Trauma

Significant trauma often leads to deep, long lasting impacts on our life. It can cause us to make poor, even abusive relationship choices, as well as lead us to sabotage our career and success in many areas of our life. It can lead to depression, anxiety, a feeling of unworthiness, nightmares, and a very critical voice of self-judgment.  It can cause physical illnesses, alcohol and drug addiction, can lead one to engage in dangerous activities, avoidance of circumstances, mysterious triggering and reactionary upset, and significantly impair our ability to feel happiness or desire for living. Research has shown that trauma is an actual physical injury that rewires the brain and lodges in the body.  It can be more difficult to heal than other physically caused injuries to the body.

The goal of trauma therapy is to heal ourselves so that we are not controlled by trauma without further imprinting it in the midbrain and body where it is held.

My expertise includes training with organizations and individuals who teach groundbreaking trauma therapies based on the most recent research and evidence including: The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM); the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute; Trauma, Resilience, and Addiction with Dr. Gabor Mate; Clinical and Somatic Interventions with Dr. Janina Fisher.

In my trauma work with clients, the initial consultation will include a conversation about the various factors and the extent of the experienced trauma, the recency and acuteness of the activated symptoms, the client’s current situation as to safety, as well as other treatments they are currently undergoing.  If the trauma is acutely activated and/or it involves violent experiences present in the client’s life, I may determine that it is more appropriate to refer to another practitioner who is licensed in the state as a mental health therapist.  Because my client’s well-being is always my top priority, I always carefully discern the best possible avenue for their treatment and healing.

The modalities that I use to support clients in their trauma healing include:

• ‍Sensorimotor Somatic Interventions, which addresses trauma held in the body.
• ‍Nervous system regulation skills to teach you how to regulate your own nervous system, lower stress levels, and minimize anxiety, fear, and panic.
• ‍Brainspotting, is based on research that connects the visual cortex with the midbrain where trauma is held, allows the brain and body to file away the trauma without reliving it.‍
• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is an energy medicine technique involving the tapping of specific points on the body that correlate with meridians. This is a universally proven method to help reduce anxiety, trauma, pain, etc.‍
• Regression is used when appropriate to complete trauma memories and reframe them to give empowerment in the here and now. It is not used to "dig up" trauma or to resurface memories that are not naturally arising. ‍
• HeartMath Biofeedback is a method for clients to learn how to regulate their nervous system in real time with a ear or finger sensor that integrates with simple displays on the screen. Extensive research has been conducted by HeartMath Institute revealing that the practice of centering feelings of gratitude in the physical heart space will emanate for miles around the individual.  This will not only regulate one's own nervous system into a state of calm, it will also influence those around her/him for miles.

Please Note: Most of my session work can be facilitated via live video. In cases such as extensive, acute, and highly activated trauma, a referral to a licensed mental health specialist with trauma expertise will be made.

"You do not heal 'from' trauma. You simply come to know yourself as Life Itself.
And you turn towards the wounded place. And you flush it with attention, which is love.
And maybe the wound will always be with you. Maybe you will always walk with the hurt.
But now, you hold it. It doesn't hold you. You are the container, not the contained.
It doesn't control you any longer, the wound. Because it is drenched in awareness now.
Drenched in You. Loved by You. Even celebrated by You. You do not heal 'from' trauma.
You find healing 'in' the trauma. You find yourself at trauma's sacred core.
The One who is always present. The One who can bear even the most intense feeling states.
And survive. The Indestructible One. The Infinite One. The Powerful One. You."
- Jeff Foster

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A Special Passion‍

Through my 501(c) nonprofit Keeping All Women Safe, K.A.W.S., which I founded and currently direct, I am involved in extensive research in order to compose and submit new legislation that includes trauma in the criminal justice system. At this time, most states only consider trauma in determining damages in civil lawsuits. Given the last several years of trauma research that has revealed that trauma is a physical injury and for greater justice, the degree of trauma inflicted on a survivor should be included when assigning criminal charges and sentencing in criminal court proceedings.

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