Journey Through Shadows: Understanding and Healing from Trauma
By: Anna Afshar In the realm of mental health, trauma stands as a profoundly personal experience, shaped by events that push the...
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Psychotherapy
HEALING AND RESILIENCE
TRAUMA THERAPY
Trauma is not just a memory but an experience that ripples into your present life, shaping your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. My approach to trauma therapy is dedicated to guiding you through these experiences, helping you understand, confront, and reshape the narrative of your past traumas.
Trauma is an emotional response to a distressing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, causing helplessness and diminishing their sense of self and emotional range. It can have profound and lasting effects on the brain, influencing behavior and perception of the world. Trauma can lead to a heightened state of alertness, perceiving threats in non-threatening situations and triggering intense responses.
UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA
WHAT IS TRAUMA AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOU?
'Big T' traumas refer to significant events leaving a person feeling powerless and overwhelmed, such as natural disasters, accidents, war, or violence like sexual assault or abuse. These events have an immediate impact on psychological state and are associated with PTSD.
On the other hand, 'small t' traumas exceed coping capacity and disrupt emotional functioning. These can include ongoing emotional abuse, messy breakups, betrayal, or financial stress. Small t traumas can result in unnoticed emotional wounds, subtly influencing behavior and well-being.
While big T traumas are acknowledged by society, small t traumas may not receive the same attention. Small t traumas can be debilitating and normalized, impacting mental well-being. Healing from small t traumas could reduce operating from wounded places and hurting others.
Triggers are associations between a traumatic memory and a present situation resembling the trauma. Similar situations can activate these associations, causing a 'triggered' response.
NEUROSCIENCE OF TRAUMA
UNDERSTANDING ITS IMPACT ON BEHAVIOR
Trauma imprints itself not just on your mind but on your nervous system. The brain's natural response to trauma involves the amygdala (the alarm system), the hippocampus (memory center), and the prefrontal cortex (the rational, thinking part of your brain). When trauma occurs, the amygdala goes into overdrive, causing the fight or flight response. The hippocampus, which usually helps create memories, gets disrupted, which means the traumatic memory doesn't get stored as a 'past' event. Instead, the trauma feels ever-present, a phenomenon worsened by triggers that reactivate the trauma response.
PAIN INTO EMPOWERMENT
HOW TRAUMA-INFORMED THERAPY WORKS
Trauma-informed therapy is grounded in an understanding of the complexities of trauma, its impact on your life, and the nuanced path to healing. It's about creating a safe space where you can explore and express your experiences without fear of re-traumatization. This approach emphasizes the importance of understanding the past's role in present behavior and helps develop strategies to cope with, process, and ultimately integrate those experiences more healthily.
POST-TRAUMA THERAPY
A NEW DAWN: EMBRACING LIFE AFTER TRAUMA THERAPY
After trauma therapy, individuals may experience progress towards navigating life with increased resilience and clarity. Therapy can provide tools and support for transforming relationships and pursuing personal and professional endeavors with greater confidence.
To explore how therapy can support you on your journey of healing and growth, consider scheduling a free 20-minute consultation today.
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