Trauma / PTSD

A trauma occurs whenever a person experiences an overwhelming event that exceeds their capacity to cope, leading to the perception that the event is life-threatening. The threat may leave the individual feeling they are helpless, out of control, or so overwhelmed that they can no longer function normally.  

The perceived threat can be associated with an acute event (surgery, rape, accidents, abuse, combat situations, etc), or with a chronic situation in which the person is overwhelmed, such as ongoing physical or sexual abuse by a family member. When the early environment is severely lacking in nurturance and care, deprivation during childhood can be internalized as the feeling that one’s life is endangered. In such cases, the effects become very similar to acute trauma experiences.

Traumatic wounds, while having observable physical and emotional symptoms, stem from impulses to escape, protect one’s self, or fight back, that were never allowed to emerge during the event These unfinished actions are deeply connected to the traumatic experience, and have not been processed and integrated. The traumatized individual is effectively still living in the past event, like being in a nightmare where you never wake up. He or she re-experiences the reactions they experienced when the original trauma was occurring, even though the danger may be long past. The psychological activation, terror, and somatic impulses are still present in response to any trigger in the present environment that bears some resemblance to the original threat.

In Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, the physical movements that would have provided protection or escape are allowed to emerge, often resulting in amazing reduction of post-traumatic symptoms. Body-oriented interventions allow new movements and patterns to emerge, restoring a sense of safety and competency. The re-experiencing of the trauma is often dramatically reduced, and healthy emotional and cognitive processing is regained.