Trauma is in the eye of the beholder; an event that is traumatic for one person may or may not be traumatic for another. Something becomes traumatic when we feel that our safety is threatened, or when we feel unable to cope. Trauma therapy can help.
Types of trauma
- Acute trauma - symptoms of trauma that occur following a single stressful or overwhelming event (for example, a car accident, medical procedure, sudden loss, or single sexual assault)
- Chronic trauma - symptoms of trauma that occur following repeated or prolonged overwhelming or distressing events (for example, domestic violence, long-term serious illness, fighting in combat or living through war)
- Complex trauma - exposure to varied traumatic events that are often invasive and interpersonal (between people)
- Developmental trauma - exposure to trauma that happens in childhood and is often prolonged (for example, abuse or neglect from parents or caregivers)
Causes of trauma
There are many experiences that can be seen as traumatic, including:
- Childhood trauma
- Attachment trauma (trauma at the hands of primary caregivers early in life)
- Domestic violence
- Relationship trauma/Intimate partner violence
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Single-event trauma (for example, a car accident, a workplace injury, etc.)
- Traumatic grief/loss
- Birth trauma
- Medical trauma/injury
- Betrayal trauma (trauma from the closest people to you, such as a partner or parent)
- Natural disasters
- Refugee trauma
- Generational trauma
- War
- Combat trauma
Trauma and PTSD
For some, trauma can develop into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is a diagnosis given to people who find themselves experiencing symptoms in the following four areas:
- Feeling like you’re re-experiencing the event through things like intrusive thoughts or memories, flashbacks, or nightmares.
- Avoidance or numbing, through avoiding reminders of the trauma or engaging in various behaviours (such as substance use and self-harm) to numb emotions.
- Hyperarousal - for example, having difficulty sleeping, always looking for signs of threat or danger, startling easily, or difficulty concentrating.
- Negative changes in mood or thoughts, such as guilt, shame, or negative self-beliefs.
If you are looking to work through trauma and its ripple effects or symptoms similar to the ones listed above, therapy can help.
Trauma Therapy Types
I feel very fortunate to have trained in various trauma-focused approaches. Among the most effective modalities for working with trauma and PTSD are:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy - Allows the brain to re-process experiences of distress and/or trauma, leading to reduction of trauma-related symptoms.
- Somatic Experiencing - Originally developed by Peter Levine, this is a form of therapy that addresses the body's role in working through effects of trauma.
- Parts Work - Examines the relationships between the various "parts" of ourselves or "sub-personalities", which we all have, in order to work toward harmony within ourselves.
- Narrative Therapy - Therapy that uses your story and externalizes your struggles to pursue healing, while viewing yourself as the expert of your own life.
- Attachment Therapy - This form of therapy examines the relationships with primary caregivers early in life, and how or whether your needs were able to be met as a child. These relationships define how you build relationships with others.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) - A form of behaviour therapy that examines the relationship between thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and physical sensations.
If you’re in Kitchener-Waterloo or the surrounding area and are looking for therapy to work through your trauma and/or PTSD, please reach out. I would be honoured to walk alongside you as you take these courageous steps.