Trauma Therapy
Online in Allen and across Texas
Have you ever wondered why the moment you became sober, your traumatic memories came back stronger than ever?
We fight it…..We avoid it….We will do anything to NOT feel those feelings.
You have been through something traumatic. You’ve survived it and want to push it away and not ever think about it again. Unfortunately the aftermath of that trauma can keep coming back unless you address it. It’s scary and unknown and you’re just not sure you have the strength to face it again. I get it and you are not alone! Connection helps us heal even if you feel like no one will ever understand, trauma therapy can help with that.
Trauma Therapy Can Help!
What is Trauma?
Trauma - a disturbing or distressing event/events that can cause significant and lasting effects on someone’s emotional, physical and mental well-being. This could include natural disasters, car accidents, witnessing or being exposed to violence and abuse. As we continue to learn about Trauma, there can be many other events that may cause it not listed here.
When you minimize or dismiss your trauma, you may say things like:
“I think other people have gone through much worse than me”
“I just thought that’s how things were…I didn’t think it was traumatic”
“It was such a long time ago; it doesn’t really matter”
You are not alone!
What is the relationship between trauma and addiction?
There have been many studies to show a connection between someone’s trauma and an addiction. The main reason behind this is due to the affects trauma has on a person’s body: physically, mentally and emotionally. Our brains are hard-wired to look out for danger and protect itself through our nervous system. Depending on the age you were when you experienced the trauma, your brain did what it had to do to protect itself in the moment. You then created a way to “cope” with that event. In many cases, people’s coping mechanism was using substances to shut off that part of our brain: memories and feelings. Now that you are sober, that part of your brain is awake again and it can feel scary! Check out my FAQ’s for Trauma Therapy for a more in-depth explanation.
How do I process my trauma?
How many times have you heard someone say “you have to process your trauma”? As a therapist I’ve said it and heard it so many times….so what does it mean? Processing trauma looks different for everyone because all of our traumas are unique to us. In our therapy sessions I will use a combination of Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy(CPT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy(CBT), in order to help you work through this trauma. Check out my FAQ’s for Trauma Therapy for a detailed explanation. My goal is to be with you on this journey. This is your treatment and I want you to know that you have a choice!
What if my trauma disrupts my recovery?
This can be a common concern. You’re doing the work to maintain your sobriety, but now you’ve found yourself struggling with emotions you haven’t felt in a while. In our sessions, we will continue to monitor your recovery as we work through your trauma. Remember this is your therapy, so if you feel overwhelmed at any time, we can shift what we are working on in session. Although therapy can be challenging at times, I want you to feel comfortable and confident with the work you are doing. You’ve got this! Check out the FAQ’s section for more information!
You deserve time to heal!
What is Trauma Therapy?
Trauma therapy allows you to process your trauma in order to reduce anxiety, depression and restore a sense of Safety and Control back into your life. We will do this at your own pace throughout our sessions. Trauma can be very complex and come from various parts of your life. You may feel like you don’t want to bring up old memories or you may feel scared of what it looks like to work on this. You are not alone! This is a common and natural fear for those that have experienced trauma. I get it because I’ve experienced it too!
Goals for Trauma Therapy can look like:
“I want to be more in control of my thoughts”
“I want to get this weight off my shoulders and release this pain”
“I want to feel connected to others again”
Are you ready to heal?
FAQs for Trauma Therapy
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I will use a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). There isn’t one specific technique that works best, but rather it depends on you and what you are comfortable with. Think of it as, what type of learner are you? Some people enjoy being able to talk things out, others prefer a more direct approach, and others have difficulty putting words to what they’ve been through. As described earlier, CBT will feel like you are focusing on how you think about the trauma and we will work on what we can do to change unhealthy behaviors associated with it. With CPT, the sessions will be more structure based and will include assignments to help process. In Narrative Therapy, we will focus on the way you tell your story. You will be in charge of the rest of your story because trauma often makes us feel powerless.
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No! While we will focus on talking about the trauma, you are not required to re-tell the specific event in order to process it. Our main focus will be on your emotions. It’s important to identify your emotions about the event and how your body is processing it. Maintaining mental, emotional and physical safety will be a priority throughout.
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PTSD is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. There is also something called Complex Post Traumatic Disorder (C-PTSD) for those that have experienced traumatic events throughout their life. You may or may not experience the symptoms of this. Some of these will look like:
Nightmares
Flashbacks
Continuous feelings of fear, anger, shame or guilt
Avoidance of people, places, or things
Hyperarousal - feeling on edge, easily startled
Difficulty concentrating
Headaches
Difficulty sleeping
Social withdrawal
Emotional numbing/unhealthy coping
If these sound familiar I would encourage you to discuss this with your doctor/psychiatrist and we will discuss this in session.
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Unfortunately there is no timeline to heal from trauma. I wish I could say there was. With that being said, it is depends on the person. Some people go to therapy for a few months and then take a break depending on what is going on in their lives and others go to therapy for years. Please don’t let this stop you though! I always say you have to start somewhere and it might as well be today! You will see progress if you put the work in.
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We will start with what is most disruptive for you at this time. If there is a trauma that is causing disruption in your life such as: difficulty going to the store, difficulty focusing at work, or difficulty sleeping, we will start with that. You will be surprised that as you begin processing one trauma, you begin to build strength and confidence as time passes.