Trauma

Trauma is defined by you.

It is generally understood as something that has caused us significant distress. It may have included actual or threatened death, injury, or sexual violence. It can include a one-time event, repeated events, or ongoing experiences.

These are some events commonly experienced as traumatic. Trauma does not need to fall into a certain category. Living through trauma may or may not lead to symptoms of PTSD.

• Physical assault or abuse

• Sexual assault or abuse

• Neglect as a child

• The loss of a loved one or seeing them harmed or threatened

• Kidnapping

• Robbery or being held at gunpoint

• Witnessing someone lose their life or being harmed

• Learning of someone else's trauma (called Vicarious Trauma)

• The effects of trauma experienced by older generations being passed down to younger generations in families (called Generational Trauma)

Many have been experiencing the current COVID-19 pandemic as an ongoing trauma.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a treatment I highly recommend to treat trauma. Learn more about it on my ART page.

Mindfulness-based and other treatments that I actively use in my work are also shown to be effective for trauma.