Trauma-Informed Therapy for Children and Adults

“Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most important aspect of mental health; safe connections are fundamental to meaningful and satisfying lives.” – Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

The world can be a very harsh place.

There are times when children and adults are exposed to traumatic events, abuse, and neglect.

For some, it is witnessing domestic violence… or constant conflict within the home.

For others, it is an accident, an invasive medical event, the repeated exposure to the alcohol-fueled rage of a family member, or a trusted community leader who takes advantage of our vulnerabilities.

For others, it is violence in our schools and communities or the suicide of a close friend.

Others among us… the soldiers, the first responders, the therapists… are on the front lines and in the trenches. They see the best and worst of humanity, and it takes a heavy toll.

What trauma does to the brain…

There is a vast body of research on the neurobiology of trauma… how it affects the development of our brain and emotions… and how these emotional states affect us in our interpersonal relationships.

When a person has experienced or perceives serious emotional or physical terror and threat, parts of the brain are mobilized to cope with and monitor these threats.

Later, when the brain perceives a new threat, real or imagined, these parts of the brain remain in a high alert, hypervigilant state that can trigger acute stress responses, unbearable physical sensations, intense emotions, and paralyzing fear.

This post-traumatic response can make it very difficult for survivors to do the very things that they need to heal, especially forming healing connections with others to safely examine and understand how our brain and body alerts and responds to cues of danger in our environments.

Therapy can break the cycle…

In therapy, we’ll learn to trust our inner experiences, intuition, and to read cues again. We’ll learn to respond to triggers differently. We’ll learn how to regulate our emotional and physical selves, so that we are no longer overwhelmed by the unpleasant bodily sensations or the need to self-protect, flee, or freeze.

We’ll use the connected, therapeutic relationship to reduce the brain’s hypervigilance. I use years of experience and training to meet you where you are… to hold your pain, help you transform, and lead you to healing and restored well-being.

We will engage the brain’s natural safety system to help your body and mind calm before attempting to transform your cognitive thinking about your experiences. I do this by educating you on the neurobiology of trauma and why our bodies and brains react the way they do to certain stimuli.

We will employ body techniques for you to strengthen the essential connection between the body and the mind. You’ll learn to internally self-regulate instead of relying on external methods of regulation such as alcohol, drugs, food, sex, and pleasing others to the detriment of ourselves.

Feel fully alive again!

Many trauma survivors feel shut-down, numb, and have tremendous difficulty connecting with themselves and others.

Just by having a reciprocal, trusting, and nurturing therapy experience, you will be on the road to feeling a full range of emotions and normalized physical responses again.

Let’s get you back to your life today.

If I cannot help, chances are I know who can. Please call me for a free 20-minute consultation: (571) 289-9181