Trauma & Complex /PTS(d) treatment
I just wanted to note that I don't like to go by such titles such as 'expert' or 'specialist' when it comes to trauma therapy as I believe the subject of trauma is one of those things that you can never know enough or everything about. If I go by the term 'expert' it closes me off to the un-known, the unconious, it creates a hubris, an attitude of self-righteousness, that for me is not what psychotherapy is about.
I do not proclaim to heal you, or your trauma, your brain and body heals itself. The therapies that we do, and what you do outside of therapy will be what aids your healing (just like physiotherapy helps)
However, I would also like to note I have had a significant amount of training and experience in the area of psychological trauma. So, I will write a bit about what I think about it as a guide to help you, and also so you can get a feel for my knowledge and experience.
Trauma is a Greek word for 'wound'. Trauma is the effect from any experience that you have been involved in, either directly or indirectly that you have been witness to.
So, if you are involved in a trauma, you actually have a form of 'wound' within your brain - as trauma impacts the brain - what's in the brain is also in the body and vice versa. Despite what some therapists say, 'trauma' is not the thing/s that happened to you, but the imprint/wounds the events have left behind.
The wound in the brain is within the microscopic circuitry known as the 'neural network'.
The good news is wounds heal, but sometimes they just some more attention to help them heal, just as any other wound might need some attention from a nurse, surgeon or physiotherapist.
We can think of trauma as a piece of glass that has been dropped - it breaks into pieces or 'parts', sometimes known as 'Ego States' in therapy.
The parts of glass are fragmented from each other, and the spaces between the glass are the effects of the trauma. These parts of glass can hold different memories, so sometimes we might not be able to remember all the details of an event or time, memory may seem vague, or we just remember a couple of things... However, the brain is not made of glass, it's more like a jelly, so parts are more on a continuum or spectrum, imagine looking into an 'infinty mirror'.
Trauma therapies allow the reintegration of the pieces of glass so that trauma is healed. Note: that not all therapies are designed to heal 'trauma', and some can do more harm or act as a 'sticking plaster' while underneath the plaster the wound decays.
Because talking therapy or CBT is usually not enough to heal (and sometimes challenges and goes against healing), different styles of therapy are required to reach the areas of the brain where the trauma resides. Normal talk therapies such as 'Solution Focused Therapy' and CBT do not target the where the trauma is in the brain, and talking therapy alone has shown to be largely ineffective at the treating trauma, and can actually further embed the trauma, or bury it further into your system.. Just because a counsellor says they work with trauma doesn't mean they have the adequate training to work with all aspects of the traumatic injury and symptoms.
Unprocessed difficulties, and traumas may re-occur or be 'triggered' if they have not been dealt with. Trauma is so deep rooted within the neurological network of the brain & body that we need to work at this level to help 'process the un-processed'.
Traumatic response in the therapy world is said to be a 'normal response to an abnormal experience'.
Any event that is, or is perceived to as distressing, or life-threatening is traumatic. Trauma will affect you emotionally, your behaviour, mentally, and physically. In fact, it always affects you physically because the trauma resides in close to the 'fight/flight' area in the brain. 'Not feeling', 'feeling empty', or 'numb' are also physical feelings.
Traumatic experience often leaves people highly 'attuned' or on 'hyper alert' to their environment, further stresses and threats in the future. This is a natural way your brain and body protect you from further harm. You may feel as you losing your mind - as your brain, body and nervous system takes over to keep you safe.
Trauma response could even be being 'highly tuned' to others, and sensing another's inner world at a felt sense. The most traumatised people can be the most sensitive to 'atmospheres' and other people's energy and emotions.
If you are experiencing the effects of trauma you may be feeling more 'jumpy', or overly worried that the event will happen again, anger is very common too.. You may not actually be aware you are suffering from 'trauma, C-PTSD or PTSD' because for so long you have 'just got on with it'.
Trauma may be more general, than specific to a 'one-off' event. You may have suffered constantly over a period of time, which has created a 'trauma network', this may be known as C-PTSD.
