Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress

In a traumatic event, a person is exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. The person might be directly involved, a witness to, or learning of this happening to a close friend or family member. 

Many people have experienced multiple traumas and it is common for a recent event to jump-start reactions from prior traumas. When life is deeply affected by trauma, people can find daily living quite challenging. Intrusive memories, flashbacks, anxiety, and avoidance of certain situations are among the experiences common in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

If you are living with PTSD, you might have considered therapy but been fearful that therapy might cause you to focus intently on the trauma. However, this is typically not at all the case. 

In cognitive processing therapy for PTSD, for instance, we explore:

-  the meaning that people take from their trauma and

- the self-harming beliefs that they hold about themselves 

 It is through the gentle reconsideration of these beliefs that people generally find tremendous relief and a significant reduction in PTSD.    This typically takes place  over 8-12 weeks.