Trauma and PTSD Recovery
Welcome to TriState Family Therapy – Your Sanctuary for Trauma Recovery
Life’s journey is a tapestry…
It’s woven with moments of joy, challenges, and, for some, the enduring impact of trauma.
We understand trauma’s complexities and offer you a compassionate space to heal.
At TriState Family Therapy, healing is not just a destination but a transformative journey.
Understanding Trauma: A Spectrum of Experiences
Let’s explore the differences between “Big T trauma” and “Little T trauma” to shed light on the nuanced landscape of healing…
Big T Trauma
Big T traumas, often termed “large T traumas,” are seismic events that immediately jeopardize life or physical well-being. These life-altering experiences, like natural disasters, serious accidents, assault, abuse, combat exposure, or witnessing violence, can cast enduring shadows on adulthood.
The effects of Big T traumas resonate deeply, giving rise to conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, and depression. Recurring flashbacks and nightmares may weave through daily life, a testament to the profound impact these events can have.
Little T Trauma
On the other side of the spectrum are Little T traumas, the subtler yet no less impactful experiences that emotionally distress without an immediate threat to life. Examples include bullying, emotional neglect, loss, chronic family conflict, or growing up in a disordered or unpredictable household.
Little T traumas can quietly shape adulthood, manifesting as challenges in emotional regulation, struggles with self-esteem, difficulties in forming and maintaining healthy relationships, and the lingering presence of intrusive thoughts related to past experiences.
A day in the life with PTSD…
Every day is like navigating a treacherous landscape…
Each step can trigger an onslaught of memories and emotions, pulling you back into the clutches of the traumatic event. Mundane activities like a trip to the grocery store or the sudden blast of a loud noise become potential minefields, ready to detonate a cascade of intense emotions and visceral physical responses. The simple act of reaching for a product on a shelf can morph into a flashback, the sights and sounds echoing a past that you’re desperately trying to escape.
A hypervigilance wraps around you…
It’s a constant companion, turning crowded spaces into potential threats and transforming routine social interactions into a labyrinth of anxiety. It’s a delicate dance between desperately wanting connection and fearing the potential landmines within every encounter.
The struggle persists into the night…
Sleep, that elusive sanctuary, becomes disrupted territory. You close your eyes, only to have the echoes of trauma replay in your mind, shattering any hope of a peaceful night’s rest and further complicating the already challenging journey of navigating the day.
Trauma also casts a profound shadow on relationships…
Trust, a fragile cornerstone of connections, may be eroded, making it difficult to form and maintain intimate bonds. Communication can become strained, as the effects of trauma may manifest in withdrawal, emotional numbness, or heightened reactivity. Both Big T and Little T traumas can create a relational landscape where partners, family members, and friends feel the reverberations of a survivor’s pain.
Our approach to healing…
At TriState Family Therapy, we recognize the intricate ways trauma can affect us relationally. Our therapists integrate an attachment lens into our trauma-informed care, fostering understanding and healing not only within the individual survivor, but also within the context of their relationships.
Using modalities such as EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and building a resilient inner self, our holistic approach aims to restore individual well-being and the fabric of connections trauma may have strained.
The path to resilience, hope, and transformation starts with acknowledging that you’re not alone.
If you’re ready to take the courageous step toward healing, reach out to us at (732) 523-1829 or email us at office@tristatefamilytherapy.com.