Healing from Trauma: Releasing The Emotional Legacy of Your Past
Have you ever wondered if the scars of past trauma can ever truly heal?
Do you find yourself contemplating upsetting memories, wondering if there's a way to break free from their relentless grip?
Trauma can cast a long shadow, and those who have experienced trauma in severe quantities often face complex and compounding challenges.
Is it possible to overcome the triggers?
Is it possible to live as a fully integrated person, that loves freely, doesn’t react or get triggered, and can respond compassionately at every situation?
The answer to that question is, it is yes, and Trauma Therapy can help.
What Exactly is Trauma?
People often think of Trauma as something that only afflicts war veterans, people who have had gruesome violence inflicted onto them, sexual abuse and emergency responders such as police officers, firefighters and paramedics.
But in fact, everyone has experienced small insults throughout their life, starting in childhood, called small ‘t’ trauma. The list includes:
- Emotional abuse, being yelled at, called names, manipulated, taken advantage of, threatened with abandonment
- Being bullied
- Being ignored
- Having overbearing parents
- Getting too much attention
- Not succeeding in school
- Losing a job
- Inability to meet social expectations (of family, religion, community)
- Feeling different or alone for any reason, including gender differences, disability, sexual orientation, body type, socioeconomic status
- Divorce
- Blending families
- Infidelity
- Adopting or having a child
- Being adopted
- Conflict with family members
- Legal troubles
- Mental illness or addiction in the family
- Physical injury
- Poverty
- Racism
- Misogyny
- Emigrating
The effects of these small insults can accumulate, which become big T trauma down the road when the accumulated effects become more than what a person can cope with. This is where Trauma Therapy comes in.
What are the symptoms of trauma?
Trauma symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, reactivity, and cognitive distortions. Trauma can look like depression and anxiety symptoms. It can disrupt relationships, impair daily functioning, and hinder personal growth.
One of the most challenging aspects of trauma is the persistent reliving of distressing events. These traumatic memories can be triggered by seemingly innocuous stimuli, making it difficult to regain control over your emotional and mental well-being.
These symptoms can hinder job performance, causing missed opportunities and stunted professional growth.
In relationships, unresolved trauma can strain connections, leading to difficulties in trust, intimacy, and communication. The lingering effects of trauma may result in cycles of conflict, isolation, and emotional distance, making it challenging to build and maintain healthy relationships.
Additionally, the impact of trauma can extend to academic pursuits. Concentration difficulties, flashbacks, and emotional turmoil can make it an arduous uphill battle to excel academically, jeopardising educational goals and aspirations.
This is why speaking with a Trauma Specialist is important. We know exactly how symptoms hide.
No One Escapes Trauma
It is estimated that 70% of individuals experience at least one traumatic event during their lifetime.
In Canada, statistics reveal that approximately 1 in 3 Canadians have experienced sexual, physical, or emotional abuse before the age of 15.
About 3.9% of the world population will have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis at some point in their lives.
In this post-pandemic world we live in with constant eruptions of social unrest, political views at war, humanitarian right violations. It would be difficult to imagine that even if we feel that we’ve lived a rather fortunate life, a sensitive individual can be deeply affected by the emotions of the collective and experience deep grief and sadness.
Trauma Therapy Is Not The Work Of A Good Friend. Let The Professionals Handle It
We all need to lean on some emotional support from our spouse or a good friend once in a while, but Trauma counselling is a nuanced process that weaves art and technique, that requires a special container of unidirectional care. At our An Elegant Mind, we specialise in supporting individuals with all types of trauma, including childhood trauma.
Our trauma therapist understands that the path to healing begins with a comprehensive assessment. We will work closely with you to deeply understand all the things that have made you who are today.
One pivotal aspect of our approach is exploring the emotional landscape of your family home. Early childhood trauma often leaves deep-seated emotional scars, and understanding these experiences is essential to your healing process. By delving into your family dynamics and the emotional environment in which you grew up, we can unearth valuable insights that empower you to address the root causes of your trauma.
Moreover, our therapist will help you identify the key individuals in your life who play a significant role in your life. Recognizing the dynamics of your relationships and how they have been affected by your trauma is a crucial step towards drawing patterns in your attachment patterns.
As we progress in therapy, we will create a timeline of the major stressors in your life, both past and present. These stressors often hold the key to understanding the triggers and manifestations of your PTSD.
Trauma therapy and PTSD treatment services although grounded in evidence-based techniques can be a non-linear process. It is because we work with the available memories as they emerge, and as trauma experts, we understand that the pieces may not come to you when you try to access them.
You Might Wonder If Healing Trauma is Just Snake Oil…
The thought of seeking trauma counselling may be accompanied by several fears. Let's explore three common concerns and address them with compassion:
Why Seek Trauma Therapy at An Elegant Mind?
We have 13 years of experience as trauma experts. Our team has roots with the non-profit organization BC Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse and we have personally met and spoken with trauma expert Gabor Mate and received his teachings. Many of us have met with master plants such as Ayahuasca and sat with the deepest seed of our human suffering.
It's crucial to understand that not all therapy is trauma-informed, which can be a significant concern for those seeking help. Non-trauma-informed therapy may inadvertently retraumatize individuals or fail to address the root causes of their distress.
At An Elegant Mind, we specialise in trauma counseling and trauma treatment. Our approach is designed to provide you with the support and strategies needed to navigate the complex landscape of mental health. We believe that total healing is possible.
As Morrie Said “It’s Never Too Late to Get Started”
Be in trauma-informed care with the trauma counseling therapists at An Elegant Mind. Booking is easy: Schedule an appointment through JaneApp for seamless online booking. Or, connect directly with us by calling 604-800-9285 to speak with our compassionate team. If you prefer email, reach out at admin@anelegantmind.com.