How to Heal From Trauma
At The Garden Approach, we understand the profound complexities of trauma and its impact on every aspect of your life. Our goal is to create a safe, nurturing space for healing, where your past no longer defines your future. We specialize in guiding individuals through their journeys of healing from complex trauma and relational challenges.
WHAT IS TRAUMA?
Dr. Dan Siegel defined trauma as ANY experience that overrides one’s natural ability to cope. What is traumatic for one person may not be traumatic for another. Unresolved trauma and/or chronic high levels of stress can cause significant impairment to a person’s functioning.
Understanding Trauma: Little “t” vs. Big “T”
Little “t” Trauma: These experiences may seem minor when viewed in isolation but can significantly impact emotional well-being when they accumulate over time. They could include feelings of neglect, bullying, or chronic stress from everyday life challenges. Clients often find themselves grappling with low self-esteem, anxiety, or a fear of intimacy without fully understanding why.
Big “T” Trauma: This encompasses traumatic events that involve life-threatening situations, such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, severe accidents, or loss of a loved one. This trauma can lead to PTSD, complex PTSD, anxiety disorders, depression, and difficulties in relationships.
The Ripple Effect of Unresolved Trauma can cascade into several areas of an individual's life:
- Mental Health: Chronic trauma leads to conditions such as anxiety, depression, and mood swings. Clients may experience overwhelming feelings that seem without cause; understanding how trauma impacts their emotional landscape provides clarity.
- Emotional Health: Individuals may find themselves stuck in cycles of denial, anger, grief, or guilt. Learning to process these emotions healthily can lead to a more balanced emotional state.
- Relational Health: Trauma can hinder trust and intimacy, making it difficult to engage in healthy relationships. Clients often find themselves repeating dysfunctional patterns, which can perpetuate a sense of isolation.
- Physical Health: The physiological responses to stress, such as tension, headaches, and fatigue, are linked directly to emotional distress.
- Spiritual Health: Trauma can cause disruption in development and distort a person’s values and beliefs. It is natural to question why bad things happen to people and in the world. Traumatic experiences can create feelings of betrayal, anger, abandonment leading to a questioning of previously held beliefs, values, including faith and spiritual doctrines. It can alter your sense of safety and trust in yourself, God, relationships. This loss of faith can leave a person feeling spiritually disconnected and isolated.
At The Garden Approach, we work with you to identify the roots of your pain and to understand how they shape your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
We focus on the mind-body connection, recognizing that your physical health is intertwined with your emotional and spiritual well-being. We incorporate several healing modalities, including:
- Polyvagal Theory: Understanding how your nervous system regulates your emotional responses and how to change unhealthy patterns into calm, restorative states. This theory provides insight into how the vagus nerve impacts emotional regulation. We help clients learn about their stress responses and their body's ways of coping with trauma, enabling them to access calmer states.
- Attachment Theory: Exploring your early relational patterns to help you form healthier connections in your present relationships. By understanding clients' attachment styles, whether secure, anxious, or avoidant, we empower them to reshape their relational patterns. Recognizing past attachment wounds is crucial for fostering healthier connections moving forward.
- Energy Psychology: Harnessing tools like Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to release emotional blocks and trauma held within the body.
- The Importance of Spiritual Practice and Healthy Relationships
Spiritual practices such as meditation and mindfulness can act as a vital support system in your healing journey. They foster self-awareness, cultivate compassion, and create a sense of peace amidst chaos.
Likewise, nurturing healthy relationships is crucial for recovery. A supportive network can provide a sense of safety, validation, and community that is pivotal for healing.
Every individual’s journey is unique, and at The Garden Approach, we tailor our therapeutic interventions to meet your specific needs. We offer one-on-one sessions, workshops, and resources to empower you on your pathway to healing.
By addressing the root causes of trauma and integrating mind, body, and spirit, we help you reclaim your life and relationships. Are you ready to embark on your healing journey? Contact us for a free consultation or to learn more about how we can support you in transforming pain into power.
