Trauma Resolution
Any overwhelming occurrence that brings about feelings of horror, helplessness and shock is potentially traumatizing.
The formal psychiatric diagnosis of PTSD defines a "traumatic event" as one in which, "the person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event that involved actual or threatened death, serious injury, or threat to the physical integrity of self or others" and which invoked feelings of intense fear, helplessness or horror. Some common examples of such events include: natural disasters, motor vehicle accidents, rapes, and physical assaults.
However, more mundane occurrences such as verbal abuse, humiliation, childhood neglect, medical procedures, and loss of loved ones may also have traumatic impact, profoundly effecting an individual's sense of self, trust in others, and sense of safety and effectiveness in the world.
Treatment for resolution of trauma generally occurs in stages.
The first stage involves creating a foundation of safety and stability. The therapist shares information with the client about trauma, its symptoms, and approaches to healing, while honoring the client as the expert on her or his experience. Treatment focuses on the modulation of the physiological stress response (fight, flight, freeze), skillful management of strong emotions, and the development of safe, supportive relationships.
The next stage involves the processing of traumatic events. When we experience significant threat our brains go into survival mode, commonly referred to as the fight or flight response. Mammals are also biologically predisposed to freeze (dissociate) when faced with severe, inescapable threat. Much processing of trauma involves tracking and resolving these physiological reactions so that the nervous system may return to homeostasis and ease.
Emergence of self compassion and adaptive insights anchored in a felt sense of conviction harkens movement into the third treatment stage: integration and life enhancement. Work during this stage involves exploration of how the past has informed one's present from a "big picture" perspective, while focusing on the existential project of living a meaningful, vital life.
While the stage model is a helpful way to delineate the primary objectives in trauma resolution, rarely does real life treatment proceed in such a linear fashion. More commonly, work related to all three stages may take place somewhat simultaneously, or earlier stages are revisited while working primarily in a later stage. Ultimately, trauma resolution is a creative process that transpires somewhat differently for each individual.
In addition to the above general guidelines, the following treatment modalities inform my approach to trauma resolution:
Directly addresses traumatic impact on the nervous system through application of mindfulness techniques.
Integrates upsetting thoughts, feelings and events from the past into more adaptive, present-focused neural networks through application of bilateral neural stimulation (eye movements or tapping) and dual attention procedures.
Addresses inner conflict and dissociation through mindful, compassionate attention to disowned and unintegrated parts of the self.
