Are you frequently in overwhelm, inertia or collapse?
Are you constanly bracing yourself against danger, ready to fight or run away?
If you answered yes to any of these questions or are close to someone for whom this is true I can help you. Although human beings have an amazing ability to heal after short and intense crises or long and protracted periods of physical and emotional stress, sometimes the nervous system fails to return to neutral and we live as if perpetually threatened.
You maybe constantly on the alert for danger and finding it hard to rest. The actual danger may have passed but you may still be left feeling threatened and unsafe.
I am a psychotherapist who specializes in helping people who have experienced being overwhelmed by events and experiences that have shaken their foundations. I help people recover after a crisis.
Periods of time where you felt out of control, either through medical problems and treatment, family difficulties, physical trauma, accidents, physical/sexual abuse, and loss of loved ones, can be hard to recover from. Long after the event, you may still find yourself restricting where you go, who you will be with and how much closeness, joy and connection you will allow with others. It is natural to seek out other people when we are scared or threatened. When traumatized we can tend to avoid other people instead.
Perhaps you have been told you overreact. You may startle and jump easily at a sudden sound or surprise.
These things are actually normal reactions when your nervous system is set on "high" and hasn't been able to re-set to neutral.
When we are traumatized, often through the actions or inactions of others, we can tend to isolate and be mistrustful and sometimes ashamed, as if we are to blame for the hurt that we have experienced. We may avoid other people and fail to get the help and support we deserve. I know that this is very painful. I help people to heal that pain, treating the symptoms of trauma through paying attention to the mind, the body and the feelings associated with trauma recovery. Togther we will re-find/find your inner sense of safety and freedom from the effects of past events.
I will help you gradually let go of hypervigilance, that constantly wary of danger way of being. I will help your nervous system return to neutral by assisting your natural self regulation system to complete the healing process. I will help your nervous system that has become stuck in alert/danger mode become unstuck. I can help you rest without collapsing and refind your natural curiosity for life and living in place of your guarded, self protective vigilance.
Move out of collapse and overwhelm and into rest and rejuvenation.
We will take the time to assess your personal stress/trauma history, recognizing the particular pressures that you have been living under. I will help you to lessen those pressures and find your vitality and passion for living.
Learning and trying new things may have become difficult too. When traumatized, we may expect there to be threats and danger where there maybe none. Enjoying life with its regular ups and downs can be challenging when traumatized. We get triggered by sights, sounds, things in the present that remind us of trauma in the past. Seeking professional help to heal after trauma is really worthwhile. Sometimes you do not appreciate how affected you are by trauma until later.
Can you picture a time when you could declare that the bad experience of the past is truly passed? Can you imagine a present in which you have retained all you know as a result of the trauma and can use it positively, feeling good about yourself and free to move on? People who have experienced trauma know things they would often rather not. We can turn this knowledge into something valuable, heal and move on.
No one chooses this path in life but when confronted with the experience of being stuck, held back and limited by personal stress and pain from the past, there comes an opportunity to take the journey to recovery and heal.
You can do this. People are taking this journey, one step at a time. I provide guidance and support to people who need help in re/finding neutral, peace, and safety after trauma. I work individually, with those who experience trauma and those close to people experiencing trauma, family, friends and professional care givers. I also work with couples whose relationships are impacted by trauma and in groups.
Couples counseling for people whose relationships are impacted by trauma and stress. See Services
Individual counseling provides a confidential space in which to start heal. See Services
Dance and Movement groups offer a non-verbal approach to restoring balance and recovering from trauma and overwhelm.
Tools to help you with stress and trauma recovery: music, spoken word meditations and videos. See Tools
Call me at 510-377-1082. I look forward to speaking with you.