Trauma Therapy in Calgary with Psychologist Jaime Rasmussen
What is Trauma?
Trauma can be defined as an experience we have that overwhelms our capacity to cope. It may impede our sense of security and/or sense of self and damages our trust. It may occur in less than a minute and involve a single experience or multiple, repeated events. These events may involve experiencing or witnessing a threat of life or serious injury to self and others. It could be an accident, a natural disaster, a severe illness or injury, the death of a loved one, rape, assault, or abuse. An experience that is traumatizing for one person, may not be traumatizing for others. Trauma often involves a loss of control, betrayal, abuse of power, pain, helplessness, confusion and/or loss. Memories of trauma are often painful, intrusive and repetitive and seem to suddenly appear “out of the blue”.
“Trauma is the experience of extreme stress—physical or psychological—that overwhelms an individual’s normal capacities to process and cope. When people are in a traumatized state, gripped by primitive survival strategies, they are cut off from their own inner wisdom and the resources of the world around them. Their entire reality is confined to the sense of the self in isolation, helpless and afraid. This profound state of disconnection is the core characteristic of trauma.”
— Tara Brach. Healing Traumatic Fear: The Wings of Mindfulness and Love. In Mindfulness-Oriented Interventions for Trauma.
Symptoms of Trauma
Some trauma survivors may be in shock or denial immediately after a traumatic event. Long-term reactions include intrusive and recurrent flashbacks, extreme emotional fluctuations, emotional numbness, feelings of intense shame, anger or guilt, and a diminished sense of self. Trauma can also hypersensitize the “fight or flight” response, resulting in chronic tension, hyperarousal, anxiety, jumpiness, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and irritability.
Other symptoms may include:
feelings of disconnection from the body
dissociation from emotions
emotional reactivity/poor impulse control
diminished ability for self-regulation
poor concentration
headaches or nausea
self-destructive behaviour
difficulty connecting with others
depression
anxiety
Treatment for Trauma
Trauma treatment involves working at three levels:
Thoughts-cognitions and belief systems that are formed after the trauma
Emotions-how to regulate trauma-related emotions and cultivate compassion & mindfulness
Body-how the trauma is reflected and sustained in the body through posture or movement patterns and physical expressions.
The goal, in time, is to help restore your sense of inner peace, safety and calmness so you can move forward in the pursuit of a meaningful, vibrant life.
I see clients with issues related to trauma in-person in my Calgary office.