Trauma
Trauma is defined as an emotional and physical response to any distressing event or series of events that overwhelm our ability to process naturally.
Difficult Childhood
Are you a capable person but still have bad memories or nightmares from childhood? You may have thought you put the past behind you but it comes to mind and prevents you from enjoying life now. Do fear and self-judgement get in your way on a regular basis?
Difficult childhoods may include:
Families that had too-high expectations and frequent criticisms.
Bad experiences in school
Someone in your family that was sick – physically, mentally, or addicted – and you had to grow up too fast.
Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
Being ignored or neglected
You found ways to survive, but are those survival skills getting in your way of living the life you want? Do you freeze up or overreact and regret it later? Do you avoid certain people or situations?
I can help you heal the wounds of the past and find more effective coping strategies for the present.
Big "T" Trauma and
Little "t" trauma
Big ‘T’ Traumas are significant events that leave a person feeling powerless and
out of control in their environment. They are usually life threatening or involve
serious physical injury. Unlike small ‘t’ traumas, most people are more willing to
identify the event as a trauma. Examples include:
Natural disaster
Sexual or Physical abuse/assault
Car or plane accident
Medical trauma
Victim of a crime
Terrorist attack
Combat/War Zone
Little ‘t’ traumas are events that exceed our capacity to cope and cause a
disruption in emotional functioning. These distressing events are not life
threatening, but are usually ego-threatening due to feelings of helplessness. Some examples include:
Conflict with parent/significant other/children/extended family
Infidelity
Divorce
Conflict with boss or colleagues
Death of a pet
Harassment
Loss of significant relationships
Abrupt or extended relocation/move
Starting a new job
Legal trouble
Having or adopting a child
Financial worries of difficulty
Have you overlooked past experiences because you rationalize that it was a
common experience and therefore you’re being “dramatic”? Or have you been
unaware of the impact that an event or multiple events had on you at the time?
There is evidence that an accumulation of small ‘t’ traumas can have a bigger impact
than one large ‘T’ trauma. Whether you’ve experienced small ‘t’ or large ‘T’ traumas,
EMDR therapy can help.
Let’s put together the puzzle pieces of your life in a way that begins to make sense to you,
and work toward healing old wounds that keep you stuck.
Medical Trauma
Do you have medical trauma?
Medical trauma can affect: the patient, a loved one, helping professionals, first responders, and clergy.
It can take many forms:
Complications from a procedure of surgery
An accident that causes physical injury (car accident, fall, etc.)
Multiple smaller injuries that add up over time
Birth trauma
Chronic illness
Cancer
Heart attack/stroke
Medical problems in childhood
Medical problems of your child/loved one
Sexual or Physical assault
Sudden death of loved one
Multiple deaths of loved ones
Anxiety and intense emotions that still grab hold when
you’re reminded of the medical event or when you worry about future events can be reduced.
Let’s put together the puzzle pieces of your life in a way that begins to make sense to you,and work toward healing old wounds that keep you stuck.
