Trauma Therapist in Orange County
Trauma Therapy
Any situation that leaves you overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it does not involve physical harm.
Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event. That event and the effects of it may look different for each of us. But nonetheless because we live in sinful world, we have or will experience trauma in our lives. These can be also defined as a negative experience. These may be during childhood or adulthood and in some cases can happen during both stages in our lives.
We would like to help you heal from childhood and/or adult wounds. Because these experiences not only impact your core beliefs but also your ability to trust and have healthy interpersonal relationships.
Trauma Therapy is simply being willing to unearth and process the painful negative event(s) you have experienced.
What will trauma therapy look like? It will be at your pace, but we will in a sense remove the bandaid you have placed over your hurts and/or traumas. We will work on processing the trauma together via verbal processing, journal prompts, and exercises. Our goal is to learn to process the trauma by expressing our emotions to be able to resolve trauma and find healing from the hurt we experienced. When emotions are prohibited, trauma isn’t processed.
Why? because otherwise you will continue to be impacted by what you have experienced and it will continue to affect your relationships at home, at work, with friends, and your loved ones. The unresolved experiences will cause intense reactions to things in the present.
He restores my soul… Psalm 23:3
Childhood wounds are as a result of your needs not being met.
If you are unsure what childhood needs were not met think about what causes you to become emotionally reactive and is triggering those unmet needs. Think about the interactions you have on a daily basis that you find yourself continually getting upset or bothered by unsure why it’s bothering you so much. What feeling, memory, or belief comes to mind.
Here is a list of core needs think through whether you did or did not have the need met as a child then as an adult in your primary relationships. Core needs: to be valued, to be heard, to be appreciated, to be needed, to be loved, to be understood, to be acknowledged, to be wanted, to be approved.
When your core needs are not met, you develop core wounds, these core wounds are unmet needs that drive your behavior. You will also be emotionally reactive to anything that triggers those unmet needs.
Childhood wounds began in our families of origin that we first experienced hurt. Even the most well-meaning parents make mistakes, but when we are exposed to things like addictions, mental illness, personality disorder, abandonment, trauma, abuse, and divorce, we end up with even deeper wounds.
Think about what you experienced in childhood that is still impacting you today. Ask yourself did you experience any of the following? Abandonment (emotional and/or physical), addictions (alcohol, drugs, sex, food, gambling, etc.), affairs, abuse (verbal, emotional, physical, sexual, spiritual), mental illness, rejection, favoritism, workaholism, divorce, death, foster care, stepfamily issues, economic issues, single parenting, anything else that your experienced that you think of and notice it’s still impacting you today.
Information regarding childhood wounds has been taken with permission from “Healing the Wounds of your Past” by Karla Downing, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist committed to helping individuals heal and improve their relationship.
If you are interested in learning more or taking her in-person/online class head over to her website to sign up.