Trauma-Informed Counseling
If left untreated, trauma can have a lasting impact.
Trauma can come in all sizes. Experiencing life-threatening situations, such as exposure to violence, assault, combat, car accidents, or other events that make one fearful for either one’s life or the lives of others, can make one live in constant fear. That fear can make individuals avoid situations that might remind them of that traumatic event.
Financial issues, divorce, or sudden changes in one’s job or living circumstances are forms of trauma that can create considerable stress and lead to trauma. Such traumatic events can make a person feel out of control.
Most clients who have experienced some form of trauma tend to suppress or compact it rather than address it. Such a response can cause physical ailments such as heartburn, stomach issues, heart palpitations, anxiety, nightmares, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. On top of these issues, psychologically, those suffering from trauma find it difficult to move forward.
There are different approaches that therapists use to help clients deal with trauma. In my practice, I use a trauma-informed approach.
How does trauma-informed care work?
This therapeutic approach aims to create a safe environment for clients to explore and acknowledge their past traumas. This approach emphasizes that healthcare providers need to understand a patient’s life situation, past and present, to provide adequate care.
Trauma-informed counseling shifts the focus from the question “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” and “What does it look like?” To address the last two questions, we will spend one to two hours per week talking about and unpacking the earlier years of the client’s life and unpacking.
Sessions usually start with the client describing their earliest memories from 0-5 years of age, followed by discussions of other periods (e.g., age groups 6-11, 12-17, and 18 and up). During this time, the client can have some new memories of a previous period. By bringing these memories and dreams forward, we can use this information to complete the process.
With any trauma, memories become puzzle pieces with nowhere to connect in a manner that allows completion of the puzzle. When we do trauma therapy, we put these puzzle pieces in place, sealing them up and helping create a lighter load in your chest and body. Then, your brain will stop holding on to disturbing thoughts while worrying about where to store them. In essence, the trauma is put in the past where it belongs, allowing you to move forward.
Perhaps it’s time to put trauma to rest.
If you want to know more about trauma-informed counseling, don’t hesitate to contact me today.
Don’t let the past continue to rob you of the present and future you deserve.