Welcome! 

If you are looking into trauma recovery, it probably means that you, or someone you care about, have already tried to get help but still feel stuck, anxious, or have lingering physical symptoms.

I hope that you find something of what you are looking for in my website, and I would be happy to speak to you to discuss questions you may have. 

Definition of Trauma:

When we have any experience that is too much, too fast, too soon, and for too long i.e. any experience that overwhelms our body’s ability to recover stability , we can think of this as Trauma.

We retreat from our feelings and become stuck in our thinking, relationships and behaviour. We may never feel quite happy or alive. It can feel like being inside a cage, trying endlessly to escape, and needing to find a way to unlock the door.

Causes of Trauma:

The most common form of trauma is developmental.

This happens during the period from birth to adolescence. This is the time when the brain is developing most, and when the parts of our brain that help give us language, understanding of sequence, consequences, emotions etc, and our sense of identity are still developing. 

We are particularly vulnerable. We cannot shout back, fight, run away, or otherwise defend ourselves, and we cannot meet our own needs - we are totally dependent on our care-givers to protect and look after us, to comfort and soothe us, to make us feel that we are safe and belong, that we're OK and that the world is an OK place to live. 

Caregivers who cannot give this safe and encouraging environment reliably to their children leave them trying to manage more than their development can permit without damage. The result is that stress, shame, rage, fear, self-loathing, and a longing for love all can accumulate in the young person’s system - their physiological system, their emotions, their psychological expectations assumptions and beliefs, and therefore their relationships and behaviours.

Chronic stress and anxiety:

This has a similar impact on our physiology as being under threat. Our nervous system perceives that we are in a continual state of threat, and gets stuck in a cycle of releasing adrenaline and cortisol which keeps our heart over-working, our muscles tight, and our digestion and adrenal and endocrine systems impaired, in order to prepare ourselves to fight or run away, because we do not manage to fight back or run away. This chronic trauma can include secondary or vicarious trauma. Front line service personnel and crisis counsellors can often experience this form of trauma.

Single incident traumas:

These include car accidents, seeing or being part of horrifying incidents, being attacked, undergoing surgery, having a very high fever. People who work in the armed forces and front line personnel such as fire-fighters, police, ICU and other hospital and medical workers, social workers, and teachers, all can experience this form of trauma and that of chronic stress.

Integrative Therapy Approach:

The approach that I believe works better with Trauma is one that integrates giving attention to your body, your emotions, your psychological processes, and your spirit.

You are an individual: I integrate all the training and experience I have in service of your individual circumstances, needs and desired outcomes.

Whatever your concern, please feel free to contact me here for more information.