Trauma Therapy

Has A Trauma Impacted Your Ability To Live A Happy, Meaningful And Balanced Life?

Are you having a difficult time trying to navigate upsetting memories, emotional pain and uncomfortable body sensations following a trauma? Is it difficult for you to relax, concentrate on tasks at hand and trust others or even yourself? Maybe you constantly revisit the traumatic event, feel on edge and worry that you’ll experience a similar trauma again.

Or, perhaps you feel disconnected from your body and the world around you, like you’re just going through daily life without any real connections or feelings. Do you feel guilt or shame about what happened, especially if you believe that what happened was your fault or that you should have taken action to prevent or stop it? Do you wish you could let go of painful thoughts and emotions and feel safe around others and within yourself?

Dealing with the after-effects of a trauma can be an isolating, exhausting and even frightening experience. You may feel guarded and on edge, suffer from insomnia and/or nightmares, struggle to stay focused at work and feel disconnected from others. You may avoid people and situations that remind you of the trauma, fearing anything that might trigger painful memories and feelings. You might also vacillate between feeling emotionally heightened and feeling nothing at all. And, you may have turned to alcohol, drugs, sex, food or other potentially harmful vices to numb out, cope with pain or feel anything at all.

Contact us today & feel good again

Understanding Trauma

Trauma is the result of how your mind and body respond to an event(s) that you perceived as threatening. We all respond to traumatic events differently, and two people can experience the same event and have very different perceptions, feelings and reactions to it.

Traumas can be caused through a single incident, such as a car accident, natural disaster, sexual assault or invasive medical procedure. Traumas can also be developmental, created over years of neglect and/or abuse. Trauma symptoms present on a wide spectrum, and can include eating and sleep issues, hyper-vigilance, disassociation, anxiety, depression, difficulties with concentration and isolation to name a few. Following a trauma, about 7 percent of the U.S. population will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People suffering from PTSD often experience flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, nightmares and often struggle with interpersonal relationships.

While traumas are common and occur everyday, there are many traumas and related symptoms that will not go away without help. If you feel isolated, struggle to regulate your emotions and/or are ready finally process your trauma and regain your life, an experienced trauma therapist can help.

Trauma Therapy Can Help You Process Trauma And Gain Control Of Your Life

A mind-body focused approach to trauma therapy is essential to long-term relief and healing. Trauma is stored in the body and must be discharged through the body, which traditional talk therapy alone cannot do. In order be become “unstuck” and truly process trauma, your nervous system needs to be recalibrated. Thankfully, there are many effective mind-body approaches to treating trauma. A skilled and compassionate trauma therapist can offer you guidance, support and effective strategies needed to process your trauma and gain control of your life.

One of the highly trained and experienced trauma therapists at West Hartford Holistic Counseling Center can offer you a safe, gentle and nonjudgmental space to process and heal. In sessions, you can learn how to listen to your body and begin to understand what your symptoms are trying to tell you. Using holistic approaches, such as mindfulness, you can increase your body awareness and access the innate wisdom within. You can also begin to identify when you’re off center and develop the tools, insights and skills needed to regain balance.

In sessions, your therapist can help you take things at a slower pace and become present in the moment. As you learn that you are safe in the present moment and better understand yourself and your experience, you can let go of fear and increase self-compassion. You can learn that what you’re experiencing is okay. Through guided visual imagery, experiential exercises and other proven trauma therapy techniques, your therapist will help you process your trauma in real time. Throughout sessions, you can also identify triggers, develop healthy coping skills and learn skills you can use to relax in the moments that anxiety, depression or panic set in.

Every trauma and person is different, and your therapist will create a trauma therapy strategy that best addresses and supports your unique needs, history, personality and therapy goals. With the right approach in place, you can increase self-awareness, let go of uncomfortable feelings as they arise, increase resiliency and feel more peaceful and balanced.

Trauma doesn’t have to continue to define who you are or impact your life. With support and effective tools in place, you can process trauma and heal the unfinished places inside yourself. You can connect with loved one, experience a renewed sense of safety and live a joyful and productive life.

Although you may understand your need for help during difficult time, you still may have questions or concerns about trauma therapy…

I tried trauma therapy in the past, and it didn’t help. How would/could it be different this time?

There are many reasons why therapy in the past may have been unsuccessful. You may have not connected well with the therapist, and a trusting therapeutic relationship is key when working through trauma. Your past therapist also may not have been specifically trained to treat trauma or didn’t use a mind-body trauma therapy approach. Or, it could have been that the timing was not right for you. Regardless of the reason past therapy was ineffective, don’t give up. With the right therapist and approach, there is hope. You can process your trauma and move forward into a happier, healthier way of being.

I fear that talking about my trauma will make it feel more real.

In all honesty, there will likely be times in therapy when you feel emotionally charged. That said, you will not be alone in the process. Your therapist will meet you where you are emotionally and you can take sessions at a pace that is comfortable for you. In the therapy space, you will have the safety and support you need to work through your trauma. And, you will not be asked to go into your trauma until you have built up resiliency and established control in other parts of your life. You decide when, what and how much to share.

Is trauma therapy a long process?

Everyone experiences and works through trauma differently. The trauma therapy process and length of time in therapy really is dependent on your history, needs and goals. Your therapist will work with you to ensure that you get as much – or as little – as you need to achieve your goals and feel more confident, comfortable and alive in the world. Trauma therapy is about personal empowerment. You are in control of the process and decide what’s right for you.

You Can Find Relief And Healing

Please contact our office for a free 15-minute phone consultation. We look forward to discussing your unique needs and answering any questions you have about anxiety treatment and our approach and practice.

In addition to being a private pay practice, we take Anthem Blue Cross, Aetna, Husky, Optum, United, Medicare and Medicaid insurances.