Shifting the focus from ‘What is wrong with you?’ to considering ‘What happened to you?’ allows us to overcome barriers to shame and promotes new ways of thinking about mental well-being through a trauma-informed lens. A trauma-informed approach is founded on the understanding and acceptance that symptoms and experiences related to trauma are coping strategies established by people to manage traumatic experiences. With this in mind, we can begin to accept that our responses are natural reactions to unnatural events. This approach is based on a neuroscientific, relational, trauma-informed model whereby the basic human values of kindness, empathy, and compassion are at the heart of trauma-informed care, which respects the impact of trauma on the brain & the body. Not all trauma is created equal just as our expressions of trauma are unlikely to be equal, therefore integrating a variety of tools into a trauma-informed framework allows me to adapt my approach based on the individual needs of a person. The overall aim of Trauma-informed practice is to prevent further harm or re-traumatisation for those who have already experienced trauma and adversity.

What is trauma?

Typically, we think of trauma as the result of a big catastrophic event that we have experienced at some point in our lives. However, any distressing experience whether a single event or frequent exposure to a set of ongoing traumatic events might result in trauma. This pushes our nervous system outside of its ability to cope and regulate itself impacting us psychologically, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Unprocessed trauma tends to ‘stick around’ in our system affecting our daily life and can show up in the form of panic attacks, anxiety, flashbacks, and depression. Less obvious signs of trauma can be difficult to pinpoint and often relate to the absence of ‘what didn’t happen to us’ versus ‘what should have happened to us’. This may be because we did not grow up in a warm, supportive environment where our emotional needs were consistently satisfied by those who were responsible for our care and development. This might leave us feeling persistently sad and empty as if something is missing from our life. It's frequently the "one thing" that we are unable to identify and track down within ourselves.

If you are wondering if therapy is right for you then you are not alone. Deciding to seek counselling is a personal decision that is often difficult to make. Life can be challenging and having someone in your corner to provide a judgment-free space, could bring balance & support through building a meaningful connection. You can decide to put your well-being first by incorporating counselling into your life. Therapy is not a sign of weakness, but rather one of self-preservation & self-care.