“The first goal of trauma recovery should and must be to improve your quality of life on a daily basis”   `Rothchild (2010)

on trauma

Trauma is oftentimes assumed to only involve violent or life threatening experiences, although it does include those type of events, trauma describes any unexpected situation where one's emotional and/or physical well-being is violated through the stress of the circumstances. This could include a variety of things from dysfunctional family systems, experiencing a loss, military experiences or issues related to returning from active duty, experiences related to race, gender and class or even an unexpected life transition. Sometimes when we have experienced such events, it can be overwhelming to deal with the subsequent feelings and emotions. As such, it is very common to push away feelings, deny them or cover them up through unhealthy behavior patterns. If this sounds like your experience, I am here to help sort out ....and help you pick up the broken pieces.  

Some things to consider:

  • traumatic experiences do not only include acts of violence but can include ANY upsetting experience that has a negative impact on a person's daily life
  • one does not always, (if at all), experience PTSD symptoms after a trauma (some common symptoms listed below)
  • I do not assume that because one has experienced trauma, that this is the primary cause of current struggles
  • I am interested in understanding your experience as a WHOLE person; as such, trauma does not define you and does not need to be the focal point of each session

Signs of Trauma and PTSD

Once a person has experienced a traumatic event, many diverse warning signs of trauma can arise.

  • Inability to trust others/ anger and irritation toward loved ones
  • Difficulty concentrating / Easily distracted/nightmares or flashbacks
  • Depression / Anxiety/ unable to sleep
  • Feeling uncomfortable in social situations
  • Abuse of drugs
  • Eating Disorders (Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, orthorexia, binge eating disorder)
  • Self Injury
  • Recurring thoughts or memories from the trauma interfering with everyday life

trauma recovery

RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE! You can experience freedom from the constant "stuckness" you feel. 

Central to the experience of trauma is helplessness, isolation and the loss of power and control. The guiding principles of trauma recovery are the restoration of safety and empowerment. Recovery is the ability to live in the present without being overwhelmed by the thoughts and feelings of the past. Trauma recovery is a process that is worked on over time. Contact me today to take the first step.