..Helping Adult Victims of Adult Trauma, Sexual Assault, Rape, or Domestic Abuse using Psychotherapy at 1066 TherapyÂ
covering East Sussex, Battle, Hastings, Bexhill, Rye, Heathfield, Hailsham, Eastbourne, Crowborough, Brighton, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Ashford, Maidstone and Kent.
I have successfully helped a variety of clients who have been victims of some form of adult trauma. I help people to resolve the after-effects, usually symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), by using trauma-informed therapy at my practice just outside of Battle, East Sussex.
What is trauma?
Trauma comes from the Greek word meaning ‘wound’. Technically, the trauma isn’t in the event(s), it is what happens inside of us as a result of what has happened. We can be traumatised when we are emotionally and / or physically overwhelmed (we go into ‘survival mode’ of fight/flight/freeze) and we feel out of control and unable to defend ourselves. Our brains aren’t ‘wired’ for trauma, which is why we can struggle with overwhelming experiences even in adulthood. In fact, studies show that between 20% and 40% of adults will go on to develop PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) following a traumatising event.
It’s not only combat veterans who can suffer from this! However, the 20-40% figure only represents those who seek help. There are many others who may not realise that a) they have symptoms of PTSD and / or b) that they can get help to resolve it. However, if we have appropriate support to help us to process the event(s), it is possible to recover from trauma. ‘Simple’ PTSD tends to develop following a single event. However, if we are subjected to repeated overwhelm, such as in cases of domestic abuse or war, we are more likely to develop Complex PTSD or cPTSD.
Adult Trauma events
Events which can traumatise include:
- severe accidents
- rape / sexual assault
- domestic abuse / violence
- sudden loss of loved ones
- serious (life-threatening) illness
- physical assault
- war
- witnessing violence or death
- natural disasters
- serial abuse by others, especially someone in a close relationship.
Domestic Abuse
The word ‘abuse’ is an emotive word – the dictionary definitions are ‘to speak rudely to’, ‘to treat cruelly’, ‘to use wrongly/to misuse’ and this covers a wide range of difficult and painful experiences:
- Psychological / emotional abuse – controlling/coercive behaviours, abusive anger, regular belittling or criticism, humiliation, accusing and blaming, verbal bullying, shouting and yelling, making threats.
- Physical abuse – smacking, hitting, kicking, hair-pulling, pinching, punching, beating with open hands, fists, or implements.
- Sexual abuse – someone forcing us to have sex, or to perform sexual acts against our will. Sexual abuse / assault / rape may be carried out by a spouse, partner, friend or acquaintance (e.g. date rape). Or by a stranger although the latter is less common than by someone known to the person.
- There are many other behaviours which are forms of domestic abuse too.
Previous Therapy
Some people who consult me have had previous counselling or other therapy for the abuse / assault / trauma, but they are still struggling with unwanted behaviours or problems. In short, they are suffering with some form of PTSD. Their symptoms may or may not include visual flashbacks which are a ‘classic’ symptom of (simple) PTSD. In which case, cPTSD may be more likely.
The previous therapy may have helped somewhat, or may not have helped at all for whatever reason. So they feel ‘stuck’ somehow and unable to move on properly. This might be because many therapies involve talking things through on an intellectual level. Not only can this approach be triggering, we also don’t always process the unresolved emotions. When this happens, our systems cannot properly integrate what has happened. Having unresolved emotional residue (which is held all over our system) is often why people can continue to have problems despite having had previous therapy. People may also hold negative ‘core’ beliefs about the self, (usually held on a subconscious level).
In addition, many adults do not connect their present day problems with their earlier experiences. Instead they may think that they are ‘over all of that now’, or ‘it wasn’t that bad, people have worse’, or ‘it was such a long time ago, it can’t be that’. However, decades of research, studies and recent advances in neuroscience are able to show us the impact on the mind of traumatic and abusive experiences. They also show how many people just don’t ‘get over it’ with the passage of time.
What can I do to help?
I have trained in several trauma-informed therapy models. Given experience of each, I tend to use Lifespan Integration therapy for these issues. It is very effective for all kinds of trauma – read more here. I have also trained in working with dissociation and complex PTSD. Please check out the ‘About Me’ page for details.Â
Call or text me now on 07722783490 to book your free 30 minute initial consultation.
