Trauma and PTSD therapists in Dolores, Colorado CO
Trauma and PTSD
Kelly Norris Counseling & Psychotherapy, LLC
Counselor/Therapist, MA, LPC, CCTP-II
“Trauma is not the story of something that happened back then. It’s the current imprint of that pain, horror, and fear living inside people.”
- Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD (2014)
Sadly, about half of us will experience at least one significant traumatic event in our lifetime. Trauma is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of events and experiences. What actually determines whether an event is “traumatic” is the person’s own reaction to that event.
Trauma can refer to a single event or several distinct events (eg, sexual or physical assualt, car accident, near death experience, combat, etc). It can also come in the form of repeated relational violations (relational trauma) or in the form of abandonment, abuse, neglect and other aversive experiences in early childhood (developmental trauma).
*Time alone does not heal "all" wounds*
The effects of trauma linger in the body. Often, people experience “hyper-arousal” symptoms long after the traumatic event(s). It is as if their mind is constantly “on guard,” vigilant, always scanning the environment for danger. Other hyper-arousal symptoms include irritability, anger outbursts (or having a “short fuse”), restlessness, difficulty sleeping, nightmares, flashbacks and an increased startle response.
People may also experience hypo-arousal symptoms following a traumatic event. For example, they may experience dissociation during times of extreme or overwhelming distress. In other words, they “zone out” and lose their connection with their physical body/sensory experiences, their personal identity (depersonalization), and/or reality (derealization). They may lose time or experience gaps in their memory.
Trauma disrupts and interferes with the normal processing and consolidation of memories in the brain. Past traumatic events are re-lived and re-experienced over and over, as if they were still happening now. As long as the memories go unprocessed, the profound effects of trauma can endure long after the traumatic experience has ended.
*You are NOT ‘broken,’ ‘damaged’ or ‘crazy.’*
It is important to note that these post-traumatic symptoms represent a normal and adaptive response to highly unusual and aversive circumstances. The mind does incredible things to protect us and keep us safe from harm. Since the memories of the traumatic experience haven’t been properly processed, the brain perceives it as something that is still happening, as a present and real threat.
It is possible to ‘turn down’ this threat response. With therapy, you can recover, heal and even thrive after trauma.
*Therapy can help you heal your past wounds*
Trauma-informed therapy involves strategies and interventions for regulating and calming your nervous system, helping you to access a sense of safety, security and calm in your body, and providing an anchor that you can always turn to in order to ground yourself in the present moment.
Trauma treatment facilitates the normal processing and consolidation of memories to occur. As mentioned earlier, these processes can be disrupted by trauma, which means that trauma memories are not stored and consolidated like normal memories. This is what accounts for many post-traumatic symptoms.
Trauma therapy is tailored to the individual. Interventions may include: Somatic Experiencing (SE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT); Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT); Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), and/or Attachment Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR).
*Goals of Therapy*
You will work collaboratively with your therapist to identify goals for therapy. Below are a few examples of common goals in trauma treatment:
Eliminating or ameliorating symptoms
Releasing yourself from the past and becoming grounded in the present.
Boosting your day-to-day functioning
Regaining your personal power, & minimizing the hold that the trauma has had on you.
Equipping you with skills to effectively manage and regulate your internal experiences and external stressors day to day.
Strengthening your internal resources so that you can recover and heal, and maintain these gains long-term.
If you're dealing with impacts of trauma, I welcome the opportunity to help you heal past wounds and regain control of your life.
11 Years Experience
Trauma and PTSD
Sala Psychology
Psychologist
We use Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to treat PTSD, which is a short-term treatment for PTSD with extensive research support.
3 Years Experience
Trauma and PTSD
PSYCHe, PLLC
Psychologist, PhD, LPC, PsyD, MSW, Marriage and Family Counselor, LCSW
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop from being exposed to a wide variety of traumatic events such as motor vehicle crashes, home accidents, sexual assault, domestic violence, or being involved in a natural disaster. As the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) describes it, PTSD happens after “being witness to or being exposed to situations involving threatened or actual serious physical harm or death.” But it’s important to keep in mind that experiencing a trauma doesn’t mean a person will absolutely develop PTSD.
10 Years Experience
Trauma and PTSD
Dr. Bridget Kromrey
Psychologist, PsyD
I have worked with individuals across the lifespan who have experienced varying types of trauma and believe the therapeutic space can provide a container for healing.
10 Years Experience
Trauma and PTSD
Peakminds Psychology
Psychologist
With the ability to utilize a variety of psychological methods and techniques, the clinicians at Peakminds are adept supporting the needs and goals of clients. Peakminds is dedicated to supporting veteran's and their families within their experiences of trauma and PTSD and welcome the opportunity to work with such populations.
7 Years Experience