trauma therapy
Are you ready to work through a traumatic experience from your past?
Do you notice a bad feeling that you can't seem to shake, no matter what you do? Are you feeling exhausted by trying to feel better? Perhaps you're running out of ideas and are starting to feel some despair. You might be living with anxiety on a regular basis, trying to manage the possibility of physical or emotional danger. Do you experience moments where you find yourself fighting, leaving, or shutting down? Do you sometimes feel like you aren't fully in control of how you are responding to people and circumstances? Trauma has a way of making life get small. Less seems possible. Problems feel more overwhelming.
Many people struggle to revisit past trauma. It's normal to want to forget about it and move on.
Traumatic experiences are difficult and uncomfortable. The desire to turn away from trauma is completely understandable. Traumatic experiences are also unresolved experiences. The unresolved nature of trauma is one of the reasons it is so difficult to contend with. Trauma is also related to the human instinct to survive. In many ways, revisiting trauma is similar to revisiting a near death experience. That is a big ask for anyone.
Trauma therapy is an opportunity to work with the impacts of trauma in a slow and gentle way that brings relief over time.
Trauma therapy sessions are 50 minutes in length and take place virtually or in person in Broomfield, CO. Clients have the option to tell the story of their trauma, or not. Telling the story isn't necessary to do trauma work. I do a lot of checking in with a client, and inviting present moment awareness, throughout the session. Anything that I might suggest during therapy is optional and clients can always say no to a question or idea that I propose. I work intentionally with finding an appropriate balance between both supporting you and challenging you. My approach is collaborative, and you can contribute as much or as little as you like to the direction of each session.
We will look at the impact of the traumatic experience on your mind, body, and emotions.
I believe that each person's experience of trauma is unique. The trauma might be presenting in different ways at different times in your life, or, it might change from one moment to the next as we move through one session. I focus on attending to what is arising in the moment. I support clients to slowly, over time, build capacity for the feelings and sensations related to trauma. With more capacity, the individual can sit with difficult feelings and sensations long enough for the pent-up energy to move through the body and be released. Over time, this can be a significant source of relief for clients and often results in a more peaceful and relaxed experience living in your own body.
I'm afraid of getting into a negative spiral that I can't get out of.
In many cases, the fear of unleashing something that can't be controlled is actually the thing that keeps a person stuck. It's important to know that working with trauma can be very gentle and slow. Trauma work doesn't have to be cathartic, and I recommend a gentle approach that is slow and steady. An important part of trauma work is building capacity to tolerate difficult feelings. Paradoxically, as you feel more confident in your ability to handle discomfort, you can relax more. The more relaxed you are, the more opportunity for your body to release old, stuck energy.
I've been talking about this forever. Nothing changes.
You might be feeling like you've exhausted the benefits of talk therapy. If that's the case, we can work entirely with the body and your somatic experience throughout the session. We don't have to revisit the story of your trauma if you don't want to. If you feel you have a cognitive understanding of your experience, and you are ready to work with your trauma through the body, we can focus our sessions accordingly.
I don't want to be in therapy forever. How long do you think this will take?
I don't want you to be in therapy forever either. Many factors influence how long a person needs to be in therapy to work through trauma. The duration and severity of the traumatic experience, the support the person received at the time of the trauma, personality and temperament, willingness and capacity for discomfort, and desire to change, are all examples of what makes each person's trauma unique and what makes each person's healing journey different. While I can't promise the work can get done in a specific timeframe, I can promise to be honest with you if I think anything feels offtrack or stuck. If I think anything is getting in the way of your therapeutic progress I will always be transparent and communicate those concerns with you.
It takes a tremendous amount of courage to turn towards trauma.
Trauma can potentially impact any aspect of human experience. Many of my clients begin trauma therapy with a felt sense of no longer living fully. I've worked with people who have experienced developmental trauma during childhood, sexual abuse trauma, physical abuse trauma, emotional trauma in adult relationships, medical trauma, and body accident and injury trauma. I've witnessed an incredible courage and grit within each of these individuals to re-connect with their inherent vibrancy, wisdom, and healthy sense of self. The resiliency of the human spirit lives within each person, and that includes you!
Let's talk!
In your search for Somatic Experiencing therapy in Denver, Colorado, chemistry is everything. You can schedule a free video consultation to see how it feels to talk with me and to ask any questions you may have. If you have particular concerns about trauma therapy, I encourage you to bring them up when we meet! Please familiarize yourself with my pricing and logistics before scheduling.
