Trauma Counselling

Trauma appears to be a well understood among counsellors and the public. The understanding that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder arises from a single event. For example those returning from war zones; witnessing or experiencing terrorist events.

– Single event or series of events

I acknowledge the shock these forms of trauma may have. However my work is based on the Trauma Spectrum.  This is both the psychological and body based responses that occur after a traumatic experience. Moreover trauma symptoms can be endured as a result of series of events, or from a continual pattern. This may be from physical, emotional and psychological abuse at any age and especially in early life. Such symptoms can be experienced before birth from stress during pregnancy.

– Responses to trauma

Responses can range from a lack of connection, where the event is denied to the memory. Or to more common psychological disturbances; unable to experience life without anxiety, fear, stress or other weakening conditions.  Perhaps you find it difficult to hold down a job or have stable relationships; maybe you find it difficult to trust aspects of your external environment. In therapy sufferers find there are different ‘parts’ to them which exhibit a different persona. They sometimes regress into a child or speak in different forms; perhaps experiencing flashbacks and vivid dreams.

The role of the counsellor is to help you understand what has happened. How you have been affected will be the start to help  recover from the symptoms of the trauma response. All the time offering compassion and gentleness so as to not re-experience the trauma.