When we feel threatened by something and can't respond to the threat in the moment, it can lead to trauma.  This might happen if we experience or witness a significant event like: a car accident, the death or injury of a parent, or an act of violence.  Trauma can also be a response to the persistent, systemic mistreatment of ourselves, our communities, or our ancestors, through racism, sexism, hetero-sexism, and other forms of oppression.

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Traumatic experiences sometimes lead to flashbacks, self-harm, hyper-vigilance and other symptoms of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).

 

Traumatic experiences can also lead us to adopt smart survival strategies that don't serve us as well after the immediate threat recedes, but stick with us as ingrained habits.  Maybe we "check out" or dissociate from our bodies when we feel vulnerable.  Perhaps we avoid situations or people that remind us of the old threat, even if we know we are safe now.  Or maybe we don't take care of ourselves the way we know we should because we have internalized the idea that we don't deserve to be cared for.

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The bad news is that most people have experienced some form of trauma.  The good news is that the negative effects of trauma can be healed, integrated, and transformed.  In fact, you don't even need to know where the trauma came from in order to heal it.  Through body-oriented, neuroscience-based approaches you can free yourself from the negative effects of trauma.

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You have what it takes to resolve trauma and transform your life.  Contact me about how individual mental health services can support your journey.

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