Are you seeking Trauma Therapy?

 

Have you been unable to sleep? Are you constantly feeling on high alert? Do you startle easily? Are traumatic flashbacks or nightmares haunting you? Do certain sounds or places send you into a panic? Trauma therapy can help.

Single incident trauma such as a car accident or natural disaster can cause symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD.

Also, complex trauma, which is trauma that happens over a long period of time (such as childhood), can also cause many uncomfortable symptoms and disruptions in your life. Certainly, Trauma Therapy can help and support your healing.

You might be feeling hopeless and lost, but symptoms of PTSD and complex trauma can get better.

 

Symptoms of PTSD & Complex Trauma

Flashbacks

Anxiety

Depression

Agitation

Nightmares

Fatigue

Self-Isolation

Fear of certain noises or places

Hostility/ Anger

Loss of pleasure in activities

Memory Loss

And more…

 

Symptoms of Trauma Are a Very Normal Reaction To a Very Abnormal Situation

 

You are not alone. 60% of adults in the United States report difficulty during childhood. Six out of every 100 people will have PTSD at least one point in their life. According to Rainn.org, Child Protective Services found strong evidence that showed 63,000 children a year were victims of sexual abuse (From 2009-2013).

Trauma is subjective to the individual. For example, a car accident might be very traumatic to one person, and for another person, they might walk away fine. Trauma comes in many forms: abuse, parental neglect, bullying in grade school, sexual assault, addiction in the household, a parent not attuning to a child’s feelings, and more.

The good news is, there are many evidenced based trauma treatments that can help with symptoms of PTSD and complex trauma. Finding an educated trauma therapist is important!

 

Traumatic events are not caused by the “triggering” event itself. They stem from the frozen residue of energy that had not been resolved or discharged; This residue remains trapped in the nervous system where it can wreak havoc on our bodies and spirits. -Peter Levine, PHD

 

How I Approach Trauma Therapy

 

Healing from trauma is different for everyone. Overall, I do not use a- one size fits all approach. I use a variety of modalities that help create safety in the body and the mind. Also, as a trauma therapist, I am interested in how trauma affects the brain and how we can work to heal it using neuroplastictity and memory reconsolidation techniques. These two important concepts are how the brain can naturally change itself. Additionally, I provide my clients a lot of tools that they can practice on their own to assist with their healing. 

How we were raised as children, the experiences we went through, they make up who we are today. If there was childhood trauma, the brain picks up protection mechanisms that are still active in the present moment, even though they are no longer needed. Protection mechanisms might be- isolation, hyper- vigilance, negative self talk, anger, social anxiety, and more. Overall, trauma therapy helps to resolve these protection mechanisms.

 

Trauma Therapies I Utilize 

 

Somatic Experiencing

Somatic Experiencing  is a body based therapy created by Dr. Peter Levine to help treat trauma and stress related disorders. The idea behind Somatic Experiencing is that overwhelming traumatic events can get “stuck” in the body, which can create a variety of symptoms. Somatic Experiencing helps the completion of the traumatic event, so that the brain and body learn that the event is over.

In Complex Trauma, there might be numerous scary or frightening events that happen over many years. This can result in nervous system dysregulation. Therefore, somatic therapy is key to help the nervous system learn to regulate.

Somatic Experiencing is an in-depth three year training that utilizes the body and nervous system in healing. I am currently in my final year of training. In addition to using the therapy in session, as a trauma therapist, I give clients somatic tools to use on their own to assist in their trauma healing.

EMDR

I am fully trained in EMDR therapy. EMDR is a an evidence based therapy. It uses bilateral eye movements to help process traumatic memories and negative core self beliefs. Negative core beliefs might be- I am not safe, I am not good enough, I am at fault, etc. Overall, It makes the trauma memories less impactful and more adaptive.

Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems is a powerful therapy created by psychologist Richard Schwartz. The premise of Internal Family Systems is that we are all made up of an inner family of Parts. You can also call these Parts, Ego States, sub-personalities. We have parts of us that help us, protect us. We have parts of us that are wounded and might hold anger, shame, or fear. 

Additionally, we also have the “Self”. The Self is not actually a part but our true nature. Some might call this our Pure Self, our Buddha Nature, etc. In Internal Family Systems we help the wounded parts and work on being “Self Led”, rather than led by our parts.

Internal Family Systems shares similarities to Inner Child Therapy & Ego State Therapy. Studies have found it to be effective in the treatment of depression and chronic pain.

Coherence Therapy

Coherence Therapy was developed by psychotherapists Bruce Ecker & Laurel Hulley. The magic behind Coherence Therapy is the concept of transformational change through Memory Reconsolidation.  The brain does not know time. As an adult we might have mysterious symptoms (panic, sadness, sensitivities, etc.)  that were formed long ago when we were children. The brain operates as if a danger learned long ago is still happening. Coherence Therapy guides the client in updating the brain so that the symptom ceases to continue.

As a trauma therapist, learning Coherence Therapy has changed how I approach complex trauma in my clients. I currently attend a bi-weekly consultation group with Bruce Ecker and Dr. Tori Olds, along with attending a monthly therapist consultation group.    

 

Reach Out!

 

I am offering trauma therapy in person at my office in Ventura, California (near Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Ojai, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks). I also see clients online all over California. If you need more info, I offer a 20-minute complementary phone session for any questions you may have. In short, I look forward to hearing from you.