“I’ve never experienced trauma!” Oh really? Okay, so you’ve never experienced any of these?

• Car Accident

• Illness (chronic, terminal)

• Death of a loved one

• Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional)

• Financial struggles

• Natural disasters

• Victim of/witnessing a crime

• Divorce

• Gang violence

• Military combat/war

• Childbirth

• Suicide attempt

• Bullying

• Racism

• Vicarious/secondary trauma

• Losing a job

• Moving

• Terrorist events

• Hospitalization

• Domestic violence

• Abandonment/neglect

• And many more…………

A traumatic event is a stressful, frightening, or distressing event and can happen at any age.

Most people will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime, it’s inevitable. Some people can recover from trauma over time with the love and support of family and friends and they bounce back with resiliency, others have effects of lasting trauma, which create deep emotional pain, fear, confusion, or post-traumatic stress long after the event. 

Trauma Symptoms 

According to the four types of symptoms listed in the DSM-5  

Avoidance

-Avoiding specific places, sights, situations, and sounds that are reminders of the event

-Anxiety, depression, numbness, or guilt  

Re-experiencing

-Intrusive thoughts, nightmares or flashbacks  

Hyper-arousal

-Anger, irritability, and hyper-vigilance    

-Aggressive, reckless behavior, including self-harm     

-Sleep disturbances  

Negative Mood and Cognition

-Loss of interest in activities that were once considered enjoyable

-Difficulty remembering details of the distressing event     

-Change in habits or behavior since the trauma  

Research has proven psychotherapy to be the most effective form of treatment for trauma. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are most effective in treating trauma.  

I offer all three of these modalities and am happy to evaluate which might be best for you.

If you or someone you know is experiencing the symptoms listed above, I am confident that I can help. 

Life can feel different than the way it does today.