Trauma Treatment

Trauma… Recovery is Possible

Trauma is a psychological response to a deeply distressing experience or cumulative effect of multiple experiences.

The brain has an incredible way of helping us survive traumatic experiences. This protective mechanism, while preserving psychological survival in the moment, results in unprocessed memories that are stored in the brain and body in ways that are harmful to our health. Effects of trauma include but are not limited to anxiety, depression, hyper-vigilance, disconnection, avoidance, flashbacks, and reliving aspects of the traumatic experience. It’s also possible for trauma to show up in more physical (or somatic) ways, such as digestive issues, panic attacks, pain, and mysterious illnesses.

Much of my clinical experience has revolved around treating trauma. I believe including somatic work in therapy is essential to trauma resolution. Somatic = relating to the body. Such somatic modalities include breath work, mindfulness, meditation, visualization, movement, yoga, and therapies such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). See more about EMDR here.