Thriving After Trauma
Trauma. That word is thrown about so much. What does it even mean?
When we get physically injured, no one raises an eyebrow as we reach for a bandage, get an X-ray, or take a Tylenol. But when we are injured emotionally, these hurts also fall under the trauma umbrella. And they’re often even deeper.
Most people recognize a major, horrific experience as trauma – such as a surviving a house fire, experiencing assault, or serving in combat. But long-term experiences, like a chronically stressful or chaotic childhood, bullying, toxic work environments, abusive romances, and chronic illness burnout all also count as traumatic experiences and have a huge impact.
And, when people are navigating societal adversities they didn’t bring upon themselves – the “isms” if you will – the blend of the injury and society’s neglect toward giving it voice is trauma too. The impacts of bias, prejudice and micro-agressions are real.
Is my distress related to some kind of trauma?
Many struggles have multiple causes and trauma tints so much of our experience of the world around us. You don’t need to know if or how trauma has affected you when you come into therapy in order to get support. We can stay curious and lean into that together, safely.
As we learn more about the impact of relational injuries, such as chronic stress, invalidation, gaslighting, or cruelty, it’s clear that so much can leave a lasting residue. Trauma can manifest in so many ways.
There’s even more to it. This part’s crucial:
Trauma isn’t just about what happens to you; it’s about the kinds of responses and reactions you encounter in the aftermath.
It’s important to know that lots of factors come together to create your unique reactions or responses after trauma; no two people’s experiences are alike. Intensity, symptoms, path of recovery all vary. And outside judgments or assumptions have no place in telling you whether the effects of your trauma are “valid” or “normal.”
Moving through it…
Like with most concerns clients bring to therapy, I offer a layered approach with practical skills, deeper work, and an explicitly welcome place for your existing wisdom and strength. Even if trauma has made that piece harder to spot.
We’ll collaborate on ways to help you feel grounded and present as you move through this brave work. We’ll look at the physical, mental, emotional, and relational ways it continues to impact you. We’ll explore the messages that society, those in power, and people we’ve trusted for care and support have relayed. We’ll unpack them and create a supportive framework that makes sense.
Begin to feel at home in your own body and mind.
It doesn’t matter if your experiences resemble what society acknowledges as trauma, or whether it looks totally different. And it doesn’t matter if you’ve been coping with the impact for years or you’ve been affected more recently.
We will create a space for your experiences to breathe, pain to be soothed, body and mind to connect, and your strength to emerge. This space will feel safe and collaborative – with no assumptions or judgments.
With nurturing coping options, increasing feelings of self-trust and self-efficacy, and a framework of your experiences that truly works for you, healing is possible.
Trauma has held the reigns for long enough.
You have a right to move through the world without this weight on your shoulders – and you can get there. With the right support, it is possible to find freedom and lasting peace with the past. Let’s talk.