Trauma
Most of us have experienced trauma in our lives and for many people, the effects of it linger. Oftentimes, we don’t seek counseling for it because we might not be aware of how it is impacting us or think other people have it worse. When we get reminded of these events (trigger response) we might find ourselves getting angry, shutting down, needing to leave immediately, becoming hyper aware of our surroundings, and/or much more. This is your body’s way of keeping you safe in the best way that it knows how. However, when we are no longer in these situations anymore, these negative coping skills can get in the way of the life we want to lead. In counseling, we can learn to manage these skills and build new skills.
Our Approach
When working with trauma, the first thing we will do is establish ways to relax the nervous system. We want to make sure that if anything overwhelming arises, we can de-escalate from it safely. As traumatic events can be extremely difficult to talk about, we will never push you to go somewhere that you are not ready to go. The next thing we will do is identify your triggers. This does not mean that we have to remember the trauma or why something is a trigger. Instead, we will spend time figuring out what situations get you into the “trauma headspace” and can work towards reducing these occurrences. From there, we can brainstorm ways to manage the impacts of the trauma. Trauma can also come with underlying feelings of anger, unfairness, or self-blame. We will process those in counseling as well. Healing isn’t linear and will take time, but we will create a safe space for you to start this journey and learn skills that encourage closure and the ability to move forward in life.
Specializations
Individuals seek counseling for the following reasons:
- Acute Trauma (resulting from a single incidence)
- Chronic Trauma (repeated and prolonged exposure to trauma)
- Complex Trauma (exposure to multiple traumatic events that are often invasive and impact interpersonal experiences)