Trauma counselling and psychotherapy in Marylebone, London & Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), trauma is a response to an event that a person finds highly stressful and can’t cope with. The person does not have the emotional and psychological capacity to process the disturbing experience. Trauma causes both physical and emotional symptoms.
A traumatized person can feel a wide range of emotions both immediately after the event and in the long term. They can feel overwhelmed, confused, helpless, hopeless and stuck in the traumatized past experience (without even being aware of this).
Causes of trauma can be any of the following:
Physical or psychological abuse
Sexual abuse
Childbirth
Life-threatening illnesses
Sudden loss of a loved one
Being attacked
Challenging family dynamics
Financial struggles
Physical and emotional neglect
Depressed parents
Lack of parental emotional attunement
Bullying
Emotional symptoms can include: Anger, fear, sadness, grief, shame, confusion, anxiety, depression, numbness, flashbacks and/or nightmares, dissociative states.
Physical symptoms can include: Headaches, digestive symptoms, fatigue, sweating, feeling jumpy
PTSD develops when the symptoms of trauma persist or get worse in the weeks and months after the stressful event. PTSD is distressing and interferes with a person’s daily life and relationships.
Symptoms include: anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance (procrastination and also avoiding thinking about the event), hopelessness, helplessness, depressive states and persistent memories of the event. PTSD may last for years, but with the right treatment, people can manage to handle the traumatic triggers which improve the quality of their life and relationships.
Children are highly sensitive to trauma as their brains are still developing. During stressful events, children experience a high state of stress, while their bodies release cortisol, which is the primary stress hormone.
This type of trauma is known as developmental trauma and it can disrupt normal brain development. Children’s traumatic experiences have a deeply negative impact on their long-term mental, emotional and physical development and health which in time affects personality formation.
The hypervigilant state and feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness can persist into adulthood and they influence the way people relate and behave in their lives.
My therapy approach involves cutting-edge techniques that target traumatic events and memories. Reprocessing traumatic memories involves connecting traumatic memories with new information. The result is that distressing images, thoughts, sensations and emotions associated with traumatic memories can be integrated with new resources.
The neurobiology of trauma recovery helps you to move out of the hopelessness states by increasing the capacity to feel empowered and capable to live in the here and now, enjoying the life you want for yourself. I am using AEDP therapy, EMDR, Brainspotting and Deep Brain Reorienting for treating complex cases of trauma.
“The propensity to make strong emotional bonds to particular individuals [is] a basic component of human nature"
John Bowlby
Please contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or if you would like to arrange an appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07803375794 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 3 business days, and all contact is strictly confidential.
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