Trauma
Finding somebody to talk with about your feelings.
According to Gabor Maté “Trauma is a psychic wound that hardens you psychologically that then interferes with your ability to grow and develop. It pains you and now you’re acting out of pain. It induces fear and now you’re acting out of fear. Trauma is not what happens to you, it’s what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you. Trauma is that scarring that makes you less flexible, more rigid, less feeling and more defended”.
Trauma and chronic stress can lead to a dis-regulated stress system, which may make individuals more vulnerable to addictive behaviors. Trauma causes high levels of stress because your mind and body see this event as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening. Stress triggers the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline – the same hormones that handle your body’s fight-or-flight response.
It’s important to have a coping strategy for getting through the bad feelings of a traumatic event.
- A good coping strategy is finding somebody to talk with about your feelings.
- A bad coping strategy would be turning to alcohol or drugs, or other addictive behavior.
Having a positive coping strategy and learning something from the situation can help you recover from a traumatic event. Trauma is real, it is not in any way a weakness – don’t suffer alone or in silence.
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Whatever your reason for seeking counselling or therapy, I believe in a non-judgmental and transformative way of working that is tailored to meet and fulfil your particular needs, at this time of your life. In my experience, lasting positive change really is possible. I combine elements of psychodynamic, behavioural, cognitive and humanistic modalities into an integrative approach which is best for you. Techniques include IFS (Internal Family Systems); EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique); CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and Inner Child Work.
Addiction
Addiction is a multi-faceted condition which is often measured, in part, by the impact it makes on a person’s quality of life. It is treatable and can be successfully managed.
Trauma
Finding somebody to talk with about your feelings rather than turning to alcohol or drugs, or other addictive behavior.
Codependency
Codependents will put their energy into helping for others. We need to strive for a balance between helping others and taking care of ourselves.
