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Trauma Therapy

Have you had an experience that was overwhelmingly distressing?

It could have just been one time, like an accident or disaster. It may have been ongoing and repeated, like abuse by a parent or other adult, or violence by a partner. It might have happened a long time ago, or it could have been very recent. Whatever the case, you knew that what happened wasn’t ok. You did what you could to survive and move past it.

You wanted help so you wouldn’t have to face this alone.

If you were fortunate, maybe someone responded with kindness and support. You may have told someone you thought would understand, but were met with judgment dismissal. Perhaps you chose to tell no one at all, fearing their response would be condemning or that you’d be misunderstood. The lack of support may feel as bad or worse than the terrible experience itself.

Common Responses to Trauma Include:

  • Sadness or depression.

  • Anxiety or worry.

  • Difficulty focusing.

  • Flashbacks to those terrible moments.

  • Social withdrawal.

  • Feeling detached from others and emotionally numb.

  • Difficulty sleeping and nightmares.

  • Being quick to startle.

  • Using drugs and/or alcohol.

  • Being preoccupied with food  in restrictive or excessive ways.

  • Gambling.

  • Smoking.

  • Shopping excessively or spending beyond your means.

  • Using television to avoid the present moment.

  • Exercising excessively.

  • Engaging in reckless or risky behaviours.

Although it May Feel Hopeless, Help is Close at Hand

You’d like things to be different.

You may have come to a point where your ways of getting by aren’t quite doing the trick. Like bandages, they may help you feel better in the short term,  but the big picture stays the same. Perhaps important people in your life have expressed concern, believing that even though these responses help you cope, they may be making your life worse in other ways. Whatever the case, this is not the life you imagined for yourself, and you’d like to feel better.

Trauma Therapy Can Help.

Even though talking about it may seem daunting, my thoughtful and effective approach to trauma therapy can help create lasting relief from overwhelming distress. Violence, abuse, and trauma undermine your will and wellbeing. That’s why I take careful steps to make sure you feel as safe as possible. By meeting you exactly where you are, I ensure our conversations are helpful and on your terms. Through trauma therapy, your suffering can stay in the past.

My Trauma Therapy Approach is Designed to Help You:

  • Feel validated and understood for what you did (or didn’t do) in the midst of trauma.

  • Restore your sense of dignity in the wake of degrading circumstances.

  • Release shame and guilt.

  • Feel confident in your abilities.

  • Make connections between personal experiences of violence or abuse and bigger problems within society.

  • Feel normal knowing what happened wasn’t your fault, and your responses are totally understandable.

If you want to take the next step toward healing, I want to help.