Trauma is an experience that can leave a lasting impact on an individual. It can be physical, emotional, or psychological, and can result from a variety of acute or chronic experiences. Understanding the link between trauma and mental health is crucial. Seeking help, coping strategies, and healing are essential steps toward improving mental well-being after experiencing trauma. If you or someone you know is dealing with trauma, consider reaching out to a mental health professional for support and guidance.

Effects of Trauma on Mental Health:

1. Emotional Impact: Distressing or traumatic events can lead to fear, anger, guilt, and shame. Emotional impacts can result from a single event (e.g., natural disasters, sexual assault) or chronic experiences (e.g., childhood abuse or neglect).

2. Psychological Impact: Trauma can affect an individual’s sense of self and their ability to cope with and process emotions. Like emotional trauma, it can result from a single event or chronic experiences. Psychological trauma may lead to difficulty trusting others, feelings of disconnection, and challenges in emotion regulation.

3. Depression: Trauma often leads to depression, characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and lack of motivation. Physical symptoms, such as fatigue and difficulty concentrating, may also accompany depression.

4. Anxiety: Trauma can cause anxiety, which manifests as feelings of worry, stress, and fear. Different anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobias, may result from trauma.

5. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD occurs after an individual experiences a traumatic event. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, and avoidance of triggers related to the traumatic experience1.

How I Think About Trauma:

I understand trauma as a disruption in an individual’s psychological equilibrium resulting from overwhelming experiences that exceed their capacity to cope. Trauma is reflected in the nervous system in ways that are often unconscious and may manifest in avoidance and other behaviors that are confusing outside the context of the associated trauma.

Trauma is usually best understood as a relational experience—meaning it occurs within the context of relational dynamics, attachment disruptions, and interpersonal violations, rather than solely as an individual experience. It often involves the rupture of relational trust and safety, leading to feelings of betrayal, abandonment, and powerlessness. Therefore, trauma can profoundly impact an individual’s sense of self and their capacity to form healthy connections with others. The therapeutic process focuses on exploring and repairing relational ruptures, fostering a sense of safety and connection, and promoting healing within the context of supportive relationships including the relationship with the therapist.

How I Treat Trauma:

Remember that trauma can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health struggles. I also invite you to check out my pages dedicated to treating these concerns. I consider the following to be important aspects of most treatments but they are even more important to a trauma-informed approach:

1. Stabilization and Safety: My initial focus of therapy is often on establishing safety and stabilization. This includes helping clients develop coping skills to manage distressing symptoms, regulate emotions, and create a sense of safety in the present moment.

2. Body-Centered Approaches: Some approaches, such as Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, focus on addressing trauma-related symptoms stored in the body. These approaches emphasize the connection between bodily sensations, emotions, and traumatic memories, facilitating the release and regulation of stored trauma energy.

3. Empowerment: As a corrective to the profound disempowerment that typically characterizes trauma, I emphasize empowerment throughout the therapeutic process in the form of collaboration, education, and respect for autonomy.

4. Psychoeducation: Trauma-informed care helps individuals understand the physiological and psychological effects of trauma on the brain and body. Psychoeducation also includes information about common trauma responses, such as hypervigilance, avoidance, and re-experiencing symptoms.

5. Trauma Processing: Clients may benefit from processing traumatic memories and emotions in a safe and structured manner. I have found Internal Family Systems (IFS) techniques to be the most effective and client-friendly in guiding this processing.

6. Attachment-Focused Interventions: For individuals that experienced traumatic attachment disruptions or other relational traumas, I am on the look out for opportunities for corrective emotional experiences to heal relational wounds. These types of experiences also help individuals develop healthier relational patterns, build healthy trust in others, and cultivate supportive relationships.

7. Integration and Meaning-Making: Therapy aims to help individuals make sense of their traumatic experiences and integrate them into their life story. In this way, I support individuals in finding meaning, purpose, and resilience in the aftermath of trauma.

8. Relapse Prevention: Therapy includes relapse prevention strategies to help individuals maintain gains and cope with potential triggers or stressors in the future. This may involve developing personalized coping strategies, enhancing social support networks, and fostering self-care practices.

Overall, psychotherapy provides a safe and supportive space for individuals to explore, process, and heal from trauma. By addressing the complex interplay of psychological, relational, and physiological factors associated with trauma, therapy promotes recovery, resilience, and post-traumatic growth.