Trauma Therapy

Trauma has many causes.

Something traumatic happens to you. It may have been the loss of someone very dear (whether it occurred over time or suddenly), a medical illness, a car accident, an unexpected breakup, an assault, or childhood neglect.

Trauma does not necessarily mean that you have had a single event happen to you, but the effects can persist for a long time.

There are many strategies for decreasing symptoms related to trauma. One technique is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). This method helps you work through your trauma and learn how to respond differently and more positively; we will also work to reduce the tension in your nervous system. Other techniques include DBT (Dialectical Behavioral) strategies, CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral)strategies and traditional talk (psychodynamic therapy).

There are physical and emotional consequences.

Trauma can be complex to process and can result in you reacting in ways different from the way you used to do. You might seem more confused, highly irritable, suddenly tearful, and yelling at loved ones. These reactions are not on purpose but result from your emotions feeling out of control.

You are trying not to feel these strong emotions and attempt to control the feelings by avoiding situations that might trigger a negative response to situations that remind you of that traumatic event. At other times, you feel numb and nonresponsive to others. Friends and family say, “You are not listening.”

In response, you distance yourself from others because you have lost trust. Nevertheless, you long to have loved ones around you and reestablish lost connections.

Getting through each day is not easy, and you find yourself with urges to drink and smoke marijuana to escape feeling this way. It is hard, and although these diversions provide brief relief, they are short-lived.