"Psychological trauma is the unique individual experience of an event or enduring conditions in which the individual’s ability to integrate his/her emotional experience is overwhelmed, or the individual experiences, subjectively, a threat to life, bodily integrity, or sanity"(Pearlman & Saakvitne, 1995, p. 60).                                                         

Retrieved from https://www.sidran.org, The Sidran Institute, Traumatic Stress Education and Advocacy

A Framework for Understanding Trauma

I often hear clients shy away from the word "trauma" only to recognize much later in their therapy that symptoms such as anxiety, sleep issues, depression, substance abuse, relationship difficulties, and more, might be manifesting because of unresolved trauma.

Remember, trauma is unique to the individual. What one person may experience as trauma, another may not. An individual's reaction to emotional trauma is complex and difficult to predict. A person's age, past exposure to trauma, social support, culture, family mental history, and general emotional functioning are some of the variables related to an individual response to trauma (McFarlane & Yehuda, 1996).

Some people demonstrate resiliency, responding to trauma with flexibility and healthy coping mechanisms. In contrast, trauma can become a negative defining moment, which marks the start of emotional distress, maladaptive behavior, and/or relational dysfunction (Bicknell-Hentges & Lynch, 2009). Once trauma is understood and a framework for processing it implemented, significant freedom and healing can be experienced.

Bicknell-Hentges, L., & Lynch, J. J. (2009). Everything counselors and supervisors need to know about treating trauma. Paper based on a presentation at the American Counseling Association Annual Conference and Exposition, Charlotte, NC.

Dissociation

Have you ever felt as if your body disappears or that you, your body, or the world is not real? How about feeling as if significant amounts of time have passed unnoticed? Do you find yourself acting like a different person unlike your true self? You may be experiencing something called dissociation. Not all trauma survivors experience it, but it is fairly common, often occurring in survivors of childhood trauma.

Dissociation can be complex and confusing. Additional information and increased understanding are keys to building a foundation for healing.

"Everyone has a right to have a present and future that are not completely dominated and dictated by the past." 

- Karen Saakvitne

McFarlane, A. C., & Yehuda, R. (1996). Resilience, vulnerability, and the course of posttraumatic reactions. In B. A. van der Kolk, A. C. McFarlane, & L. Weisaeth (Eds.), Traumatic stress: The overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society (pp. 155-181). New York: Guilford

Treatment

The brain, mind, and body are all involved in the healing of trauma. The stage of human development and the brain's capacity to reason at the time of the traumatic experience is essential to identify. Treating trauma is an important, individualized process. A three-stage process is best, including the following stages:

1.  Safety and Stabilization

2. Remembrance and Mourning

3. Reconnection and Integration

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a treatment that is a well-researched approach, proven to be an effective treatment for processing traumatic memories. EMDR addresses the neurophysiological impact of trauma on the brain. 

To gain a more detailed and complete understanding of these treatment stages, click on http://trauma-recovery.ca/recovery/phases-of-trauma-recovery/.