Trauma

At some point in life, many of us experience trauma. Some encounter it in childhood while others don't face such shock until adulthood. 

Trauma is a shock to our body and spirit. At the moment of a crisis or during a prolonged period of dysfunction, our brain reflexively goes into survival mode. We begin experiencing a lot of physical sensations and emotions and the thoughts and beliefs that form may be incomplete or inaccurate. When our brain shifts out of crisis mode, those intense sensations, emotions and distorted thoughts remain until we process them.

Many don't realize they are adapting their life in response to their unprocessed trauma response. Sometimes the our body’s response to trauma is relatively mild. Other times, the body’s response is immense and creates many layers to process and understand. This requires mindful work to understand and sort what responses we are holding that we no longer need.

I believe people can recover from the shock of crisis and dysfunctional relationships. Those with PTSD or Complex Trauma will find their healing journey does not take them back to a familiar "normal". Trauma integration work takes you to new "normal" territory. A journey to wholeness. The view will be different, but you will have learned to find peace and rest from your fears and release adaptations that are no longer needed.

 

Trauma creates change you didn’t choose. Healing is about creating change that you do choose.
— Michelle Rosenthal

Book Resources

The Body Keeps the Score (Bessel van der Kolk)

Call of the Wild (Kimberly Johnson)

Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving (Pete Walker)

The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Sexual Abuse (Ellen Bass & Laura Davis)

Dear Sister (Lisa Factora-Borchers)

Feeling Great (David Burns)

Healing your Attachment Wound (Diane Poole Heller)

Homecoming (John Bradshaw)

It Didn’t Start With You (Mark Wolynn)

Option B (Sheryl Sandberg)

Ritual Abuse in the 21st Century (Randy Noblitt)

Scared Selfless (Michelle Stevens)

Supersurvivors (David Feldman)

The Dance of Anger (Harriet Lerner)

Waking the Tiger (Peter Levine)

What Happened to You? (Perry & Winfrey)

Why Does He Do That? (Lundy Bancroft)

Where There’s Hope (Elizabeth Smart)