'Trauma can go unhealed on the inside, and cause difficulties on the outside"
BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS Therapy, Lifespan Integration and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy are trauma therapies that access the trauma to process the 'unprocessed'. Brainspotting, IFS, and some EMDR techniques are really useful for people who find it too traumatic or difficult to talk about what has brought them into therapy. Another way to think about trauma therapy is that - trauma therapies 'do something about it' rather than just talk about it.
Signs of trauma - C-PTSD - PTSD may include:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
is said to be when the effects of the trauma last for more than 6 weeks after the event, it can last weeks, months or years if not treated appropriately. Post Traumatic Stress is actually a normal response to trauma so I just use the term ' Post-Traumatic Stress' rather than PTSD.
Post Traumatic Stress may seem more intense in its' presentation than trauma. Original trauma/s could stem as far back as in childhood. A trauma can be vague or fragmented, while other parts of the memory may be more pronounced.
Complex PTSD and Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma comes from your childhood experiences. Perhaps you were ignored or unloved, as a child, perhaps your parents carer/s were more preoccupied with themselves and their needs. Perhaps you were raised around chaos, and danger. This is where the roots of C-PTSD often are, but not necessarily. A way to think about Complex PTSD, is where there has been more than one event, the trauma/s is more about relationships and loss, there is usually accompanying grief with complex trauma.
Trauma not only affects the conscious brain, it also rewires your unconscious and subconscious brain to be more sensitive to threats in the future. So, anything in the present that can be associated with the original trauma, can bring back memories, emotions, physical sensations, and behavioural responses.
Trauma Therapies
Therapies that I most commonly use, and am trained in are:
EMI & BSP treatments are like hybrids of Eye Movement Desensitisation Emotional Reprocessing (EMDR), and to me have a richer theory supporting them.
These therapies use eye movements, and eye positions as a way of treating the psychological, emotional & physical impacts of trauma more quickly and effectively than talking alone.
They are particularly successful as a Post-Traumatic Stress treatment. EMDR, EMI, BSP, IFS, LI & SP are some of the most healing, and powerful form of therapies I have come across in treating the impact of distressing events. Results can be felt after just one session of each treatment, although more sessions are usually required to make a full recovery.
EMDR, EMI, BSP, IFS, LI and SP are based on how the brain and nervous system is wired, so they are different from some other forms of more traditional 'talking therapies'. BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS, LI and SP work with the body and brain, they work with the mind body connection to integrate traumatic experience so it sits more comfortable rather than overwhelming you.
Recent research has shown that the brain has a profound ability to heal itself - like a wound heals, this phenomenon is called 'neuro-plasticity' in the brain.
Even deeper parts of the brain (known as the mid-brain) have recently been found to be able to form new neurotransmitters (the connectors in your brain). The eyes Optic Nerve connects to the 'midbrain' which is deep within the brain, and this is partly why the eye movements/positions can be so powerful - they take a direct route into where the trauma is first registered.
The mid-brain manages your most unconscious senses, it just 'does' without you needing to even think about it. I.e you just: feel, see, hear without thought. Your consciousness is aware of these things second to your midbrain. Your mid-brain is a very primitive but powerful part of your brain/body/mind - it is the part of you that helps regulate your whole being alive!
BSP, EMDR, IFS, LI & Senosorimotor Psychotherapy are great ways to work with people who find it too traumatic to talk, feel stressed, burnt out, or don't want to talk about what has happened, this is because the 'content' or the 'words' are not what is treated.
Successful trauma therapies seem to get around cognitive functioning (thinking) and get directly into the Limbic System (so that your brain to learn to re-regulate your nervous system). In turn 'if you feel better, you will think better'. If you are injured it can be distracting and stressful at times. It's not talking that heals the injury it's more how you take care of the injury - physically.
'IQ has shown to decrease as anxiety increases, therefore as anxiety decreases, IQ usually increases'
BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS, LI & Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
In BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS, LI and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy we are not only working with the memory, but we also work with the physical imprint the trauma has left in your brain and body. Trauma creates fragmented, and lost memories - a bit like if a computer breaks - your work is somewhere but it cannot be accessed. Neurotherapies help rewire your brain by exercising it in the right way, this is why sometime old memories reoccur during these therapies, integration of IFS Therapy into the other therapies add an extra layer of safety to therapies that otherwise can be very intense. A good way of thinking about these therapies is a kind of physiotherapy for your brain, and just like physiotherapy, sometimes you may feel a little worse the days after a treatment.
