Maddie and her first serious boyfriend were together for over a year. In the beginning, nothing seemed out of the ordinary but as time went on, Maddie’s boyfriend would emotionally and mentally abuse her. If Maddie wanted to hang out with her friends, he would call her and force her to stay on the phone with him. He often called her horrible names and blamed her for things she wasn’t even involved in. He constantly berated and belittled Maddie to the point she cried every night before going to bed. After she got the courage to end the relationship, she realized how much better off she was without him. However, the trauma that the relationship caused is something she is still battling. He has nightmares about her ex, has low self-confidence, and is letting her past relationship affect her future ones.
An abusive relationship is just an example of what a traumatic experience is. Maddie’s experience shows just some of the ways in which an abusive relationship can affect you during and after you’ve broken up. Trauma is associated with an event or experience that causes someone severe psychological distress. Like in Maddie’s case, it can also leave you struggling to move on.
PTSD: It’s not the person refusing to let go of the past, but the past refusing to let go of the person. When we feel weak, we drop our heads on the shoulders of others.” – Unknown
If you are a victim and survivor of trauma, consider working with a trauma therapist at Thriveworks Norfolk Counseling. We have therapists, counselors, and psychologists who specialize in helping people heal from their traumatic experiences. We want to help you get back to a healthy, happy, and more successful version of yourself. If you are ready to get started, just give us a call.
What to Expect in Trauma Therapy
Trauma therapy is designed to create a safe and open place for clients to talk with their therapist, counselor, or psychologist. The process is often difficult because you will be sharing your thoughts and emotions associated with the traumatic event in your life. Trauma therapists and PTSD therapists have the same goal in mind: they want to help you heal and/or gain closure from your trauma.
Your Thriveworks Norfolk Counseling trauma therapist will guide you in opening up about your trauma, processing it, exploring your emotions, and coping with symptoms. Some common symptoms associated with trauma and PTSD include:
- Flashback
- Sleep disturbances such as insomnia, hypersomnia, and nightmares
- Self-destruction
- Hypervigilance
- Emotional detachment
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Hostility
- Mood swings
- Irritability
The emotions you have may develop quickly or slowly. It all depends on your unique situation and the experience you had. Regardless, your therapist will work with you to process these difficult emotions safely and as slowly as you need. Let us help you navigate this journey.
How can a Trauma Therapist or Psychologist Help Me?
As we just mentioned, we understand that every person’s situation is unique. That’s why your therapist will help you make important progress in healing from your past experiences and move forward at a pace that feels right to you. In addition, your therapist will help you:
- Identify your trauma and understand the psychology of trauma
- Open up and express your feelings related to your experience
- Better manage your symptoms associated with your trauma or PTSD
- Learn new tools and skills for coping and controlling your moods
- Feel happy and excited about life once again
In order to achieve these goals, your therapist may use a variety of different methods and techniques. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the more common methods used to help people in their healing journey. It allows the person to correct any harmful thought patterns and process their feelings related to the incident. Specific strategies such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and prolonged exposure are just a few examples.
Your Thriveworks Norfolk trauma counselor will get to know you, your needs, and your experiences in order to design a treatment plan that is specific to you. They want to get it right so they can help you move on as quickly as possible.
Get Started with a Trauma Therapist at Thriveworks Norfolk, VA
Trauma, regardless of the specific event, makes living your normal life very difficult. Don’t wait any longer to press play on the life you want. Let us help you start enjoying life again.
To get started, give us a call at (757) 317-4315 and a scheduling specialist will set you up with an appointment that fits your schedule. You can also schedule your appointment online through our booking portal. We offer our clients evening and weekend sessions in addition to our normal daytime hours. Also, we have online counseling available because we understand that sometimes it’s hard to find the time to get into a session.
We look forward to hearing from you soon and starting this journey of healing together.
