Trauma Therapy & Counselling
in Bagshot, Surrey and Online
Trauma is the physical, emotional and psychological response when a person experiences high levels of fear or stress.
This can occur through one single event or multiple and repeated traumatic events.
The term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD for short) was first coined following the Vietnam war as a term to describe the reactions experienced by some veterans returning from the conflict.
Now, however, PTSD is used widely to describe the symptoms that can be experienced when you either witness, or are involved in a terrifying, stressful or distressing event. It is used in its very literal sense to describe the stress that follows trauma.
No two people will ever react in the same way, even if they have witnessed or experienced the same terrifying or distressing event … we all process our experiences differently and uniquely and so our responses and reactions will be unique too.
There are almost unlimited responses which are both physical and emotional.
You may experience some or all the following:
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Vivid flashbacks (where you feel as though the trauma is happening again)
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Nightmares, that may be related to the event or seemingly completely unrelated
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Intrusive thoughts and images
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Disturbed Sleep
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Anger, irritability, outbursts, aggressive behaviours
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Extreme alertness, constantly feeling “ready for anything”, being easily startled
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Or the opposite to this, feeling extremely detached and numb
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Avoiding things that remind you of the trauma, tying to keep busy to avoid it, repressing memories
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Self-destructive behaviours
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Intense distress at any real or imagined memory or reminder of the trauma
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Physical symptoms such as sweating, dizziness, pain
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Experience depression and / or anxiety
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Have suicidal thoughts and feelings
The video below gives a clear and simple example of how trauma affects our brain.
How I can help
To fully understand and work with trauma the practitioner must be able to work in a different way to traditional therapy, by not only working with emotional reactions but with physical reactions as well. The physical aspects of trauma are how the body reacts to trauma when the body’s alarm system is switched on.
I am an experienced trauma practitioner and have developed a wide range of skills over a number of years to work within trauma and the impact that this has had on the individual.
My work with you can broadly be broken down into three stages but always at a pace that is comfortable for you.
The first stage is establishing and building a therapeutic relationship with you by building a secure environment which you can feel safe in. Working with psycho education to fully explain how your body and brain has been impacted by trauma and how they respond to it and practical techniques to manage them.
The second stage is processing your trauma experiences and integrating them safely into your memories. Challenging internal distorted self-beliefs and to begin the process of grief and mourning.
The final stage is the consolidation of all the stages, for you to be able to reconnect with yourself and others. Post traumatic growth and the healing of wounds that have impacted you.