Helping Orange County Families Heal Since 2009!

Trauma Therapy

Have you experienced abuse, extreme neglect or a traumatic event?

Have you ever been wounded by physical abuse? Or have you ever been violated by a sexual predator. Maybe you have been scarred by rape or child molestation. To make matters even worse, did you tell the police or your parents and no one helped or believed you? It pains me to think that anyone would have to go through things that are so horrendous.

If you have been a victim of a crime or abuse or have experience with war, you might be going through PTSD symptoms like feelings of constant fear, anger, shame and helplessness. You also might be having trouble falling or staying asleep. When the upheaval of emotions get too burdensome to carry, it can cause you to become irritable and have angry outbursts with little or no provocation. Your behaviors may become reckless and destructive. Maybe the traumatic event happened to someone close to you. This too, can create any of the above symptoms as well.


It's Not Your Fault

You may not only feel shame and fear, but you may also be feeling that somehow you are to blame. Even if you rebelled and went to party that you were not supposed to attend or if you went to an event that was proibited, no one never have the right to lay a hand on you child. Once again, it is NOT your fault.

If you were sexually molested or raped, you will feel violated, dirty and ashamed. You are not dirty, you are not worthless. You did not deserve this. You are deserving of healing and have every right to feel angry, hurt and despair. As you try and move forward in your life, you will sometimes be triggered into emotions of the trauma by things that remind you of the event. It can come back as powerfully as though it were still happening. A good therapist will help you process through these feelings in a caring and sensitive manner and help you remove self-doubt

If you have suffered through abuse or trauma for long periods of time, you will most likely have difficulty expressing your emotional and relational needs. When asked "What do you need from your spouse or friend?", the answer is often vague or "I don't know". You need to develop a language that puts you first. You may not be used to doing this due to how severely your need for safety and comfort were compromised.


Healing from Trauma

Multiple types of healing may need to occur. Statistics show that people who suffer through trauma are more likely to become depressed or anxious, self harm or get an eating disorder. We belive you are much more than a statistic. We offer hope even in the most dire circumstances. You can overcome the tendency to fall into negative patterns and you have the strength inside to heal your wounds and live a meaningful life.


Am I Ready for Treatment?

In order to begin healing from trauma, you need to feel like your life is safe and stable. Are you safe? Are you out of danger and has the threat of violence or abuse been removed? If not, your safety is your first and highest priority. You may want to begin counseling to simply work on safety issues and calming down and stabilizing chaotic emotions. The deeper work of putting the trauma behind you needs to be postponed until you feel safe.

Another issue that will interfere with quality trauma work is if you are struggling through any other big issues. For example, if you are extremely depressed, going through a big move, starting a new job or are struggling through an eating disorder, you need to focus more on these things, than the trauma.

When you are ready for treatment, you may feel relieved to finally share the heavy emotions with somebody who is caring and skilled in this type of treatment. On the other hand, you may feel reserved about sharing your story due to shame or embarrassment. A sensitive therapist will provide a balance of helping you work at a pace that you are comfortable with, but at the same time not allowing you to move into denial over the trauma. A feeling of safety is a must when sharing such deep feelings.


Free 15 Minute Consultation

If you are having trouble getting your life together, if you are ready to begin trauma work, or even if you don't know if you are ready to begin trauma therapy, then contact one of our counselors who specialize in trauma.


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