Trauma
Experiencing trauma means going through an experience that overwhelms your capacity to cope and leaves you feeling helpless, out of control, hopeless or unable to respond. What is traumatic for one person may not be for another and sometimes our resilience for coping with potentially traumatic events is impacted by our earlier life experiences. Sometimes people cannot identity one single traumatic event in their lives. Trauma can result from experiencing ongoing or multiple stressful experiences, especially if these began in childhood.
Signs that you may be experiencing problems relating to trauma include:
- Feeling anxious or easily startled
- Avoiding reminders of the trauma
- Feeling unable to do things you once enjoyed
- Flashbacks or nightmares
- Irritability or anger
- Alcohol or substance misuse
- Difficulties with relationships
- Feelings of shame or self-critical thoughts
- Feeling numb, disconnected or "spaced out"
- Self-harming
- Suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts
- Low mood or recurrent depression
I am qualified to provide a number of evidence-based psychological therapies for trauma and other mental health problems. I specialise in providing an integrative mind-body approach, which combines traditional talking therapy with simple yet effective techniques that are designed to help you to feel present and calm. Other evidence-based therapies for trauma include Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT).
Some research studies suggest that the quality of the relationship that you build with your therapist is one of the most consistent predictors of therapy outcomes. It is therefore important to find a therapist that you trust and feel comfortable working with. If you are considering starting therapy for trauma, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to answer any queries or explain more about the way that I work and what type of therapy may be most beneficial for you.
“Being traumatized means continuing to organize your life as if the trauma were still going on—unchanged and immutable—as every new encounter or event is contaminated by the past.”
― The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
