Trauma Memories

Trauma shows up in many shapes and sizes.

Steve* just learned he was abused as a child.

The flashbacks to that terrible bedroom carpet is disrupting every aspect of his life.

He’s worried that therapy will make it worse.

Austin* flinches every time he hears a loud noise. It started after the car wreck last spring.

That is not unusual for people who have experienced trauma, but it makes it hard to hang out with his friends on a crowded Friday night at the bar where trays of glasses get dropped.

Tilly* recalls that moment in 7^th grade gym class when she felt embarrassed, scared, and unsure.

It seems like other people get over such things, but the pain of that moment is still haunting her 15 years later.

Sometimes, at work, the feelings rise up, and she’s sure that it will all happen again.

Trauma memories are in all of us and can leave us in a state of fear.

It is normal to have experienced trauma. You are not going crazy.

“I find myself feeling out of it.” You feel embarrassed to tell others.

You have thought if you just gain control, it will be okay.

You struggle with this alone because you feel other people won’t understand.

A shaming voice tells you that this isn’t normal.

“Can anything ease this strange feeling?” you wonder.

Therapy can reduce your panic and get you back to the present.

“Will I overcome my fears?”

Yes. EMDR will help with any flashbacks that are coming up that are causing your nervous system to be off balance.

“How?”

Using a trauma-focused therapy approach such as Somatic Therapy, you can settle your nervous system, shifting the brain from alert thoughts to noticing sensations that change.

“Okay, but will I overcome my fears?”

Yes. You have the ability to overcome your fears. We will use mindfulness-oriented approaches to help you be in any emotional or physical state in the present.

By helping your nervous system feel safe, we will help it (and you) to heal.

Call today.

*Names and stories are composite narratives and do not reflect actual clients.