Is Something From Your Past Holding You Back In The Present?

Do you have recurring thoughts, nightmares or memories that seem connected to something in your past? You may avoid certain situations that could remind you of your distress. Or, you may be harboring a great deal of anger, knowing something isn’t right but lacking a way to resolve the pain.

Do you ever feel outside your own body, as if your experiences aren’t your own? Do you struggle to understand or handle what’s happening to you? Your distress may be manifesting physically in the form of anxiety or PTSD symptoms. These can include a range of uncomfortable sensations, such as stomach issues, extreme sadness, lethargy, shaking, pains, panic attacks or flashbacks. And, as these symptoms worsen, you might be struggling with intense feelings of guilt and shame.

You might wake up exhausted because you couldn’t sleep due to a nightmare or racing thoughts. As you move into your day, you’re feeling scattered and distrustful of people you have to rely on to get things done. To numb the pain, you may do things that feel good but might not be good for you, like drinking, drugs, video games or internet use. Or, perhaps you have a strict routine that allows you to feel organized, but the relief and order never seem to last. At this point, everything from your relationships to your work might be suffering.

The Effects Of Trauma

It is very likely that your life is under the influence of trauma. In fact, I believe that many mental health concerns can be connected to trauma.

Whenever one perceives danger of any kind, the body goes into a heightened state known as “fight or flight.” Sometimes, the body never recovers from this state, which can lead to someone continuously believe danger is present. That is why PTSD often impedes one’s ability to function well or maintain satisfying relationships—the state of fight or flight remains constant.

Trauma can also trap you in a negative cycle– of feelings, thoughts and behaviors. For example, if you were treated poorly by an early caregiver, you might have learned unhealthy lessons that you carried forth and now apply to your current relationships.

No matter how you are affected by trauma or PTSD, it is possible to process past hurts and reset your mind and body. With the guidance of a trauma and PTSD specialist, you can reclaim your life and begin to move forward into the life you want.

You are not alone

If you are struggling to move past a trauma, you are certainly not alone. Every person has gone through a difficult experience.

A common misconception is that trauma occurs only as the result of physical violence. But this is not the case. Trauma is defined as any event or experience from your past that continues to impact you in a negative way. It can be a single incident, like a car accident, or it can be a period of time in your life, like part of your childhood.

According to US Department of Veteran Affairs, anyone can develop PTSD after going through a traumatic experience. PTSD is not a sign of weakness. A number of factors can increase the chance that someone will develop PTSD, many of which are not under that person’s control. People who were directly exposed to trauma, or who were injured, are more likely to develop PTSD.

It is more common than you might think. About 8 percent of the population will develop PTSD at some point in their lives. More than 8 million adults have PTSD during a given year. About 10 percent of women develop PTSD sometime in their lives, as do about 4 percent of men.

These numbers do not include the many others who do not develop PTSD, but still struggle to cope after a trauma.

The good news is that therapy can help you identify and overcome symptoms, which allows you more freedom to experience peace and joy.

Trauma Therapy Can Help You Heal

Trauma treatment can be immediately effective in alleviating the physical discomforts of anxiety and depression and hugely effective in processing the underlying negative feelings that keep you stuck. If you are ready and committed to the therapeutic work, it is possible to discover a sense of safety, ease and brightness in your world.

Because everyone’s experience with trauma is unique, together, we can design a treatment plan that is specially tailored to address your needs and hopes for the future. I am skilled in several highly effective treatments for PTSD and trauma, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. EMDR is a tool that allows you to reprocess traumatic memories. It does not erase the memory. Rather, it changes the effect the memory has upon you, allowing you to understand the event as something that happened, without re-experiencing the negative sensations and emotions. In other words, the traumatic memory becomes just like any other memory.

The overall goal of trauma therapy is to empower you to take control of your life. Although trauma counseling is not easy, we work at a pace that feels comfortable for you, in a safe, compassionate and accepting space. Through this process, you will come to understand the role trauma has played in your life. You will come to recognize what causes you distress, and you will acquire specific tools to cope with them. Together we can explore a multitude of options, including grounding exercises, deep breathing, cognitive awareness and more.

When you’re able to notice your symptoms, understand your experience and gain useful, healthy coping strategies, you then have more choice about how you would like to move forward. And, as an EMDR certified PTSD specialist who has helped folks process trauma for over two decades, I know that there is hope for a brighter future.

With the right guidance and support, your life can change for the better.

You may still have questions or concerns about PTSD treatment…

I don’t want to relive the trauma in therapy.

If you’re feeling stuck in your life, chances are you’re reliving your trauma each and every day. Wouldn’t you like an opportunity to let it go?

The great thing about EMDR treatment is I don’t necessarily need to know the whole story in order to help you. It’s possible to process your trauma, heal and move forward without specifically detailing what happened.

I doubt therapy will help me.

I encourage you to try. Things are not likely to change on their own. As a trauma specialist, I’ve helped many folks overcome the crippling effects of trauma. I am committed to your well-being, and am ready to meet you wherever you’re at so we can work toward lasting healing and profound growth.

I’ve tried trauma therapy before, and it didn’t help.

If you saw a counselor before and had a less than satisfactory experience, I want to hear about it. I want to know what didn’t work. Maybe some aspects were useful, and we can try to keep those intact here.

When you work with me, you’ll be supported by an expert with a wealth of experience. I’m EMDR certified and have extensive knowledge of several trauma modalities. Together, we can discover the most effective treatment for your PTSD. There is hope that things can get better. You can take back control of your life.

Healing is possible

If would like to learn more about trauma therapy or my practice in Berkeley, CA, please contact me for a free 30 minute consultation.