Understanding Trauma

What is Trauma

When people hear the word “trauma” they often think of horrible events such as physical or sexual assault, experiences in war, or a bad accident. It’s true that all of those events can produce reactions in the mind and body which can last years. At Focused Recovery, we work with clients to help clear the effects of such history. However, clients also need to realize that trauma is really ANY experience that has happened to your body or your mind and has caused a lasting, adverse effect. Often these experiences happen in childhood and we are unconscious of their ongoing effects. Examples of adverse experiences include:

  • being yelled at or humiliated by a parent often,
  • feeling unloved or uncared for,
  • having a shortage of food,
  • not having proper protection from harm,
  • not getting needed medical attention,
  • a separation or divorce,
  • witnessing violence against others,
  • living with someone who is mentally ill,
  • the suicide of someone very close,
  • imprisonment of you or someone close to you,
  • heavy alcohol or drug use in your household.

How we can Help

Experiences like these, along with many others, can work against us in life if not addressed. For example, someone who has had a highly adverse childhood is much more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol. Even if childhood was relatively “good”, we all know that as an adult traumatic experiences can occur at any time, and they are not our fault. Therapists at Focused Recovery will work with you in individual sessions to safely address past experiences to help clear up the emotional charges and subconscious actions that result. We also use a special trauma therapy called EMDR, which works very quickly and effectively to heal past hurts. 

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