I have successfully used BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS, LI & Sensorimotor Psychotherpay help people who have been involved in 'traumatic experience' such as:
As well as trauma BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS, LI & SP have also been successfully used with people experiencing: anger | anxiety | depression | phobias | sexual dysfunction | sleep paralysis | substance misuse | unwanted thoughts and distressing memory.
EMI & BSP are not the same as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) but may have a similar outcome to EMDR. Having experienced all three therapies, I can make an informed decision which may best suit you.
I have completed specialist training in EMI therapy and trauma - with thanks to Dr. Eva Pollani an Austrian Psychotherapist, who is the only licensed and accredited EMI Teacher and Supervisor in Europe. I have also completed BSP Phase 1, 2, 3 & Masterclass with thanks to Dr. Mark Grixti (Clinical Psychologist), Dr Roby Abeles, and Brainspotting founder Dr. David Grand, I have also completed certified training in EMDR 1-3 with Dr. Derek Farrell: EMDR Europe Accredited Trainer, and EMDR 2.0 with Dr. Ad de Jong and Dr. Suzy Matthijssen
As well as training, I'm also 'trauma Informed', and my work in this area is heavily influenced by: Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, Dr. David Grand, Dr. Dan Siegal, Dr.Deb Dana, Dr. Gabor Mate, Dr.Janina Fisher, Dr. Onno Van Der Hart, Dr. Pat Ogden, Dr. Peter Lavine, Dr.Richard Schwartz, Robin Shapiro renowned EMDR Author & Trainer, Kathy Steel and Dr.Stephen Porges.
I do not proclaim to heal you, or your trauma, your brain and body heals itself. The therapies that we do, and what you do outside of therapy will be what aids your healing (just like physiotherapy helps)
However, I would also like to note I have had a significant amount of training and experience in the area of psychological trauma. So, I will write a bit about what I think about it as a guide to help you, and also so you can get a feel for my knowledge and experience.
Trauma is a Greek word for 'wound'. Trauma is the effect from any experience that you have been involved in, either directly or indirectly that you have been witness to.
So, if you are involved in a trauma, you actually have a form of 'wound' within your brain - as trauma impacts the brain - what's in the brain is also in the body and vice versa. Despite what some therapists say, 'trauma' is not the thing/s that happened to you, but the imprint/wounds the events have left behind.
The wound in the brain is within the microscopic circuitry known as the 'neural network'.
The good news is wounds heal, but sometimes they just some more attention to help them heal, just as any other wound might need some attention from a nurse, surgeon or physiotherapist.
We can think of trauma as a piece of glass that has been dropped - it breaks into pieces or 'parts', sometimes known as 'Ego States' in therapy.
The parts of glass are fragmented from each other, and the spaces between the glass are the effects of the trauma. These parts of glass can hold different memories, so sometimes we might not be able to remember all the details of an event or time, memory may seem vague, or we just remember a couple of things... However, the brain is not made of glass, it's more like a jelly, so parts are more on a continuum or spectrum, imagine looking into an 'infinty mirror'.
Trauma therapies allow the reintegration of the pieces of glass so that trauma is healed. Note: that not all therapies are designed to heal 'trauma', and some can do more harm or act as a 'sticking plaster' while underneath the plaster the wound decays.
Because talking therapy or CBT is usually not enough to heal (and sometimes challenges and goes against healing), different styles of therapy are required to reach the areas of the brain where the trauma resides. Normal talk therapies such as 'Solution Focused Therapy' and CBT do not target the where the trauma is in the brain, and talking therapy alone has shown to be largely ineffective at the treating trauma, and can actually further embed the trauma, or bury it further into your system.. Just because a counsellor says they work with trauma doesn't mean they have the adequate training to work with all aspects of the traumatic injury and symptoms.
Unprocessed difficulties, and traumas may re-occur or be 'triggered' if they have not been dealt with. Trauma is so deep rooted within the neurological network of the brain & body that we need to work at this level to help 'process the un-processed'.
