Understanding Trauma

• Seeking healing through a trauma informed approach

• Understanding how trauma and PTSD effects our mind & body

• Learning to identify symptoms early and respond to triggers

• Safely resolving unresolved personal and past experiences

We are all prone to stressors and stimuli that raise our anxiety, activating our fight or flight response in anticipation of a seemingly threatening thought, situation or experience. This is a very natural response that alerts us of potential dangers, preparing our mind and body to take action in keeping us safe.

However, there are certain events in life - significantly adverse or threatening situations - which can have a powerful impact on our mind and body. These traumatic experiences may result from direct or indirect exposure to a violent, abusive or life threatening situation either to ourselves or another. Sometimes these experiences are so overwhelming to our sensory awareness that our mind and nervous system fail to process the experience normally, leading to the development of post traumatic stress symptoms. As a result, we may develop further complications down the track including flashbacks, hyper-arousal, memory complications, panic attacks, confusion, anxiety, intense emotions and dissociation.

Similar to stress and anxiety, the symptoms we feel post trauma are a result of the relationship between our perceived experience of the environment and the nervous system’s response to it. The difference here is that symptoms of post-traumatic stress can arise even if the actual threat is gone. By understanding how our mind and nervous system responds during such times, we can learn to have greater control of our lives, bringing healing and a calm mind. Although we can’t change the past, we can gain a greater sense of control over our mind and body, building self awareness, confidence and a new found purpose.