Trauma Therapy
Helping you heal.
What is Trauma
Trauma can be a distressing event that disrupts your overall well-being.
Therapists break down trauma into big "T" and little "t".
Big T trauma includes experiences that are life threatening such as physical violence, sexual abuse, poverty, residential schooling, oppression, or racism.
Little t trauma are non life threatening situations that are severely upsetting and cause significant emotional distress such as dysfunctional family dynamics, emotional neglect by a caregiver, bullying or harassment, harsh critical comments, or loss of a significant relationship.
Whether you have experienced big T or little T, the trauma needs to be processed.
Trauma can be defined as a "wound".
A wound in your thoughts. How you think about yourself and how you see the world.
A wound in your ability to regulate your emotions. There's so much anxiety, sadness, intense rage, and wanting too numb.
A wound in your relationships. Your relationship with your self. Your family. Your Friends. Your Partner.
A wound in your ability to cope with stress.
A wound in feeling whole in your body.
A wound in your ability to be present, as the past can constantly creep up.
These wounds can be stored in the body impacting how the mind and body responds, reacts, and adapts.
Sometimes it's hard to recognize the impact of the trauma and the wounds can be subtle and slowly impact your life over time.
Symptoms of Trauma
Trauma has many different symptoms and people experience trauma differently. Here are some of the symptoms:
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Emotional such as anxiety, anger, sadness, denial, irritability, shame, dread, fear, feeling on edge, guilt, low self-esteem, loneliness, feeling disconnected, numb, and hopelessness
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Mental signs such as nightmares, rumination, lapses in memory, painful memories, reoccurring flashbacks, and difficulty focusing and concentrating
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Physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, exhaustion, headaches, body aches, and gastro problems
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Behavioral signs such as trouble falling sleeping or staying asleep, changes in eating, and difficulty managing relationships, isolating from others, people pleasing, codependency, difficulties with boundaries, relationship difficulties, needing things to be perfect, avoiding people or situations that make you uncomfortable, and numbing with sex, food, gaming, substances, and drinking
Therapy Can Help Trauma
Often times people feel frustrated, like they have no control of their lives, and that the wounds aren't healing.
When you work with a trained clinical psychologist that specializes in trauma, counselling can help!
Counselling will help you to understand how trauma takes control of your days.
Unresolved trauma leaves you with so many negative thoughts, hard emotions, and not feeling at home in your own body.
Therapy for trauma helps you to heal. Heal the negative thoughts that are on repeat, the unrelenting emotional distress, and the severed parts of your self.
Counselling helps you understand how trauma works and helps you become aware of your triggers and patterns.
When trauma goes untreated, it can keep you stuck in the past and therapy helps you to learn to focus on being present and enjoying the moments that bring you joy.
Healing is different for everyone. Therapy focuses on you and helping you learn coping skills that works specifically for you.
Counselling is a collaborative process. We will work together to help you reclaim your life.