What's wrong with me? 

Why can't I snap out of this? 

I just want to feel "normal"...

 

If you’ve said these words, you are not alone. I've been there...I’ve said these exact words. 

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Just like we experience physical injuries (such as a broken bone), we also experience emotional injuries and traumas throughout our lives. And often, these emotional injuries are far more painful than any physical injury. These injuries impact our relationship to ourselves and others. They affect our ability to cope with stress. They impact our health, our confidence, our ability to feel safe and to trust. Often, trauma leaves us feeling like too much and not enough at the same time. It leaves us feeling lost.

Trauma disrupts the natural rhythm and balance of our nervous system. When a traumatic event occurs, the memory of it is stored very differently than everyday memories, which is why it has such a devastating  and long-lasting impact. The memory can become frozen or stuck, making it extremely difficult to live in the here-and-now. Our survival responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn), along with painful feelings of anxiety, panic, grief, and despair continue to be activated in the present, even though the trauma is no longer happening, which is confusing and frustrating. This is why we often continue to repeat old patterns. And ignoring or minimizing the pain typically results in more pain.

 

With trauma, there is a often a disconnect between what that the brain rationally knows and what the body tells us, which is why you can logically know you are safe, but not feel safe. The body tells the untold story of trauma. When the effects of trauma are held in the body, they manifest in many different ways - anxiety, depression, back pain, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, immune system issues, chronic pain, and more. 

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Trauma leaves an imprint on the whole self - mind, body, heart & soul - which is why I utilize a holistic approach incorporating treatments that are trauma-informed and based on neuroscience. And the methods I use don't require you to retell the details of your traumatic experiences - you don't have to relive your trauma in order to heal.

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Trauma keeps us stuck in the past. Healing allows us to move forward. Learn more about how to heal trauma.

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You are so much more than your trauma.