Trauma Therapy in Wisconsin & Florida

  • "These inner enemies will reveal their secret stories of how they got forced into these roles and what they're protecting and how, in many cases, they were really heroes."

    - No Bad Parts, Richard Schwartz PHD

Often times there is this stereotype that trauma can only be experienced by veterans, first responders, those who have experienced natural disasters, and victims of physical and sexual abuse. The truth is trauma is a shape shifter - and that b!tch takes on many forms. Trauma is any experience that overwhelms our internal resources and exceeds our ability to cope. It’s also the experiences that did NOT happen for us that should have. The impact of trauma is ongoing mental, emotional, and physiological distress.

Trauma can look like a toxic relationship, emotionally passive and neglectful parents, emotionally abusive parents, emotionally unsafe work environments, car accidents, chronic illness, medical procedures, death of a loved one, experience of suicidal thoughts or attempts, sudden unexpected shifts in any area of life - the list could go on and on and on.

Often times my clients come into therapy and they minimize their experiences. They say “Well it’s really not that bad, other people have had it worse” or “It’s not a big deal. I just don’t think about it” and the most popular “I’m fine”.

Trauma is unique to each person - What may be experienced as trauma to one person, another person may be able to shake it off and process the experience as they would any other event in their life. This does NOT mean there’s something wrong with you if an experience that one person can move on from you feel stuck in. It just means we have different levels of distress tolerance, and there may be some neurobiological and genetic stuff going on influencing the way you process events in life. I encourage my clients to shift away from minimizing their experiences and to affirm to themselves “I’ve been through some heavy things in life, and it f*cking sucks.”

A quick disclaimer: Experiencing trauma does not immediately mean a person has a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, it is a very common diagnosis for those who have experienced ongoing traumas and/or ongoing distress from a past trauma.

THE IMPACTS OF TRAUMA

The impacts of trauma show up in our lives in so many ways. Below are some of the most common experiences - Please keep in mind this is a very short list and not at all exhaustive of the impacts of traumatic experiences.

  • Hypervigilance - Being on Guard

  • Self-blame and Self-doubt - Difficulty Trusting Yourself

  • Depression - Intense and Persistent Sadness

  • Feelings of Worthlessness

  • Feeling Hopeless

  • Guilt and Shame

  • Anxiety - Feeling Restless and on Edge

  • Difficulty Concentrating

  • Difficulty Sleeping

  • Difficulty Acknowledging and Sitting with Emotions

  • Difficulty Regulating Emotions

  • Irritability

  • Engaging in Reckless Behaviors - This can include Sex, Money, Drugs

  • Feeling Disconnected and Numb

  • Dissociation

  • Attachment and Relationship Issues

  • People Pleasing

  • Physical Pain and Tension

Parts Therapy

Based on Richard Schwartz model, Internal Family Systems (IFS), we are all born with different parts that have natural talents and provide value to our life. When we experience traumatic events these parts take on extreme protective roles. Essentially they go into survival mode - Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn, Attach - and do whatever they can to keep us safe. These extreme roles were effective in the midst of experiencing the trauma, but the traumatic event leaves the part frozen in that timeframe unaware that the trauma experience has ended and that we have aged. Our parts often believe we are still as old as we were when the trauma occurred, and therefore they must continue to protect us in the same ways they did before.

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