Trauma Treatment
Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are incredibly common and often prompt people to consider therapy. And everything that we have all lived through in the past year-plus: Covid-19, racial injustices, and so much loss & change can all be considered types of trauma. At Four Corners, our entire staff is trained to address these issues.
What are trauma and PTSD?
A trauma is a shocking and emotionally overwhelming situation. Trauma is a sort of “terrible knowledge” that we never wanted to know or experience, but we did. It includes everything from sexual assault, car accidents, military service, surviving disasters, traumatic childbirth, and chronic stress to bullying, abusive relationships, emotional neglect, child abuse and lack of parental attunement.
According to the National Center for PTSD, common stress reactions after traumatic events include:
Upsetting memories of the event, including nightmares, and flashbacks.
Sensitivity to and avoidance of triggers that remind you of the event, including sights, smells, sounds, or similar situations.
Increased jumpiness, difficulty sleeping, lack of concentration, startle easily
Changes in how you think about yourself and others, including avoiding relationships, thinking no one can be trusted, and withdrawing from your daily habits, hobbies, and routines.
If these reactions do not go away or worsen, you may have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
How does processing trauma work?
The idea of processing trauma can feel overwhelming. For those considering therapy, remember that the trauma doesn’t have to be re-lived in graphic detail to process and move forward. Integrating trauma appropriately allows it to be part of who you are, but neither defines nor dictates your present or future.
Today, there are wonderful cutting-edge treatments to help people process these events without being re-traumatized.
At Four Corners, we help clients to integrate their experiences using the Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy model. IFS was created as a trauma treatment model, and there is evidence-based research supporting IFS for trauma treatment. Each of our clinicians uses mindfulness and meditative, body-oriented practices to assist clients in their healing process.
Have I experienced trauma?
You may be wondering whether an experience of yours is indeed trauma and worthy of therapy. It’s important to remember that the details of the experience are less important than how the experience impacted you. Some clients come to therapy right away when they encounter a specific experience. Others come when a past trauma keeps them stuck. It is common to have a delayed stress response months or even years after a traumatic event. At Four Corners, we work with all kinds of distressing situations, helping you to address the trauma and move toward a more vibrant and fulfilling life.
Do I need help?
If a trauma (or your response to it) disrupts your daily functioning, prompts dissatisfaction with how you feel, and you know you’re not yourself, then consider working with us. We want you to not only survive but also thrive and live your best life every day.
You might have some questions and concerns about trauma & PTSD treatment…
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As with any counseling, you don’t have to do anything that you are not comfortable doing. And the point of trauma therapy is not to re-traumatize anyone. Healing trauma can occur even if we do not talk about the specific details of your trauma.
If you do feel ready to talk about your traumatic experiences, this is a safe place to do it. It can be powerfully transformative and healing to have another person be a witness to your story and your experience, even if you don’t share all of the details. Together, we will help you make sense of your pain and create a path forward.
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Everyone has some form of trauma in their life; deeply distressing or disturbing experiences are a normal part of being human. A PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) diagnosis means that an individual’s traumatic experience(s) are causing symptoms that are interfering with daily functioning and are causing ongoing distress.
PTSD is characterized by a variety of behaviors and symptoms such as: flashbacks, nightmares and/or trouble sleeping, hypervigilance, changes in mood, intrusive images, or recurring memories that cause distress. Complex PTSD is characterized by a series of traumatic events happening over time, including developmental trauma, that typically (but not always) occur earlier in life. The impact of complex PTSD can include difficulty with interpersonal relationships, struggles with distress tolerance, and challenges in managing emotions.
Therapy for trauma can help to reduce symptoms and improve your overall well-being. Working with a trusted therapist can help you to create a life of meaning and purpose.
Ready to get Started?
Call us at 301-960-8960 for a short chat with our Client Care Coordinator, who is available weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM. You can also fill out the contact form and we will get back to you.
There’s a way of breathing that’s a shame and a suffocation and
there’s another way of expiring, a love breath, that lets you open infinitely.
- Rumi, 13th-century Persian poet, theologian, and mystic
