I have a particular interest in working with people who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or have experienced traumatic events which they are struggling to move on from. I have recently completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Psychological Trauma and Personality Development at Oxford University. I continue to have specialised supervision from my Oxford supervisor.
Have you been through a traumatic experience which you are struggling to let go of? Are you experiencing nightmares or flashbacks to what you experienced or witnessed? Does the world feel unsafe or dangerous?
I can sensitively support you to process the trauma memory to stop you experiencing nightmares, flashbacks and unwanted thoughts of the event. You will be able to stop escaping or avoiding situations linked to the upsetting event and use positive coping strategies. I can help you to see yourself as resilient and feel positive about the world around you and your future.
What are the symptoms of trauma?
The symptoms of trauma can vary between people, but some common features include:
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Reliving the experience with involuntary memories or flashbacks to the event whilst awake and then dreaming about it at night
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Feeling very upset when thinking about the trauma and having strong bodily responses (e.g. pounding heart or shallow breathing)
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Avoiding any reminders of the trauma, including trying to push away your thoughts or feelings about the trauma
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Feeling angry or irritable
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Scanning for danger and being on high alert, for example jumping if someone startles you
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Struggling to remember parts of the traumatic experience, for example certain parts feeling blurry or being unsure of the order of things
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Having strong negative beliefs about yourself or the world around you, for example blaming yourself for what happened or feeling as though the world around you is dangerous
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Struggling to feel positive emotions or to do things you used to enjoy
What are the treatments for trauma?
I can sensitively support you to process the traumatic memory to stop you experiencing nightmares, flashbacks and unwanted thoughts of the event. You will be able to stop escaping or avoiding situations linked to the upsetting event and use positive coping strategies. I can help you to see yourself as resilient and feel positive about the world around you and your future. I offer both trauma-focused CBT or EMDR therapy, both of which are recommended treatments for PTSD. If both treatments are suitable then we can work together to decide which would be the best option for you.
The amygdala is part of our threat detection system and its job is to keep us safe by alerting us to possible danger. It does this by triggering an alarm in our body known as the fight or flight response which prepares us to respond to the danger. This means we breathe quicker our heart begins to pound and we start sweating. The amygdala however isn't always good at discriminating between real dangers happening in the outside world and dangers which we are just thinking about and so will respond to them in the same way. This means that your fight or flight alarm can be triggered when you are thinking about the traumatic experience in the past which may explain some of the body symptoms you are experiencing.
The hippocampus is the part of the brain which stores and remembers information. It is like a filling system and it "stamps" our memories with information about where and when they occured. When our threat systems is active, such as at the time of a trauma, our hippocampus doesn't work so well. This means that the memories aren't tagged with the time and place information and therefore can be stored in the wrong place. This can mean that then when we remember them, it can feel as though they are happening again which is very distressing for a person.
Our memories can be like films that we can play in our minds. With normal untraumatic memories we can chose which films we play and when we play them. We have control over the films we watch and when they start and stop. When people experience PTSD it is like having someone else in control of the memories, like a "rogue projectionist". They are choosing which films we watch and when we watch them, and they often choosing the film of the traumatic experience. It can be upsetting to not be in control of what you are seeing in your mind and so it is understandable we try and "turn off" the film but you are likely to find that this is not possible at the moment.
It is very common to have upsetting thoughts, memories and emotions of your upsetting experience and for this to "pop in" and pull you away from the present moment. Grounding techniques are a way or bringing your attention back to the present moment where you are safe. Please link of the PDF button below to download a worksheet of grounding techniques to practice in the moment.
