Trauma therapy

About 60-70% of adults in the United States will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. About 61% of adults report experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience. If you have experienced trauma, you are not alone! Fortunately, you are not powerless. There are effective tools and treatments out there to support you through the healing process. If you are considering seeking out trauma therapy, here is what you need to know.

Common impacts of trauma

Physical

Trauma has a profound impact on the body. It activates the fight-or-flight system to help us either flee or defend ourselves. When we are prevented from doing either effectively, this system can become “stuck”. When we stay in persistent fight-or-flight mode, this means the body cannot rest or let down its guard. Common bodily responses to trauma include muscle tension and tightness, stomach upset, increased blood pressure, and rapid heart rate. When the body cannot rest or relax, it is hard to concentrate, hard to sleep, hard to experience joy, and hard to defend against illness. Trauma therapy can help your body learn that it is safe and can return to rest mode.

Cognitive

Trauma shapes our worldview. This means how we see the world, ourselves, and other people. People that have experienced trauma, tend to see the world as more dangerous and unfair, themselves as less competent or good, and other people as untrustworthy. Interacting with the world is incredibly difficult when you see danger around every corner. When you are sure others want to harm you and cheat you. Or when you do not feel good about yourself. Therapy can help you to update your worldview to be more adaptive.

Emotional

One of the most common impacts of trauma is to increase emotion dysregulation. This means emotions can become more intense and difficult to manage. This can range from intense anger, sadness, fear, or even feeling emotionally numb. Many people will yo-yo back and forth after a trauma. This is exhausting and extremely stressful to the system. Therapy helps trauma survivors to gain skill to better regulate their emotions as well as to resolve “stuck” emotions.

Trauma therapy at Playa Vida Therapy and Wellness

At Playa Vida Therapy and Wellness, we approach trauma therapy from a holistic and integrative approach. Dr. Grad has extensive training in trauma specific therapy, but she also feels it is important to address all areas of the client’s life. This means improving sleep, optimizing nutrition, introducing somatic therapies, and addressing relationships in addition to trauma focused work. If you are considering trauma therapy and want to learn more, we are happy to guide you through the process.