Understanding Trauma: Exploring the Definition and Root Causes

What is trauma?

Firstly, its' more common than once thought. It happens to millions of human beings every year, without them knowing. Trauma can be long term exposure to emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse or war for example, or a one of event such as a terrorist attack or accident.

Research also shows that children are traumatised through experiencing frightening parents or carers. Parents who appear frightened or anxious, angry, withdrawn, depressed or shut down creates a sense of danger for a child and they are confused and distressed and are frightened of being close to the parent who should be safe. This causes intense distress for a child and is traumatic. This is Attachment Trauma.

Modern trauma therapy, studied and researched by Janina Fisher, Bessel van der Kolk, Gabor Mate and Peter Levine have recognised the impact of trauma and how it affects our whole being; our brain and nervous system, which can cause physical symptoms too. Trauma impacts on our lives in so many ways, which is an injustice. This impact on our selves/bodies doesn't just disappear, we need help to understand the cause and affect and how to change it. We don't need to go over these past experiences, we can just work with the day to day problems you're experiencing because of the trauma.

In my couples work, I like to use an ACE Score that I give to my new couples at the start of the therapy, so I can identify really quickly if they're impacted by past trauma, this helps me understand how they are experiencing their relationship from a deeper and unconscious lens so I can help them understand and heal from these wounds.

Reach out to me to find out more..........