Trauma Therapy

Trauma is any event that injures our protective shell, leaving us with a sense of collapse and helplessness. Causes of trauma can include dramatic events such as war, physical and psychological violence, neglect and abuse, serious injuries and illnesses, surgical interventions, the loss of a loved one, and natural disasters. However, seemingly ordinary, everyday, often unexpected events—falls and minor injuries, accidents, medical and dental procedures, passive involvement in intense conflict situations—can, under certain circumstances, especially for children, be traumatic.

The intensity of the traumatic reaction depends on mental resilience, internal and external supportive resources, physical condition, family dynamics, living conditions, and age. Trauma—traumatic shock—can be caused by a single event (simple trauma) or be the result of a complex prolonged traumatic situation throughout development (complex developmental trauma or attachment trauma). It is not the size of the event that is crucial but the magnitude of the perceived threat.

What is traumatic is not the event itself, but its effect on the nervous system, which manifests through a wide range of symptoms, from hyperarousal to apathy, organic problems and illnesses, somatic symptoms, phobias, aggressive behavior, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating. Trauma is defined as the disorganization of the nervous system, which can no longer complete the cycles of arousal and relaxation that constitute its normal functioning.

The way to address trauma is, first of all, to focus on bodily sensations. These lead us to transform the traumatic experience locked inside into a liberating therapeutic experience. Trauma Therapy focuses on processing and healing the psychological and emotional wounds caused by traumatic events and experiences, aiming to release suppressed emotions and reconstruct mental balance.

Sessions include techniques that encourage self-awareness and body awareness, as trauma is often stored somatically. Through the integration of emotions and bodily sensations, clients can re-examine their experiences, recognize the defense mechanisms they have developed, and find new ways to manage their emotional burdens, healing depression and anxiety. It is in the nature of our nervous system to act in a balanced manner and to create within the core of the traumatic experience another core of the healing path.

Victims of trauma cannot recover until they become familiar with and make friends with their bodily sensations. To be fearful means to live in a body that is always on high alert. The ability to feel safe with other people is perhaps the most important aspect of mental health—secure bonds are fundamental to a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Traumatized individuals feel insecure within their bodies: the past is alive in the form of internal discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and in trying to control these processes, they often become adept at ignoring their deep sensations and numbing their awareness of what is happening in their bodies. Being traumatized means continuing to organize your life as if the trauma continues—unchanged and unaltered—so that every new encounter or event is contaminated by the past.

Early traumatic experiences are recorded in the nervous system and the body, affecting brain development and the neurophysiological biorhythm (Schubert, 2015; Gottwald, 2015; Schore, 2011).

"All humans have an inherent tendency to seek connection. It doesn’t matter how alienated or isolated we have become or how severe the trauma we have experienced; at a deeper level, there is within each of us a drive that propels us toward connection, just as a plant instinctively turns toward the sun. This drive for connection constitutes the 'fuel'." (Narm)