PTSD/Trauma Treatment

Is PTSD a Huge Boulder in the Way in Your Life’s Journey?

When we’ve experienced a traumatic event, the aftermath can be difficult to handle. It doesn’t matter if you are dealing with a big trauma event or what is called complex trauma either. The aftermath is challenging to cope with and navigate through.

A big trauma is a single traumatic event like a war, a natural disaster, a car crash, the death of a loved one, a rape.

Complex trauma is an accumulation of trauma due to family and other intimate relationships that happens repetitively over time. It includes situations like family dysfunction, neglect, abandonment, child abuse, bonding issues, domestic abuse or prolonged work stress. Complex trauma can be harder to identify, but both can affect you in similar ways.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD is one of the top reasons people seek out therapy. Therapy for PTSD is known to be effective whether you’ve experienced a single event or a long-term stressor has affected your life.

Do You Notice:

Avoiding anything that could bring back a traumatic memory or bring on charged feelings?

Are you feeling so numb and used to being so numb that your life lacks pleasure?

Do you always preparing for the worst-case scenario and struggle to let go of tense feelings, even when you try to sleep at night?

Do you suffer from nightmares or are easily startled?

Do you find it hard to trust others?

Have a difficult time being flexible and must be in control in life?

Do you feel disconnected from yourself and others as though you are just watching life go by?

Do you want to connect with people and form deep relationships, but feel too afraid to get close?

If you answered yes to some of these feelings, you could be experiencing PTSD!

You Can Find Your Way Again

When we’ve experienced trauma of any kind it’s like we’ve been robbed by a thief that steals life from its victims. Know that your life does not have to be a constant uphill struggle. It is possible to gain a sense of safety in the midst of strong emotions, painful memories and turbulent times. Healing brings these rewards.

Treatment for PTSD can help you learn to relax, free yourself and get into life. It is possible to heal from the past and become present in today.

During therapy with me you will find support, a safe environment to openly share and do not have to fear judgment. You will learn new coping tools including mindfulness so you can manage and respond to stress in healthy ways. You will learn to listen to your body and come to understand what is a threat in today and what is past trauma.

Your anxiety will calm down over time and you will gain confidence in getting through the stress challenges in your life’s journey with much smaller boulders from the past in your way! You will experience more peace and freedom as you journey onward. You can indeed find healing in your mind, body and spirit!

It takes courage to reach out for help and take this huge step. Good for you for being right here right now considering doing just that!

You May Be Wondering:

Will I have to relive my trauma in PTSD treatment in order to heal?

It’s a priority for you to feel safe. During therapy sessions I am sensitive and respond to what you need and feel comfortable expressing. You will not be asked to do anything that you are not comfortable with! My aim is to help you speak your truth.

Many people need to revisit the traumatic event in order to heal. This can involve retelling the story and processing it in new ways. That isn’t always the case. Our bodies do know how to heal from trauma and can release stress without having to talk about it.

To heal sometimes all we need is to feel safe and accepted. Sometimes we need to bring awareness to habitual thoughts or emotions that are keeping us stuck. Everyone is different and we will work together and I will follow your cues

How will therapy help improve my relationships?

It’s important for you to find a therapist you can build a relationship with. You might think of therapy as being a scientific lab where you try and experiment with new things without the experiencing the consequences you might have in a personal relationship. You can gain more insight into your relationships and can gain more effective communication skills to help you express your needs without others becoming defensive.

Will PTSD treatment really be worth it? After all it is not for the faint of heart!

What a great question! You might be wondering if treatment could “break” you. Many people feel scared to work though their trauma. Rest assured that we will go very slow to ensure you can handle the pace. I get my cues from you as to what you are ready for. We will start out slow. Most people do make a lot of progress and say they feel in the end that it was worth it. Their day to day life is easier and their relationships improve significantly.

If you have questions about what to expect in your first therapy session, how long and often to you will attend therapy, what to talk about in sessions, or questions about fees, in network insurances, how we protect you health information, what our consent for treatment agreement is you can find answers on our “Practice Information” under the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section.

If you have questions about fees, in network insurances, how we protect your health information, what our consent for treatment agreement is please check out our Practice Information page.

Do give yourself the gift of healing and contact me today!

For some additional information on coping with Gun Violence, Trauma and Vicarious Trauma, go to the “Practice Tools” page!