Trauma therapy offers a pathway to healing by helping individuals process traumatic events in a structured and supportive environment. Whether you’ve experienced a single traumatic event or have endured ongoing trauma, therapy can empower you to overcome your fears, rebuild trust, and challenge unhelpful beliefs.

Adults who experienced developmental trauma may develop Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (cPTSD), which is characterized by difficulties in emotional regulation, consciousness, memory, self-perception, distorted perceptions of perpetrators of abuse, relationship difficulties, and negative effects on the meaningfulness of life.

Polyvagal theory posits that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a crucial role in how humans respond to stress and trauma. It suggests that our responses are governed by an evolutionary hierarchy within the ANS.

Breakups are tough. They can leave us feeling heartbroken, lost, and struggling to pick up the pieces of our shattered hearts. But can a breakup actually cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

Breaking free from a toxic relationship can leave lasting scars, affecting your emotional well-being long after the relationship ends. If you’re experiencing intense emotions or symptoms reminiscent of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD).

The journey from infancy to adulthood is marked by significant milestones in brain development. However, when traumatic experiences occur during pregnancy or the first four years of a child’s life, the consequences can be profound, affecting emotional, mental, and physical well-being into adulthood.

In conclusion, childhood trauma can have a lasting impact on brain chemistry and mental health. Understanding the mechanisms through which trauma affects brain development and function is essential for developing effective interventions and support systems.

This cowardly act, unfortunately pretty normalized by our culture, can cause immense pain. As you have no clue what may have happened, your mind first jumps to many possibilities. Was this person injured in a car accident? Is their family okay? Maybe they are just busy and will get back to you later?

Attachment trauma is a disruption between the bonding process of a baby and it’s primary caregiver. The trauma may be overt abuse or neglect, or it may be less obvious – lack of affection or response from the caregiver.

Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience that results from believing we are bad, wrong, or broken, and therefore unworthy of love and belonging. It is common to be ashamed of who we are and who we are not. We have been receiving messages since childhood that lead to shame.

Because of the cyclical nature of trauma bonding, it can be especially challenging to get out of a relationship with an abuser. But it is possible. Once you identify the trauma bond, there are several steps you can take and resources you can turn to.

Abusive relationships typically start out charming. They reel you in with your kindness and attention; acting like they are the savior of your life. But there are usually non-violent signs that can be easily be brushed off.

We must first dispel the notion that a trigger is inherently negative. It isn’t. A trigger simply refers to something that activates a response within the body. Triggers are typically sensory in nature, meaning they can be compromised of various sights, sensations, textures, and even scents.

Almost everyone experiences some kind of traumatic event in their lives. If the type of trauma you experienced occurred in childhood, it’s likely you have experienced some amount of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But what are the long-term effects of childhood trauma? Do these events cause a ripple effect throughout our lives?

Your earliest attachments with parents or caregivers shape your abilities and expectations for relationships throughout your life. This first relationship impacts how your sense of self develops, and how you see relationships working.

The love languages are a good concept for nurturing healthy relationships, except for one thing. Love languages can only work when assuming both partner’s brains are able to think clearly and calmly. This is not often the case for trauma survivors who frequently exist in a state of alarm. They are living with a traumatized nervous system, and survival impulses have hijacked the brain.

The window of tolerance was described by Dr. Dan Siegel as an optimal zone of arousal in which a person would be able to function with day-to-day stress. While most people can deal with the demands of stress without much difficulty, individuals who have experienced trauma, anxiety or other mental illnesses can struggle to stay in the optimal zone.

Most people struggle with getting enough happiness chemicals. The deficiency can make you feel sad, depressed, hopeless, and anxious. Thankfully there are natural ways of boosting happy chemicals

Reaching out in time of need or asking for help doesn’t come easily to those who have experienced trauma in their lives. Something as seemingly simple as accepting a compliment may be painfully hard. However, the ability to move past these fears and hesitations is critical on the road to living a full and well-balanced life.

Automatic negative thoughts influence emotions and distort our perception of reality in a negative way. These thoughts are difficult to recognize because they are fleeting and habitual. Negative thoughts can make us feel agitated, anxious, be less productive, cause harm to our relationships, or cause psychological damage.