Trauma & PTSD
Many people have those moments in life that they wish they could just forget. Trauma can take a huge emotional toll, whether it stems from a personal tragedy, a natural disaster, or violence. There is no right or wrong way to feel after traumatic events. But there are many strategies that can help you work through feelings of pain, fear, and grief and regain your emotional equilibrium. Whether the traumatic event happened years ago or yesterday, you can heal and move on.
Two Types of Trauma
Shock Trauma
Events that happened to us that caused us an immense amount of fear for our life or the life of someone close to us.
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being involved in a car crash
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being violently attacked
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being raped or sexually assaulted
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being abused, harassed or bullied
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being kidnapped or held hostage
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seeing other people hurt or killed, including in the course of your job
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doing a job where you repeatedly see distressing images or hear details of traumatic events
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traumatic childbirth, either as a mother or a partner witnessing a traumatic birth
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extreme violence or war, including military combat
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surviving a terrorist attack
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surviving a natural disaster, such as flooding or an earthquake
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being diagnosed with a life-threatening condition
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losing someone close to you in particularly upsetting circumstances
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learning that traumatic events have affected someone close to you (sometimes called secondary trauma)
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any event in which you fear for your life.
Developmental Trauma
Developmental Trauma is a term used in the literature to describe childhood trauma such as chronic abuse, neglect or other harsh adversity in their own homes. When a child is exposed to overwhelming stress and their caregiver does not help reduce this stress, or is the cause of the stress, the child experiences developmental trauma. The vast majority of children with developmental trauma will not develop PTSD. Instead, they are at risk for a host of complex emotional, cognitive and physical illnesses that last throughout their lives.
Developmental traumas are also called Adverse Childhood Experiences. These are chronic family traumas such as having a parent with mental illness or substance abuse, losing a parent due to divorce, abandonment or incarceration, witnessing domestic violence, not feeling loved or that the family is close, or not having enough food or clean clothing, as well as direct verbal, physical or sexual abuse.
As a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, I have been trained on the most effective methods for treating various forms of trauma. I am particularly drawn to relational and developmental trauma because it often gets overlooked and untreated. Many times Developmental trauma underlies addictions, personality disorders, and other metal health illness such as depression and anxiety.
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Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing [EMDR]
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Internal Family Systems [IFS]
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Psychodrama
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [CBT]
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Dialectical Behavioral Therapy [DBT]
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Experiential Therapies for Trauma Healing
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Mindfulness
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Group Therapy