What is...
Trauma
"Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness," (Peter Levine)
Different Types of Trauma
Trauma is emotional, psychological or physical distress which exceeds our ability to cope and overwhelm us. It may be a single event or prolonged exposure to distressing situations. There are different types of trauma as outlined below
Acute
Trauma
Results from a single unexpected e.g. car accident, natural disaster, assault
Chronic Trauma
Repeated and prolonged exposure to distress e.g. domestic violence, bullying, long-term illness
Complex Trauma
Ongoing, often relational may include developmental trauma which occurs during early childhood and disrupts development e.g. abuse, neglect, emotional abandonment
Vicarious Trauma
Trauma experienced indirectly through hearing or reading about traumatic events, often experienced by emergency service professionals and caregivers
Generational Trauma
Trauma passed through generations e.g. systemic oppression, violence
Trauma Responses
Our initial trauma response may fall into one or more of the following categories:
- Fight: Aggression or confrontation
- Flight: Avoidance or escape
- Freeze: Feeling stuck or numb
- Fawn: People-pleasing to avoid conflict
When we experience something traumatic, our brain shifts into survival mode, as a useful way to protect us, but sometimes we can get stuck there.
The amygdala in our brain works like a smoke detector, sensing where there may be danger, trauma can make this part of our brain overactive like a faulty smoke detector going off and can keep us on edge even when we are safe and the danger has passed.
The part of our brain which helps sort memories and tell the difference between past and present can also be affected, forgetting to label traumatic memories as something old so it feels like it is happening now which can cause flashbacks or intrusive thoughts
Our rational thinking brain can often go 'offline' so it can make it more difficult to focus, regulate emotions or feel in control
Even when your mind knows you are safe, you body might still react which may include:
- Anxiety or panic attacks
- Trouble sleeping or nightmares
- Feeling numb or disconnected
- Physical symptoms e.g. headaches or stomach issues
How Therapy can Help
"Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence" (Peter Levine)
The good news is that due to neuroplasticity our brains can rewire and recover.
My role as your counsellor is to:
Help you make sense of what happened by talking through and understanding how your experiences and memories may be affecting you today in a safe contained environment. This enables you to express thoughts and emotions and to reconnect with yourself and others, rebuilding confidence and feeling more empowered.
Trauma can be hard to talk about so some of the way in which I work with trauma may involve using creative methods such as sand tray techniques, painting, journaling, nesting dolls and imagery. Creating something supports you to put the pain outside of yourself, being able to look at it from a safer distance to begin to understand it before integrating the experience back into yourself.
Creativity can also help to build new neural connections, activating the right hemisphere which handles emotions and imagination what can be affected by trauma.