Josette Kehl, LCSW

Trauma

Trauma is an emotional and physiological response to overwhelming and distressing events that happen to us. Trauma can result from a singular event such as a car accident or from a lifetime of neglect and abuse. 

Our responses to these events and the support we receive determine the degree of trauma we experience. Things that influence the way in which we experience trauma include our attachment style; early childhood experiences of safety, love, and connection; the passage of time; our internal resources; our external supports, the help we did or didn’t receive at the time of the event; the degree to which we process our emotions about the event; the intensity and duration of the event; and many other factors.

When trauma builds up, or no support was available to help something through an overwhelming or distressing event, symptoms can become acute, chronic or complex and trauma can move into what’s known as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. When this happens, counseling can be helpful to reduce symptoms, process the event/experience, and explore underlying emotions or negative beliefs associated with the trauma.

Symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks (reliving the event); nightmares or disturbed sleep; intrusive or repetitive unwanted memories; and images or sensations from the event. You may experience physical sensations like heart pounding, trouble breathing, or sweating; and notice that you are avoiding things that remind you of the trauma. You might have an increased startle response and find that you’re irritable, jumpy or on edge, or find yourself scanning people and places for threat. It could be hard for you to remember all or part of the experience, or it feels fragmented; and you may struggle to concentrate or stay on task. You may experience strong internal beliefs like, “I’m not safe,” “there is something wrong with me,” “no one can be trusted,” or “the world is a dangerous place.” You may have strong feelings associated with the trauma – shame, guilt, anger, fear; or you may notice yourself withdrawing from others. It may be hard for you to feel positive emotions and you may feel a loss of interest in things you used to enjoy.

Any combination of these symptoms may mean you could benefit from counseling. Trauma counseling is a form of support which aims to validate your experience of trauma, reduce or eliminate symptoms, make sense of what happened to you, and restore your brain and body to a less charged state at a pace that is tolerable.

Developmental trauma or complex trauma describes the result of ongoing or repeated exposure to traumatic events during a child’s developmental stages. Complex PTSD may be the outcome of a history of abuse, neglect, excessive medical interventions, significant loss, and exposure to violence (to name only a few). Children in foster care, or those who have been adopted through foster care, may have this form of PTSD and therapeutic intervention as early as possible can change the course of their life and relationships for the positive. If you are an adult with a history of complex or developmental trauma, it’s not too late to address it! It may be a bit more complex to unwind the effects of long term trauma, but I believe it is possible. Attachment focused counseling greatly benefits clients suffering from developmental or complex trauma.