Trauma and childhood relational trauma

PTSD, (post traumatic stress disorder), CPTSD, small 't' trauma, 'big T' trauma, dysregulation, shut down, meltdown, flashbacks, hyer or hypo vigilance, arousal, being triggered, activated etc etc. These are just a selection of the words used to describe someone who has experienced trauma and is re-experiencing it in the present.

Trauma is not so much the event but how the event lands in the person, how it impacts them. This is affected by the nature of the world surrounding the person at the time of the traumatic event, what resources are available to them etc. Things such as these can determine what sense the person's nervous system will make of the event and what they learn about themselves in that moment - not a conscious learning but a somatic, implicit learning.

Our nervous systems operate outside of our awareness. Their primary function is our survival. And this means that our nervous system will do whatever it takes to ensure that we survive. This might involve activating the fight or flight mechanism, or more usually for children (unable to fight back or run away), they freeze or appease (fawn). This system can then get stuck unable to be processed and filed away and we might then be left with free floating feelings, beliefs, behaviours, somatic feelings etc that are waiting to get reactivated. The result is that the environment in the here and now can feel hostile to us. It activate (or trigger) our past held beliefs, feelings, behaviours, somatic feelings etc. So we find ourselves fighting. fleeing, freezing or appeasing all over again.

You might even KNOW all of this stuff consciously but once activated, your body and feelings FEEL differently - that is because difficult experiences and trauma get encoded in our bodies, our implicit memory networks and once activated, the body and nervous system take over and we can feel like we have lost control over any logic.

EMDR therapy can be an effective way of rewiring these beliefs and reactions.

Trauma Therapy

Expert support for overcoming trauma and its lasting effects on your life.

EMDR Therapy

Effective treatment for trauma using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing techniques.

Tailored psychotherapy for neurodivergent individuals, addressing unique challenges and experiences.

Neurodivergent Support