What is trauma?

SAMHSA defines trauma thus: “Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening with lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.”

Trauma can range from experiencing poverty and discrimination, neglect or abuse, to experiencing combat or torture. There’s no right or wrong way to experience trauma. Even if you can not name or describe it, it can still be trauma.

Trauma triggers thoughts, desires, behaviors, emotions that are impossible to understand without education and guidance

Is this trauma therapy?

I am a Certified Mental Health Practitioner and Trauma Specialist, but, no, this is not trauma therapy. This a Trauma Informed approach to Life Coaching. It’s an approach to coaching that is built upon the understanding of how traumatic experiences affect an individuals mental, emotional and physical well-being.

I aim to help you become aware of how your past trauma can be negatively impacting your current life and preventing you from creating a life of safety, health, peace of mind and a healthy view of self. This new awareness is key to developing and maintaining healthy relationships with others and most importantly with God himself. Yes, unresolved trauma can hinder your relationship with your heavenly Father.

How do I know if I have experienced trauma? What does trauma look like?

Trauma can have many faces, but her are some common trauma symptoms:

Denial

Repeating your trauma

Distrust

Fatigue

Anxiety

Depression

The impending sense of doom

Anger or Easily Annoyed

Maintaining an abusive/toxic relationship

Abusive behavior

Risky behavior

Sexual promiscuity

Difficulty sleeping

Eating disorder

Forgetfulness or other memory issues

Social isolation

Refusal to accept help

Addiction

Hypervigilance

What are the different types of trauma?

There are three main types of trauma that patients may be dealing with:

• Acute Trauma stems from a singular traumatic experience, such as an accident, natural disaster or sexual assault.

• Chronic Trauma occurs when a person experiences multiple, long-term and/or prolonged traumatic events. Some examples include domestic violence, bullying, addiction, sexual abuse and long-term illness.

• Complex Trauma is the result of multiple different traumatic experiences. Potential causes can include childhood abuse, domestic violence or civil unrest.

How do past experiences effect my present or my futrue life?

Our brains are wired for connection but when we have experienced trauma, we rewire for protection. As a result, a history of trauma can sometimes look like an inability to trust, toxic relationships, addiction, violent behavior, anxiety, depression, eating disorders and more, in our present lives.

When we are young, we lack the emotional and intellectual abilities to process painful experiences and can can leave us feeling overwhelmed. The ways that we develop to cope with that sense of feeling overwhelmed, serve us well from experiencing something which feels too big.  

Often, those strategies that we developed at young ages such as, disassociating, shutting down, distracting ourselves with other behaviors, repeating our trauma, or many others, become so ingrained that they continue into our adult lives even when they cease serving us well, and interfere with our relationships or living life as we would like. 

How can you help me?

Not everyone is ready to face their trauma and not everyone is ready to see a Therapist. But everyone wants to feel better, live better and be treated with respect and dignity.

I can help you become self-aware of the triggers, fears, negative core beliefs, lies, lifestyle and dysfunctional behavior and relationships that are holding you back from achieving a life of abundance.

I can also help you change your lifestyle in order to reduce the negative and painful impact trauma has on your mind, body and soul.

I can also be a first step to getting the specialized, intensive Trauma Therapy you want and/or need.

Salvation saves our souls but it doesn’t always heal our minds and bodies from the sins of others and our sinful choices. Along with teaching how to become self-aware, I will teach you fundamentals tools to reducing triggers, reframing negative thoughts and perceptions and help you start living more in the present and not the past.

God has a grand design just for you. Let’s get the support we need so we can start living out that design today.