Trauma

Trauma is what happens in our brain and bodies when something happens to us that overwhelms our capacity to deal with it. Our ingeniously designed bodies have mechanisms that help us deal with trauma in the moment so that we can get through it, but sometimes our brains and bodies don’t get the message the danger has passed, and they continue to respond with defenses that are no longer needed and now get in the way. When a person is stuck in a maladaptive trauma response, they often need the help of a therapist to get unstuck.

Approach

Unresolved trauma is stored in the body, and it is through a mind-body approach that healing will come. The field of psychology has made great strides in working with trauma, and there are many reputable therapeutic approaches. I pull from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing, and Internal Family Systems.

We’ll begin by appreciating the ways your body is trying to keep you safe and what it’s telling you about where you are stuck. From there, you’ll begin to recognize your body’s cues and work with your body to develop new, more adaptive responses.

You’ll also learn about the systems in your brain that set off your body’s flight/flight/freeze response and learn strategies for completing your stress response cycle that let your body know it’s safe and can relax.

Loss of Connection

Ultimately, trauma results in a loss of connection to ourselves, to our bodies, to others, and to the world around us. Our choices become limited as we avoid certain feelings, people, situations, and places. As you work with your responses to the trauma you endured, you will gradually be able to form new connections and experience more freedom.