Feeling Paralyzed by the Impact of Trauma? How Trauma Therapy Can Help You Break Free
Why do I feel so numb? Why do I have sudden outbursts, followed by long depressive slumps? Why do I feel constantly on edge? What’s wrong with me?
Do you find yourself asking these questions again and again, without ever getting anywhere? Are you overwhelmed by a sense of guilt and shame? Do you struggle with intense reactions, avoidance, or feeling fundamentally broken? If so, it’s likely that you’re experiencing the impact of trauma.
What is Trauma?
To put it simply, trauma is a frightening or life-threatening experience that overwhelms the nervous system. In response, our resilient bodies and minds mount a defense in the form of fight, flight, or freeze. These responses are designed to help us survive that traumatic event or series of events. We can fight it, run from it, or shut down to minimize the impact. However, when not tended to properly, these responses remain ingrained, leaving our nervous systems in an overactive state. When ignored for a long time, we can end up unconsciously shaping our whole lives around these responses.
What Causes Trauma?
Traumatic experiences are identified by the impact they have on your nervous system. They can be clear instances of abuse, terror, injury, or illness, or repetitive events like bullying, harassment, or neglect. They can be singular events like a car accident, or systemic issues like sexism and racism. The specific trauma is important, but even more important is how that trauma has impacted and shaped you. Understanding the specific ways trauma affects you is crucial. A trauma therapist can help you explore these impacts in a safe and supportive environment.
Are Trauma and PTSD the Same Thing?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a formal diagnosis that includes a specific set of trauma symptoms. However, trauma can manifest in ways that do not meet the criteria for PTSD, but still cause tremendous difficulty in your life. Post-traumatic stress disorder treatment and trauma therapy are the same. A trauma counselor can help you clarify the true extent of your trauma.
Trauma and PTSD Symptoms Can Look Like:
Anxiety or panic attacks
Mood swings
Depression
Numbness or detachment
Guilt or shame
Chronic fatigue
Constantly feeling on edge
Sleep issues
Headaches, muscle tension, or digestive issues
Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks
Memory issues
Negative self-image
Avoidance
Self-isolation
Risky or self-destructive behaviors
Suicidal thoughts
Trust issues
Emotional outbursts
Substance use
Internet addiction
Challenges in Close Relationships
If you suffer from complex trauma, you may struggle to maintain close, intimate relationships. Complex PTSD often develops because of some kind of harm in a relationship, like with parents or a partner, making trust and vulnerability extremely difficult. This complicates the healing process and requires very careful attention and care.
Healing Trauma with Effective Trauma Therapy and PTSD Treatment
The good news is that trauma therapy is specifically designed to address these responses in your nervous system, as well as within your relationships. We focus on getting to know your body and mind’s unique way of responding to trauma. We practice reading the body’s signals as well as the environment to respond, rather than react, to whatever comes your way. We work through difficult thoughts, emotions, and memories to decrease the pain they cause in the present. We learn more effective ways to communicate and interact with those we care about most.
What to Expect from Trauma Counseling
We work together in a confidential space, either in person in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle or online. It’s tremendously important that you feel safe enough to express what is truly going on inside you. Together we get a sense of the scope of what we’re trying to address. This might include telling some of the story of what has happened to you, but it also might not. Sometimes it’s too intense to jump right into this, and other times it is more hidden from memory.
When we work to heal trauma, we’re working with the mind and body together. This includes elements of traditional talk therapy, as well as newer modalities like somatic therapy. Using multiple methods, we’re able to get to the root of the issue more quickly and progress in a more holistic, integrated way.
I incorporate multiple kinds of somatic therapies in our work together, especially Somatic Experiencing. In this kind of body-based therapy, we focus on sensations, images, and emotions that show up in the present moment. This helps us get past the ingrained narratives and old patterns that keep us stuck in trauma.
Common Questions About Trauma Therapy
How long will it take?
The effects of trauma can be deeply ingrained over many years. Healing takes anywhere from months to years of consistent work. But the more you focus on healing, the faster this goes.
Will therapy make me feel worse?
We pay careful attention to this. As we begin trauma work, it is normal to feel an increased level of activation, which can temporarily feel worse. We get to know this pattern in order to find the right level of challenge, without overwhelming you. Therapy is hard, but it should not always be a struggle.
Will I have to share what happened to me?
This is something we carefully consider. It often is not helpful to launch into a trauma story, as this can be either re-traumatizing or just maintain old patterns of numbing. Some people find it helpful, after some amount of therapy, to be able to put words to their experience and retell their story from the standpoint of healing. This can be a powerful experience.
What if therapy hasn’t worked for me before?
It is possible that you and your previous therapist were not a good fit. The most important factor in successful therapy is finding a trauma therapist who understands you and with whom you feel safe. I always ask my clients what previous therapy has been like, considering what has helped and what hasn’t. That way, we can build on anything that has helped before and consider different ways to address your trauma when needed.
Trauma therapy is too expensive for me.
Therapy is a significant investment of time, energy, and money. But consider the cost of continuing in survival mode without resolution to your trauma.
Trauma Counseling Creates Real Transformation
Every day, I get to work with courageous and resilient people who have been through traumatic experiences. They continue to find resources of strength and kindness within themselves and begin to believe in themselves. Over weeks and months, I see them come alive more and more.
These people are able to deepen their relationships with close friends and partners. They are able to set healthy boundaries with other people, work, and additional stressors. They laugh more and feel more deeply, without being overwhelmed. They consistently tell me how they feel more open and free.
I have had this experience myself, as a survivor of trauma. I have been in my own therapy multiple times throughout my life, and each time I discovered new opportunities for healing and growth. I became a therapist because I experienced firsthand how powerful and transformative therapy can be.
What Makes My Approach to Trauma Therapy Different?
I truly want to help you heal. Living life in the shadow of trauma means living a smaller, more confined life. Coming out from that shadow and feeling yourself stand tall again is the most worthwhile thing I can imagine. I blend the seriousness of trauma work with playfulness and humor. While this work can be daunting, it can also be punctuated with moments of laughter and enjoyment. I tailor our work together to your unique circumstances. There are many forms of trauma, and trauma shows up differently in every person. Drawing on multiple modalities, including Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, psychodynamic therapy, interpersonal neurobiology, attachment theory, and mindfulness, we collaborate to ensure we’re addressing your uniqueness, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Start Healing with Trauma Therapy Today
My goal is to help you come alive again. Do you need to wait longer to get started? Healing will never get easier, but you can begin making progress today. Reach out now to schedule a free, 20-minute consultation.