*Are there certain memories or situations that make you frightened, anxious, on edge, or confused? *Do you repeatedly use substances or harmful behaviors to "check out", even though you want to be healthy? *Do you often feel distant, numb, or a bit removed from your body? *Do you repeatedly find yourself playing out the same old relationship patterns with people who hurt you? *Are you struggling to feel safe in relationships, yet can't seem to understand why? *Do you have a history of volatile relationships, which may have included abuse, neglect, violence?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you could be dealing with the effects of trauma. Many events can register as traumatic to the nervous system, whether or not you felt they had a big impact. These kinds of events include:
* accidents * assaults * disaster and/or it's aftermath * childhood abuse, neglect, or abandonment * medical procedures * betrayal by someone you trusted * any event that felt overwhelming and threatened your sense of safety * witnessing any of the above happen to someone you are close to
Common symptoms of trauma include:
* reactive anger * depression, lethargy, substance abuse or other addictions, anxiety * difficulty trusting others * heightened startle response (feeling "jumpy") * dissociation (feeling "absent" or removed from your body) * exaggerated fear response in certain situations * numbing * avoidance of certain people, places, situations
Oftentimes, traditional talk therapy isn't quite effective at creating the nervous system changes needed to heal from trauma, neglect, and stressful life circumstances. Fortunately, somatic (meaning with/in the body) psychotherapy can help regulate the nervous system directly, and "discharge" old, stuck energy and habitual responses that prevent feelings of safety and well-being.
We can work together to help you work through the flight/fight/flee response that may not have completed during the original triggering events, whether you have experienced single event traumas (accidents, assaults, disasters) or repeated trauma (abuse, neglect, war). We will also work to help you find safety within your experience--in fact, this is the biggest part of the work!
This kind of work is best done by someone well-trained in tracking the nervous system and helping clients find safety through their embodied experience. Note that this sort of work complements the Hakomi Method of Experiential Psychotherapy.
We can discuss somatic (body-based) psychotherapy services for trauma more during a free, 15 minute phone consult. Call Waking Heart Therapy, LLC at 303.551.3923, or schedule via Contact to set up an appointment in Boulder, Colorado. I look forward to hearing from you!