Life happens and then an unexpected event …  that event can be traumatizing not just to the body, but the mind and the soul.  Sometimes, even though the mind forgets … the body does not. This idea is fleshed out the Dr. Van Der Kolk’s work The Body Keeps to Score.  Research about our brains, neuropsychology, and DNA findings reveal how much history contributes to our present-day experiences.

Time and conversation, rest, curiosity, support from loved ones … heals wounds.  Animals, humans, and the rest recover from traumatic events over time, with the love and support of family and friends.  We bounce back with resiliency … others may discover the effects of a traumatic event lasting a long time, which can cause a person to live with deep emotional pain, fear, confusion, or post-traumatic stress far after the event has passed.

In these circumstances, the support, guidance, and assistance of a therapist is fundamental to healing from trauma.

Trauma Symptoms

According to the four types of symptoms listed in the DSM-5

Avoidance Symptoms

• Avoiding specific locations, sights, situations, and sounds that serve as reminders of the event
• Anxiety, depression, numbness, or guilt

Re-experiencing Symptoms

• Intrusive thoughts, nightmares or flashbacks

Hyperarousal Symptoms

• Anger, irritability, and hypervigilance
• Aggressive, reckless behavior, including self-harm
• Sleep disturbances

Negative Mood and Cognition Symptoms

• Loss of interest in activities that were once considered enjoyable
• Difficulty remembering details of the distressing event
• Change in habits or behavior since the trauma

Research has proven psychotherapy along with yoga, meditation, sound sleep, a healthy diet, routine exercise, and being connected to a community to be the most effective combination of treatment for recovering from traumatic events.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) grounded models is/are the most common. Another option or in addition to psychotherapy, equine-assisted psychotherapy, yoga, and meditation to shift the weight and lighten the burden of a traumatic and/or traumatizing event.

Our work together might include exploring: “How to Make Stress Your Friend” Dr. Kelly McGonigal’s Ted Talk; On-Being Podcast hosted by Kristi Tippit with many of these authors; The work of Dr. Brene’ Brown on Shame Resilience using my training as a Certified Daring Way Facilitator; the work of Dr. Peter Levine Waking The Tiger; Dr. Van Der Kolk’s work in The Body Keeps the Score; Revs. Tutu's work The ForgivnessResmaa Menakem's work My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathways to Healing Our Hearts and Bodies; consider ACE/Adverse Childhood Environment scores; elements of Complex PTSD and “Developmental Trauma”.

Our treatment plan might look something like this:

• “Re-establish ownership of one’s own body and one’s own mind thereby self;
• Establish boundaries – a means – to know what you know and to feel what you feel without becoming overwhelmed, enraged, ashamed, or collapsed;
• Finding ways (new habits) to become calm and focused: yoga, breathing, dance, drumming, singing, Tai Chi, etc.;
• Learning to maintain (coping skills) that calm in response to images, thoughts, sounds or physical sensations that remind you of that past” (The Body Keeps the Score Van Der Kolk and Complex PTSD by Walker);
• Will decrease signs and symptoms of PTSD (depression, anxiety, distress behaviors) from moderate (more than half the days) or severe (nearly every day) to mild (only several days in a two week period) through the practice of 1 – 3 new coping skills, such as, but not limited to self-soothing, coping thoughts, meditation, grounding, rethink/reframing, distraction, emotion regulation, and/or distress tolerance on a weekly basis;
• Finding ways to be fully alive in the present and engaged with the people around you:
• Recognition of not having to keep secrets from your self including secrets about the way that you have managed to survive;
• Ability to articulate an understanding of how trauma has affected life emotionally and behaviorally;
• Decrease post-trauma event-related feelings (e.g., Increase nightmares, flashbacks) and experiences to less than 1 per week or below the subjective level to interfere with living life;
• Ability to articulate an understanding of how trauma has affected life emotionally and behaviorally;
• Decrease post-trauma event-related feelings (e.g., Increase nightmares, flashbacks) and experiences to less than 1 per week or below the subjective level to interfere with living life;

If you or someone you know match the trauma symptoms listed above and benefit from the plan note, I am confident that I can help.   I invite you to contact me today for a free 10-minute consultation and hopefully schedule an intake appointment.