PTSD Treatment

Are you suffering because of things that happened in your past?

Do you find it hard to trust that others will be there for you?
Does it feel like your emotions get away from you sometimes, perhaps causing you to say things you don’t mean or do things you later regret?
Do you avoid people, places, or experiences because of the reaction you have to them?
Have you been feeling anxious and/or depressed?

Following traumatic experiences, relationships with partners, children, friends, parents, bosses, and coworkers can all feel more difficult. Even your relationship with yourself can impacted. Many people who experience trauma are left with feelings of guilt and shame and may struggle with low self-esteem or with a feeling that things will never turn our alright.

For others, racing thoughts of the event(s) fill their mind making it hard to concentrate on other things. Perhaps you find it difficult to pay attention at work or school without memories of the traumatic experience(s) pushing their way in. You may feel that you need to be constantly on guard to make sure more terrible things don’t happen. These experiences can make sleep difficult, sometimes causing frequent nightmares, which makes the next day harder.

Do you wish you could feel calm during difficult conversations? Do you find yourself hoping that one day the thoughts and images will stop hijacking your life? Therapy can help.

Many people struggle with the effects of trauma

Whether your traumatic experiences happened during adulthood or childhood (or both), your brain may have shifted the way it responds to stress, especially to those situations that remind you of your trauma. This means that the well-intentioned advice of others such as, “You need to control your temper,” or, “You just need to decide not to let this bother you anymore,” really doesn’t work. You may have tried everything you can think of to stop responding with panic or anger, but so far, nothing has worked long-term. Human brains have evolved to keep us alive, and your brain may be responding to threats in the environment as if they are life or death situations (even when they really aren’t).

Studies show that about 7% of adults will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. However, this doesn’t mean that trauma doesn’t impact other people, too – even people without PTSD can be impacted by trauma. Currently in the US, over half of all children experience a potentially traumatic event before they are 18 years old. These childhood experiences can shape the way people think about relationships, the world, and themselves, and can make learning and paying attention much more difficult both in the short and long term. These changes can occur in the brain even if the traumatic experience happened before you were old enough to remember.

The good news, however, is with help from a compassionate, skilled, therapist, healing is possible. I have a deep understanding of trauma and its impacts from my work in assessing trauma, and specialized training in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to help you work through your experiences in a safe and supported way.

PTSD Treatment can help you gain confidence, build self-esteem, and find joy

Human brains are exquisite and incredibly adaptable. The responses to trauma you notice (becoming angry easily, shutting down in tough situations, saying yes even if you don’t really mean it, numbness, etc.) likely protected you at some point in your life. Difficulty begins when the brain continues to respond as if you need to be protected, even in situations that are not dangerous. Additionally, people who have experienced trauma can begin to see the world through protective lenses and may believe statements such as, “People are going to hurt me sooner or later,” “I am different from others,” “I am not safe,” and, “I’m not good enough.” While these ways of looking at the world may protect you from being hurt in relationships, they also might get in the way of having relationships that are healthy and bring healing and joy.

In our work together, we will spend time identifying, developing, and practicing resources that you can begin to use when you notice yourself becoming upset (when you notice that your brain is responding as if there is a threat). Developing these resources will allow you to respond differently to situations as they occur in your life. Additionally, as you develop skills to notice, acknowledge, and sit with emotions as they come, we will be able to process your traumatic memories using a body-based approach that is safe and not re-traumatizing for you.

As we work together, your brain will begin to reorganize the traumatic memories into a more coherent narrative. You will notice new insights, and develop different perspectives on your experiences. These new ways of looking at things allow you to experience new events differently than you have in the past, and you begin responding differently to situations that might have overwhelmed you before. Anxiety and depression will start to be replaced with hope and joy, and your relationship with yourself will begin to shift. You may notice confidence and self-worth in situations that may have brought shame and self-doubt previously.

Having researched the impacts of trauma on mental and physical health, worked in a center dedicated to understanding both trauma and resilience, and undertaken specialized training for the treatment of PTSD, I have a solid base of knowledge and experience. When you are ready, I am here to offer a nonjudgmental space filled with compassion to help you heal, grow, and reach the goals you have for yourself.

Perhaps you’re still wondering whether PTSD Treatment is right for you

I’m worried about talking about what happened to me, what if all of those feelings come back?

I use a body-based approach called Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. I choose this approach because it honors peoples’ need to feel safe in therapy. We will go at a pace that feels right for you, building resources first, so that when you choose to talk about your experiences you can do so in a way that does not send your brain into a place where it detects danger. We will work together to make sure you feel supported and able to manage the emotions that come up when you bring up your memories.

My experiences have really impacted my relationships, can you help with that?

My training as a Marriage and Family Therapist means that I am well-suited to help you heal your relationships in addition to your trauma. Whether you choose to work on your relationships in individual therapy, or whether you would like to bring other people into sessions, I can help.

I experience a lot of physical symptoms (difficulty sleeping, pain, fatigue, etc.), can you help with that side of things?

I believe that healing and increasing well-being is best supported by a multi-faceted approach. In whatever ways fit best for you, I will support you in increasing your physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual health. Whether we work on designing strategies to help you heal in each area, or whether a referral to an additional healing professional is best, I can help you get the care you need for all-around healing.

You can heal from what has happened to you

I offer free 30-minute consultations (in-person or over the phone) to answer questions and so people can decide whether working with me will be a good fit for them. You can reach me at (970) 294-1487 or via email.

References

National Institute of Mental Health. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd.shtml
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/ace-graphics.html