Trauma Recovery
And that’s when “it” happened…
Something awful and completely unexpected that you didn’t want anyone to know about:
An abusive relationship…
A loss…
A diagnosis…
An abandonment…
A betrayal…
A violation…
Or maybe “it” wasn’t just ONE thing…
Sometimes trauma is a build-up of hurtful “micro-moments” throughout our lives that leave us feeling confused, scared, and alone without really knowing why or being able to pinpoint exactly when it happened. All you know is that you’ve been feeling this way for a long time… that feeling of being alone… not mattering… and that desperation to be seen.
You wish you could just erase it all from your memory, but…
The reminders are everywhere. Your mind won’t let you forget.
You try not to think about it, but it shows up in your dreams.
You may have sudden, upsetting memories when you see, smell, or hear something that reminds you of that past pain…
Seeing someone who resembles your abuser…
Hearing a song on the radio that instantly brings you back to a moment you’d rather not remember…
Watching a TV show character go through something similar… some triggers are obvious, some are subtle, but they’re all upsetting.
When your wounds don’t heal, life is harder than it has to be.
The effects of trauma can look different for everyone.
Do you feel irritable, on-edge, or quick to react?
Do you fluctuate between feeling everything and feeling nothing?
Do you find yourself isolated because you don’t want to burden anyone with what you’re going through… or because you just can’t chance getting hurt again?
Or maybe you’ve become a people-pleaser… the “easy-going one,” to minimize the chance of enduring another trauma.
Maybe you’re afraid to ask for what you want for fear that people will leave you. Again. Your focus is on keeping others happy because you just want peace. But being a doormat has taken its toll on you, too. You’ve probably had volatile, confusing, or even abusive relationships.
If only you could just say “no” or walk away, but it’s too scary to risk the conflict or abandonment.
How are you coping?
Pretending it didn’t happen, denying your feelings, numbing or blaming yourself, and mistrusting others are all ways we cope with trauma.
You’re probably doing what you can to stay busy, keep to yourself, or just pretend everything is okay. These things may have even worked (or seem to have worked) for a while.
But now they don’t.
Instead, you feel like you’re losing yourself as the anxiety courses through your veins. You just want this nightmare to end.
Let’s get this out of the way:
There’s nothing wrong with you!
We’re all impacted by our experiences, and EVERYONE goes through trauma of some kind during their lives.
But you probably cycle between feeling like you’re “the only one” and then minimizing your experience because “so many people have been through worse.” You end up just feeling broken, hopeless, and detached from your true self.
It happened. Even if someone else did have it “worse.” Even if someone else went through the same experience but wasn’t affected the same way… your response is valid. Even if it happened a long time ago, but no one knows… You know. And that’s all that matters.
Your trauma was real, and it deserves your attention… but it doesn’t have to define you. You are so much more than your darkest moments.
I know you’re still in there. I see you…
Therapy is a supportive place where you can slow down and safely process what happened.
You deserve a space to talk about it, and my job is to make you feel comfortable so that you can begin.
I will be your guide and help you regulate your emotions as we go along. Then, you can process it so that it doesn’t hurt so much anymore.
You’ll get in touch with YOUR feelings and YOUR needs.
We’ll look beyond the surface and find your true self… that little girl inside you that needs to be heard and validated. You’ll find your voice, and I’ll be there to listen.
I’ll help you name the emotions you felt then and now, understand and accept them. You’ll find my approach compassionate, nonjudgmental, and reflective.
You’ll learn strategies to manage the pain, fear, and sadness.
We’ll use your emotions to learn new ways to guide your actions so that you don’t have to get stuck in the tough feelings. In fact, you’ll learn to regulate your emotions and transform them so that they don’t control you anymore.
You’ll learn how to care for yourself – to comfort yourself as you go through this.
No, therapy is not self-indulgent or selfish. It’s essential.
The concept of “self-care” might be difficult to buy into if you’ve been neglecting yourself for a long time. Maybe you never learned how to care for your emotional needs, or you don’t even know what you need. I’ll help you be your own best friend, and you’ll take these techniques with you for years to come.
You can recover, but you have to take that next step…
It’s time to focus on your healing so that you can be the person you were meant to be and live the life you imagined. This doesn’t have to hold you back.
Let’s take it one step at a time… call me today: (916) 705-2896.
Choosing the right therapist for your journey is an important decision. That’s why I offer a free 20-minute consultation to answer your questions and learn about each other.
Are you ready? Don’t put this off any longer…