trauma
Trauma can be broadly defined as something that happens to us that leaves us feeling overwhelmed and alone, but not everyone who experiences something traumatic develops PTSD or related disorders.
ptsd
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) describes the condition of lasting and severe symptoms following a single-incident or time-limited traumatic event. PTSD can include feelings of being jumpy, anxious, agitated, or irritable – all signs that our nervous system continues to be hyper-aroused in a state of “fight or flight” well beyond when the danger has passed.
There are often experiences of intrusions, or flashbacks, – bodily, emotional, or narrative memories – to the past trauma. This may lead to avoidance and withdrawal, both from the memories of the terrible trauma as well as the world around oneself, as an attempt to defend against future danger.
The symptoms of PTSD can be very debilitating and cause a great deal of distress, which can lead to compounding difficulties such as: depression, anxiety, self-harm behavior, addictions, eating disorders, panic, and even suicidality. Well Psychotherapy wants you to know that healing is possible, and our services can be a step on your journey to lasting wellness.
cptsd
Complex PTSD (CPTSD) is a proposed diagnosis, but Well Psychotherapy is invested in understanding and treating this unique phenomenon. CPTSD is a unique form of PTSD with added dimensions of symptoms resulting from prolonged, severe, interpersonal trauma usually having occurred in childhood or within a trapped situation.
Those who are exposed to prolonged, repeated trauma and ongoing abuse often see the world as dangerous and lack hope for the future, harboring pervasive feelings of shame, guilt, self-blame, hopelessness, helplessness & feeling different and alone. These result in symptoms that include: emotional regulation difficulties; relational difficulties and disturbances; altered attention & consciousness (dissociation); challenged belief systems; and somatic distress, disconnect, and disorganization.
Well Psychotherapy follows the treatment guidelines of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation for CPTSD, and is committed to using strengths-based strategies to help survivors improve functioning, manage symptoms, and ultimately integrate back into family and community life with a sense of safety and purpose.
+ all Well Psychotherapy therapists are held to high standards of trauma-informed care, including ongoing professional development in the treatment of traumatic stress; therefore we are all proud to specialize in the treatment of trauma