THERAPY FOR TRAUMA AND/OR POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Traumas can come in many forms and can include being assaulted, being in war, having a car accident, suffering from abuse, or a number of horrible events.  It's normal to have difficulties after such a tragedy, but when you are unable to recover, you may be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Also, PTSD can be divided into Single Incident PTSD, when the trauma was a unique incident, and Complex PTSD, which is ongoing trauma, usually during childhood, where the person's nervous system is activated for long periods of time, living in survival mode and a state of fight, flight, freeze or fawn and not feeling safe.  Complex PTSD can be do to ongoing sexual abuse, physical abuse, unpredictable parents, neglect, or other ongoing situations where the person did not feel safe or taken care of.  PTSD can leave you feeling on edge and in constant fear.  It may prevent you from sleeping and may affect work, school, relationships or one's personal life so much that you can't function well.  Fortunately, there is treatment for PTSD and you can recover.
 
Through using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing the memory of the trauma can go from feeling like the trauma is in the present to feeling like it is in the past.  You are not likely to entirely forget your experience, but you can learn to be less triggered, less upset, and have a significant decrease in PTSD symptoms in response to thinking about the event.     

SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE:

1. Having experienced a life-threatening or traumatizing event 
2. Recurrent thoughts about the trauma  
3. Nightmares related to the trauma 
4. Flashbacks 
5. Being triggered by reminders of the trauma 
6. Being triggered by anything associated with the trauma 
7. Avoiding thoughts, feelings, places, related to the trauma 
8. Not remembering part of or all of the trauma 
9. Feeling numb and/or having diminshed interested in life 
10. Trouble sleeping 
11. Difficulty with concentration 
12. Getting startled easily 
13. Hypervigilance (anxiously aware your surroundings) 
14. Irritability or outbursts of anger 
15. Children may act out the trauma in their play

Additionally, Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Family Systems Therapy can help heal relationships, whether the trauma was inflicted by that person, or whether the trauma triggers difficulties being able to be close and connected.  Therapy will not cause you to be retraumatized or relive the trauma, but will help you to confront it and finally get your life back.  ​

To make an appointment for an assessment and/or discuss recommendations for treatment, call  (415) 686-9544 or email [email protected]  I have offices in San Francisco and Corte Madera and provide phone and/or web sessions for clients who can not come to the office. ​

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please call (415) 686-9544 or click the contact now button to send me an email.

contact now!