Trauma Informed Care

Trauma can weave its way into every aspect of an individual's life erecting significant disruptions in their functioning. Traumatic experiences can be a single event or repeated events over time. The American psychological association defines trauma as 
“an emotional response to a terrible event such as a car accident, rape or natural disaster”.
Following a threatening experience, it is normal to experience shock, denial, irritability, and anxiety. For some individual’s symptoms will naturally dissipate within a few weeks and their nervous system settles. For others, it can be more difficult. Their natural healing process may be interrupted for various reasons (i.e. lack of social support, inadequate resources, lack of emotional regulation skills, prolonged exposure, and other adverse conditions). When the biological healing system has thwarted the experience then becomes a trauma, with the potential to damage an individual's quality of life. Traumatic experiences can have significant long-term effects causing disruptions in interpersonal relationships, work, and other important areas in life. Not every individual who experiences a traumatic event develops PTSD. Some people may experience symptoms that dissipate over a few weeks. A diagnosis of PTSD occurs when symptoms persist for 1 month or more following the event and significantly interfere with an individual’s functioning. PTSD symptoms include feelings of hopelessness, flashbacks, hypervigilance, diminished sense of self, difficulty experiencing a range of emotion or experiencing an overwhelming amount of emotion, night terrors, decrease in motivation, etc. Trauma comes in many forms and everyone adapts and copes differently. Adverse childhood experiences or other prolonged traumas are significant risk factors for developing mental illness. Although definitions exist to clarify the meaning of trauma, what equates a traumatic experience is based on the subjective experience of the individual. If you believe you may be experiencing post-traumatic reactions, psychotherapy focused on Trauma-Informed Care can provide the support necessary to alleviate PTSD symptoms.