Denver Trauma Counseling
“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside of us in the absence of an empathic witness”- Peter Levine
Trauma is an experience that can deeply affect our lives, leaving enduring imprints on our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. However, the journey towards healing is indeed possible. At Be Counseling, we offer holistic trauma therapy, rooted in parts work (Internal Family Systems) and somatic support.
Understanding Trauma
Trauma counseling offers a specialized form of therapy meticulously designed to guide individuals through the intricate process of recovering from traumatic experiences. Despite its prevalence, there are many misconceptions surrounding trauma. While it can indeed involve the "big" events we commonly associate with trauma, it can also manifest as subtle yet deeply impactful experiences that linger within us, triggering distressing symptoms. Trauma, often described as "too much too fast too soon" or "too little for too long," fundamentally alters our internal landscape, trapping our entire system in survival mode.
Trauma can originate from a myriad of experiences, each capable of shattering our sense of safety and overwhelming our coping mechanisms. This can manifest in various symptoms, including anxiety, depression, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and challenges in forming trusting relationships.
It is imperative to acknowledge that trauma is not solely determined by the event itself but also by our individual perceptions and responses. What may constitute trauma for one person may not evoke the same response in another. Moreover, trauma can manifest differently across the lifespan, from childhood to adulthood.
Here are some examples of inner child trauma that research is now showing can lead to distressing effects long term:
Emotions Not Having A Home: Growing up in an environment where emotional needs are consistently overlooked or invalidated can lead to profound feelings of emptiness, unworthiness, and disconnection.
Parentification: Being forced into a role where a child has to assume adult responsibilities, such as caretaking for siblings or emotionally supporting parents, can lead to feelings of overwhelm, resentment, and a loss of childhood.
Gaslighting: Experiencing manipulation or denial of one's reality by caregivers can lead to confusion, self-doubt, and a distorted sense of reality.
Family Secret Keeping: Growing up in an environment where the child keeps family secrets.
Incongruent Realities: An experience where the reality of what things are like inside of the family home is vastly different than how things are perceived by others outside the home.
Chronic Criticism: Growing up in an environment where one's worth is constantly undermined or criticized can lead to low self-esteem, perfectionism, and a fear of failure.
Emotional Abuse: Enduring verbal assaults, threats, or manipulation from caregivers can result in lasting emotional scars, such as anxiety, depression, and difficulty trusting others.
Role Reversal: Being placed in a position where a child has to take on the role of a caregiver for their parents due to parental incapacity or dysfunction can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and a loss of childhood.
Scapegoating: Being unfairly blamed or targeted for family problems can lead to feelings of isolation, rejection, and a sense of being inherently flawed.
Invalidating Environment: Growing up in an environment where emotions are dismissed or invalidated can lead to difficulties in emotional regulation, self-expression, and forming secure attachments.
Enmeshment: Being enmeshed in a family system where boundaries are blurred, and individual identities are not respected can result in a lack of autonomy, difficulty forming healthy relationships, and a diminished sense of self.
Intergenerational Trauma: Being exposed to trauma passed down through generations, such as addiction, abuse, or mental illness, can perpetuate cycles of dysfunction and lead to complex emotional and relational challenges.
okay that was heavy… let’s take a moment, notice your breath, the back of the chair behind you. It’s okay to take a gentleness break if you need one.
If any of these ring true for you, it can be alarming at first. AND- there is hope. This does not mean you have to be in therapy for the rest of your life or never talk to your parents again- but it does mean that the symptoms you are experiencing today could (probably are) related to inner children who do not have their needs met. Healing happens when we begin to give these inner children the healing experiences they are desperately needing.
The Principles of Parts Work (Internal Family Systems)
Parts work (Internal Family Systems) recognizes the complexity of our inner world, viewing the mind as consisting of various "parts" who protect our inner children. These parts develop in response to life experiences, including trauma, and can range from protective to wounded aspects of the self. The aim is to understand and integrate these parts to foster healing and wholeness.
The Principles of Somatic Support
Somatic support underscores the significance of the body in trauma healing. Trauma isn't just stored in our minds but also in our bodies. Somatic techniques focus on accessing and releasing this stored energy, helping us to connect with our nervous systems and find relief from physical tension and discomfort.
Trauma counseling that integrates parts work and somatic support offers a comprehensive approach to healing. By combining insights into the internal landscape of the psyche with techniques to regulate the nervous system and release stored trauma from the body, therapists can support clients in accessing and processing trauma on multiple levels—emotional, cognitive, and physiological.
The Transformative Potential of Trauma Counseling
Trauma counseling holds immense transformative potential for individuals seeking healing from past traumas. By addressing trauma holistically—acknowledging its effects on both the mind and the body—this approach offers a pathway towards greater resilience, self-awareness, and well-being. Clients may experience benefits such as emotional regulation, increased self-compassion, improved relationships, enhanced body awareness, and post-traumatic growth.
Advanced EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Advanced EMDR is a specialized form of therapy that utilizes bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, tapping, or auditory tones) to help individuals process traumatic memories and experiences. This technique facilitates the reprocessing of distressing memories, allowing them to be stored in the brain more adaptively, thus reducing their emotional intensity and power.
Advanced EMDR builds upon the principles of traditional EMDR therapy, offering additional strategies and interventions to address complex or deeply ingrained traumas. By integrating EMDR with other therapeutic modalities, such as parts work and somatic techniques, therapists can provide a more comprehensive and tailored approach to trauma healing.
Trauma counseling is more than just a process of talking through our problems—it's a journey of deep self-discovery and healing. By exploring the intricate layers of our inner world and learning to listen to the wisdom of our bodies, we can find new pathways to cope with past traumas and move forward in our lives. If any of this resonates with you, I invite you to reach out below. There is hope.
