Trauma

Trauma refers to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that has a lasting impact on an individual’s mental, emotional, or physical well-being. It can arise from various types of events:

• Accidents
• Abuse; emotional, psychological, physical or sexual
• natural disasters
• War
• the death of a loved one
• witnessing violence; this includes witnessing domestic violence 
• Divorce
• Bullying
• Racism and cultural traumas

Trauma can be caused by any type of event that creates a threat or fear for someone. This can also include an experience of deep emotional pain.

Trauma can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) and may affect a person’s thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and overall functioning.

There are different types of trauma:

1. Physical trauma: Damage to the body, like from a car accident or injury.
2. Emotional/psychological trauma: The emotional response to an event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, like surviving abuse or experiencing loss.
3. Complex trauma: Ongoing or repeated trauma, such as prolonged abuse or neglect, often leading to more severe emotional and psychological effects.
4. Developmental trauma: Trauma experienced during critical stages of childhood development, which can affect growth and functioning throughout life.

• Depression
• Irritability 
• Loss of interest
• Numbing
• Deceased concentration
• Insomnia
• Emotional overwhelm
• Loss of sense for the future/hopelessness
• Shame or worthlessness
• Little or no memories
• Nightmares/Flashbacks
• hypervigilance/mistrust
• Generalized anxiety/panic attacks
• Chronic pain/headaches/stomach aches
• Substance abuse and eating disorders
• Feeling unreal or out of body (dissociation)
• Self destructive behviour
• Loss of sense of “who i am”

Emotional and Psychological Impact:

• Anxiety and Fear: Trauma can trigger constant feelings of fear or anxiety, often leading to heightened stress responses. This might include being on high alert (hypervigilance) or feeling unsafe in familiar environments.
• Depression: Individuals may experience prolonged sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in things they once enjoyed. Trauma can leave someone feeling emotionally numb or disconnected.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): In some cases, trauma leads to PTSD, where individuals re-experience the traumatic event through flashbacks or nightmares, leading to significant distress and difficulty functioning.
• Guilt or Shame: Many trauma survivors experience intense feelings of guilt or shame, often believing they could have done something to prevent the trauma or that they’re somehow responsible for it.

Behavioral and Cognitive Changes:

• Avoidance: Survivors might avoid places, people, or situations that remind them of the trauma, which can limit their social interactions and overall life experience.
• Difficulty Trusting Others: Trauma, particularly interpersonal trauma like abuse or betrayal, can make it hard for someone to trust others or form close, healthy relationships.
• Difficulty with Concentration and Memory: The emotional burden of trauma can affect memory, focus, and cognitive function, leading to trouble concentrating at work, school, or in daily activities.

Physical Health:

• Chronic Stress: Ongoing stress due to unresolved trauma can lead to physical health problems, such as headaches, digestive issues, muscle tension, and even heart problems.
• Sleep Disturbances: Many trauma survivors struggle with insomnia, nightmares, or disrupted sleep patterns, which can contribute to fatigue, irritability, and difficulty functioning during the day.
• Somatic Symptoms: Trauma can manifest physically through unexplained aches and pains, or conditions like chronic pain or autoimmune disorders, as the body may hold onto the trauma.

Impact on Relationships:

• Strained Relationships: Trauma can cause tension in personal relationships due to emotional withdrawal, irritability, or difficulty expressing emotions. Friends, family, and partners might not always understand what the person is going through, which can lead to isolation.
• Difficulty Parenting: If someone experienced childhood trauma, it may affect how they parent, sometimes leading to overprotectiveness, difficulty in setting boundaries, or repeating unhealthy patterns.

Self-Perception and Identity:

• Shifts in Self-Worth: Trauma can cause someone to feel broken or damaged, leading to a poor sense of self-worth. Survivors might question their value or feel disconnected from their previous sense of identity.
• Increased Vulnerability to Future Trauma: Having experienced trauma can sometimes make individuals more vulnerable to future traumas, either because they may not recognize red flags or because they’re in environments that continue to be unsafe.

Coping Mechanisms and Addiction:

• Substance Abuse: Some individuals may turn to drugs, alcohol, or other substances as a way to numb the pain or cope with overwhelming emotions. This can further complicate their ability to heal and lead to addiction.
• Self-Harm or Risk-Taking Behavior: In some cases, trauma survivors might engage in self-destructive behaviors, such as cutting, reckless driving, or other dangerous activities as a way to manage their pain or emotional turmoil.

Onika and Monika have over 3 decades combined experience working with Trauma. 

Both clinicians have extensive training in effective modalities that have shown positive results in reduction of trauma impact and symptoms. 

Using client-centred approach, compassion and empathy – trauma work at IVCS is paced, gentle and highly effective. 

Trauma healing is done through individual sessions and group sessions, but not limited to these options.  Often individuals need additional support, as integration of acquired learnings and strategies can be challengings.  To support our clients post-trauma therapy, we offer life coaching, as well as parenting support – to assist in integration and day-to-day functioning. 

1. Using the  Tri-Phasic approach, a therapeutic model that focuses on helping individuals heal from trauma in three distinct phases. This model was developed by Judith Herman in her book Trauma and Recovery and is widely used in trauma therapy. The approach is designed to guide people through their recovery in a structured and gradual way, helping them regain control and safety while processing their trauma.
2. IFS (Internal Family Systems) is a therapeutic approach that can be highly effective for treating PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). It was developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s, and it’s based on the idea that the mind is made up of different “parts,” each with its own perspectives, emotions, and functions. The approach emphasizes healing these parts to achieve inner harmony.
3. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a specialized, evidence-based treatment designed to help children, adolescents, and adults cope with and recover from the effects of trauma. It combines traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques with trauma-sensitive interventions, and it focuses on the impact of trauma on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.