Working with trauma

What is trauma

Possible symptoms

Trauma is anything that happens too intensely, too quickly, too repeatedly, too early in life, or without the presence of a supportive other – and that, by overwhelming our capacity to cope, produces some degree of psychological or somatic fragmentation.

More significant than the event itself is the inner wound that remains open, seeking some form of healing.

This search for integration often manifests through symptoms that can take many different forms: persistent anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, physical tension, nightmares, hypervigilance, difficulty concentrating, irritability, feelings of guilt or shame, emotional withdrawal, and difficulties in relationships.

Potentially traumatic experiences

Some events are readily associated with trauma. Others, although they may seem ordinary at first glance, can also leave lasting psychological wounds. The list below includes examples of experiences with the potential to be traumatic:

Accidents, falls, injuries, and other experiences involving physical impact.

High fevers, anesthesia, surgical procedures, drowning, and experiences of suffocation.

Significant losses, bereavement, separation, abandonment, and abrupt life changes.

Difficult experiences related to the prenatal and perinatal period.

Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.

Emotional or physical neglect during childhood.

Domestic violence, discrimination, social exclusion, and repeated experiences of rejection.

Natural or human-caused disasters.

War, terrorism, torture, persecution, exile, or forced displacement.

The presence of one or more of these experiences does not, by itself, mean that a person will develop a traumatic response. Whether this occurs, depends on many factors including the intensity of the experience, the stage of life at which it happened, previous experiences, the resources available to the individual, and the presence –or absence– of support and compassionate accompaniment.

Natural Integration

Therapeutic integration

Our nervous system has a remarkable capacity for self-regulation and integration. In many cases, we are able to move through challenging experiences without lasting harm. At times, this process can even become a source of growth and meaning.

In some cases, however, symptoms remain active long after the danger has passed. Even then, there are different paths toward healing. Psychotherapy is one of them. It can help integrate what has been lived through and support the restoration of the natural regulatory processes when they have been interrupted.

In my clinical practice, I combine the body-awareness resources of Somatic Experiencing with the symbolic understanding of Analytical Psychology. This allows bodily sensations and emotions, as well as images and meanings, to be recognized, explored, and welcomed.

Transformation

Trauma therapy cannot change what happened, but it can transform the way we relate to those experiences in the present. As they become more fully integrated, many people report greater emotional stability, reduced anxiety, increased mental clarity, greater freedom of choice, healthier relationships, and a renewed sense of vitality.