We often talk about trauma and its negative impact on us even long after the trauma has occurred. Trauma symptoms come in many forms, such as flashbacks, negative feelings such as fear and avoidance of similar situations, and increased hypervigilance.
For some people, these symptoms persist and lead to a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It’s often hard to talk about past trauma for fear that we may re-experience or feel as though it may happen all over again by telling our story.
However, in trauma recovery, it can be extremely vital for many people to connect with a therapist to receive extra support in processing the past. This article will give you background into trauma’s effect on the body and why trauma therapists can be vital in processing trauma and the road to recovery.
Understanding Your Body During Trauma and Trauma Reminders
The frontal cortex (or prefrontal cortex to be more exact) is responsible for our high order thinking, such as making decisions and telling time. When trauma occurs, this part of the brain sits on the back burner, deciding that it’s not needed for “survival,” whether the thing to survive from is a perceived emotional threat AND/OR a physical threat.
Trauma is a disruption of our Automatic Nervous System (ANS), the portion of our brain that’s responsible for all the body functions we don’t have to even think about, such as breathing, as well as how we process events including our fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses, emotions, and memory. Trauma makes it so that it’s extremely difficult for our ANS to distinguish between or separate from the past and the present (the part of the brain that tells time isn’t part of the ANS).
Since our physical survival skills in the brain are in the ANS, our brain tries to protect us from future harm – through painful memories of the past and/or sometimes through no memories but other responses to triggers such as fear, panic, or phobias. This can further make processing trauma on our own extremely difficult. So, what is trauma processing, and how does it work?
Trauma Processing
When we say “process” trauma, this may be confusing for some people. Processing, for many people, can in fact be sharing their story and feeling comfortable to let others know about what happened. However, you can process trauma even without ever sharing your story at all (sounds strange, right? I thought so too before I became a therapist myself). Processing, by its simple definition, means emotional disturbances are absorbed and decline to where experiences and behaviors proceed without disruption (as described by psychologist Stanley Rachman). Let’s take a look into how trauma therapists help you in processing trauma.
Why Trauma Therapists are Vital to Recovery
I tend to believe that we heal relationship wounds by the presence of more healthy relationships to take its place. Some of us aren’t always able to immediately form new healthy relationships with others with ease because of our history with certain traumatic events. It can be hard to find relationships that feel healing due to this reason. Trauma doesn’t have to mean we build barriers because we choose to share or not share our experiences. Communication and interaction can help rebuild trust in others that has been broken. Sometimes these healthy relationships come in the form of a therapist teaching and modeling for you healthy relationships and boundaries.
Long before you’re sharing your story (or choosing not to), your trauma therapist is preparing you for the big “trauma processing” discussed in the last section through:
● Identifying or finding awareness of things (people, places, things, ideas) that may
trigger trauma responses in your body
● Increasing your tolerance in experiencing negative emotions
● Practicing regulation of your ANS through grounding techniques
● Learning techniques to lower symptoms of hyperarousal
Being Working with A Miami Trauma Therapist
If you’re ready to give a trauma therapist a try, reach out to us to schedule a consultation or appointment with one of our trauma informed and trained therapists. We are honored to offer support from our Miami, FL-based practice and across the state. You can start your therapy journey by following these simple steps:
- Contact our team to schedule an appointment
- Get to know a therapist from our trained team
- Start receiving the support you deserve!
Other Services Offered with Miami Vibes Counseling
Our team is happy to offer a variety of mental health services in addition to trauma therapy. Other mental health services include CBT, ACT, TF-CBT, and parenting support. In addition, we are happy to offer treatment for depression, stress, trauma, grief, and anxiety therapy. Our team is happy to provide support for life transitions, infidelity, children, and families. Learn more about our other services including ESA letters, support for business or employment stress, spirituality, and online therapy. Visit our blog or FAQs page for more helpful info today!
