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*Please note this page is still under construction 

 

The idea of psychological trauma and the diagnosis of PTSD have both become popular concepts in recent years, with books such as ‘The Body Keeps The Score’ regularly appearing on top seller lists. This is great news for many, who can now begin to de-shame their stories and start to heal from their traumas. It has also been great news for the therapy community, with many effective treatment options for treating PTSD and trauma related difficulties being developed. 

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What is trauma and what is PTSD?

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PTSD develops, when a person witnesses or experiences something truly shocking and often life threatening. The event or events, are usually so outside of ‘normal’, that the brains ability to cope or process what is happening short circuits. Unprocessed trauma memories such as these, can then continue to dictate how the body and mind react to the world around them. 

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A psychological trauma that has not been processed effectively by the brain can lead to the overdevelopment of many survival instincts, based upon the brain’s automatic and unconscious interpretation of the trauma. For example, hypervigilance, avoidance of trauma related reminders, dissociation and radical changes to how someone experiences themselves, constantly feeling threatened by others and the world around them. These are all common examples of the brain automatically trying to help you survive further trauma, but sadly, these very survival instincts can prevent healing from or processing what has happened.

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Unprocessed traumas can often cause emotions to become deeply trapped, underneath all the layers of psychological protection. Emotions such as guilt, shame, anger, grief, sadness, and disgust can all become very dominant and distressing parts of someone with PTSD's daily experience. 

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What can be done? 

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There is so much can be done to help those who have been through trauma. It is possible to recover and heal, no matter what it is you have been through. This can be a hard message to believe when all you've known for a long time is hopelessness, fear, or whatever it is you feel alongside the unprocessed pain, but it is completely true. 

 

Therapies such as those offered by this service can help in a number of ways: 

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1. Fully understanding your individual trauma history and it's impact on you.
   
   For most people who have been through trauma, the idea of opening up to an unknown person can feel terrifying and overwhelming. You might not feel safe, you might not trust anyone, and you might hold onto a great deal of shame about what happened.
   
   It is essential for me as a therapist to hold all of these factors in mind as we go through the assessment process. Trauma work cannot be completed without trust, without feeling safe and without feeling like your therapist completely accepts you.   
    

2. Fully understanding the symptoms of PTSD and how to start to manage them in the here and now. 
    

3. Processing key memories, or key themes, or key beliefs, or key emotions, which relate 

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Processing is never easy. Whether it be CBT based processing methods, emotion focused, EMDR, the work will require facing some of the more difficult parts of what you went through. 

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Common questions about PTSD

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