Trauma Therapy
What you need to know about TRAUMA
Trauma is the result of an experience that is so upsetting or frightening that it overwhelms our ability to effectively cope. Memories of traumatic events are stored in our nervous systems in fragments. When something reminds us of a traumatic event, the fragmented memories that are stored in our nervous systems become activated, or "triggered," often leading to unwanted symptoms. Symptoms can occur even if we are not consciously aware that traumatic memories have been triggered.
When we think of trauma, we often think of single incident events such as gun violence, car accidents, violent crimes, sexual assaults, childhood abuse, death of a loved one, natural disasters, war, and other events that are generally not everyday occurrences. These are what we call "Big T" traumas.
"Little t" traumas are far more common and happen to everyone to some degree. They are usually more chronic in nature and their effects build up over time. "Little t" traumas can include experiences such as being bullied at school, having an overly critical parent that finds fault with everything you do, ongoing relational conflict, losing a job, relationship break-ups, changing schools in childhood, living in a family with active substance abuse, domestic violence, or other challenging problems. The effects of "little t" trauma can get in the way of our ability to effectively cope with the daily ups and downs of life, and having multiple "little t" traumas increases their effect and can further impact our ability to cope.
All trauma is subjective - it is the person's perception of the event and the way they make sense of it that matters. This is why two people can experience the same event and have completely different responses, influenced by their own individual temperaments, physiological stress sensitivity, and way they make sense of the world.
When we think of trauma, we often think of single incident events such as gun violence, car accidents, violent crimes, sexual assaults, childhood abuse, death of a loved one, natural disasters, war, and other events that are generally not everyday occurrences. These are what we call "Big T" traumas.
"Little t" traumas are far more common and happen to everyone to some degree. They are usually more chronic in nature and their effects build up over time. "Little t" traumas can include experiences such as being bullied at school, having an overly critical parent that finds fault with everything you do, ongoing relational conflict, losing a job, relationship break-ups, changing schools in childhood, living in a family with active substance abuse, domestic violence, or other challenging problems. The effects of "little t" trauma can get in the way of our ability to effectively cope with the daily ups and downs of life, and having multiple "little t" traumas increases their effect and can further impact our ability to cope.
All trauma is subjective - it is the person's perception of the event and the way they make sense of it that matters. This is why two people can experience the same event and have completely different responses, influenced by their own individual temperaments, physiological stress sensitivity, and way they make sense of the world.
Tools for working with trauma
There are many modalities for working with trauma. I am trained in Attachment-Focused EMDR, Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM), and Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy (DNMS).
EMDR is an effective tool for treating both "Big T" and "little t" trauma. Schedule a consultation to learn more about how EMDR can help you.
EMDR is an effective tool for treating both "Big T" and "little t" trauma. Schedule a consultation to learn more about how EMDR can help you.