma counseling is worth the money it will cost.
If you are used to prioritizing the needs of others before your own, considering trauma treatment is probably way outside of your comfort zone. However, don’t you think the time has come to invest in yourself? Whether you have underestimated the trauma you experienced as a child or you are trying to come to terms with sexual or physical abuse, counseling is worth the monetary investment. Not only can trauma therapy improve your happiness, but it can also positively impact everyone around you.
What if I don’t have the time to schedule trauma treatment every week?
Understandably, life is hectic. It might be difficult for you to set aside consistent time every week to attend trauma therapy. However, developing consistency is one of the keys to achieving long-term goals. Although healing can still happen if you can only commit to sessions every other week, results will occur more quickly when you can invest your time weekly. You’re worth the time, I promise.
I’m not sure what sort of therapy for trauma I need.
When you enter counseling to address trauma, you aren’t expected to know what sort of therapy you require. The good news is that as a therapist who specializes in trauma and PTSD, I have trained in an array of cutting-edge modalities, including EMDR, PSIP, and Brainspotting. Once we’ve determined what your underlying issues are, we can explore the best path forward.
You Deserve Happiness And Hope
Your next life chapter can start today. To find out more about how trauma therapy can help you, please visit my contact page or call (970) 305-5860 to schedule a free 20-minute consultation with me.
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