What is trauma-integrative therapy and how does it help?
Trauma-integrative therapy provides healing from our traumatic experiences which may be causing intrusive distress, emotional overwhelm or numbness, anxiety, or anger. We can heal from our pain, fear, and shame which we have been distancing from. We may go to great lengths to try to numb the pain, Gabor Mate explains that trauma is a disconnection from self. Trauma-informed therapy supports us in reclaiming our power and letting go of the past.
Trauma-integrative therapy helps us discern the safety in our present situations, as triggers or emotional flashbacks can leave us physiologically distressed. Emotional flashbacks cause us to feel enraged, ashamed, furious, terrified, or frozen and look for someone to blame in the present. Post-traumatic stress is overwhelming and leaves us feeling disempowered. We may not understand or be able to control what is going on with our mind and body. Trauma-integrative therapy supports us in gaining awareness of our symptoms so we can step into healing.
Trauma-integrative therapy supports us in creating safety and learning to show up for ourselves as we start to reclaim our power. Our trauma coping patterns did not emerge overnight. We help you assess which patterns are serving and sabotaging you. We encourage you as you begin to create boundaries for your healing journey. We provide a safe space and support you as you grieve everything the trauma has robbed from you.
What does the therapy process look like?
Some of us may be entering trauma therapy for the first time. Judith Herman’s marathon metaphor is a helpful image to understand the complexities and perseverance of trauma recovery. Once we have decided it do the run, it is important to remember that this work will take time.
For example, we may be ready to plunge into the crimes that are haunting us; however, in the first phase of marathon training we start small. Both our physiological and psychological strength, and perseverance is put to the test in trauma healing. Healing like training feels isolating, requires determination and is a courageous act. In this phase we can use somatic work or LENS neurofeedback heal the central nervous system. See LENS Neurofeedback
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To grieve the past is to reclaim our power. We are not responsible for the injuries that were perpetrated, we are responsible for our recovery and healing. EMDR reprocessing can be used for trauma healing. And, Internal Family Systems is used for trauma integration.