Traumatic response in the therapy world is said to be a 'normal response to an abnormal experience'.
Any event that is, or is perceived to as distressing, or life-threatening is traumatic. Trauma will affect you emotionally, your behaviour, mentally, and physically. In fact, it always affects you physically because the trauma resides in close to the 'fight/flight' area in the brain. 'Not feeling', 'feeling empty', or 'numb' are also physical feelings.
Traumatic experience often leaves people highly 'attuned' or on 'hyper alert' to their environment, further stresses and threats in the future. This is a natural way your brain and body protect you from further harm. You may feel as you losing your mind - as your brain, body and nervous system takes over to keep you safe.
Trauma response could even be being 'highly tuned' to others, and sensing another's inner world at a felt sense. The most traumatised people can be the most sensitive to 'atmospheres' and other people's energy and emotions.
If you are experiencing the effects of trauma you may be feeling more 'jumpy', or overly worried that the event will happen again, anger is very common too.. You may not actually be aware you are suffering from 'trauma, C-PTSD or PTSD' because for so long you have 'just got on with it'.
Trauma may be more general, than specific to a 'one-off' event. You may have suffered constantly over a period of time, which has created a 'trauma network', this may be known as C-PTSD.
'Trauma can go unhealed on the inside, and cause difficulties on the outside"
BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS Therapy, Lifespan Integration and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy are trauma therapies that access the trauma to process the 'unprocessed'. Brainspotting, IFS, and some EMDR techniques are really useful for people who find it too traumatic or difficult to talk about what has brought them into therapy. Another way to think about trauma therapy is that - trauma therapies 'do something about it' rather than just talk about it.
Signs of trauma - C-PTSD - PTSD may include:
- Aches and pains
- Addictions & compulsions
- Alcohol & substance use
- Anger, irritability, mood swings
- Anxiety and fear
- Avoidance of others or situations - particularly busy places or crowds.
- Being startled easily
- Body dysmorphia (BDD)
- Confusion
- Depression
- De-personlaisation or dissociation
- Difficulty concentrating
- Disconnecting/Dissociation (Spacing out, feeling far away, fuzzy, floaty etc.)
- Drinking alcohol or using drugs/substance as a way of coping, blocking out or 'self-medicating'
- Eating problems
- Edginess and agitation
- Fatigue
- Feeling disconnected, low or numb
- Feeling sad or hopeless
- Fibromyalgia
- Guilt, shame, self-blame
- Irritable bowel syndrome / I.B.S
- Insomnia, nightmares or flashbacks
- Isolation
- Lashing out
- Memory problems
- Muscle tension
- Nightmares
- O.C.D behaviours & thoughts
- Phobias
- Revisiting or avoiding the place where the trauma happened.
- Racing heartbeat
- Self-harm
- Sexual difficulties
- Shame & guilt
- Sleeping problems inc. sleep paralysis
- Shock, denial, or disbelief
- Shutting down, unable to feel 'love'
- Suicide
- Stuck-ness
- Tinnitus
- Tics & involuntary movements
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
is said to be when the effects of the trauma last for more than 6 weeks after the event, it can last weeks, months or years if not treated appropriately. Post Traumatic Stress is actually a normal response to trauma so I just use the term ' Post-Traumatic Stress' rather than PTSD.
Post Traumatic Stress may seem more intense in its' presentation than trauma. Original trauma/s could stem as far back as in childhood. A trauma can be vague or fragmented, while other parts of the memory may be more pronounced.
Complex PTSD and Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma comes from your childhood experiences. Perhaps you were ignored or unloved, as a child, perhaps your parents carer/s were more preoccupied with themselves and their needs. Perhaps you were raised around chaos, and danger. This is where the roots of C-PTSD often are, but not necessarily. A way to think about Complex PTSD, is where there has been more than one event, the trauma/s is more about relationships and loss, there is usually accompanying grief with complex trauma.
Trauma not only affects the conscious brain, it also rewires your unconscious and subconscious brain to be more sensitive to threats in the future. So, anything in the present that can be associated with the original trauma, can bring back memories, emotions, physical sensations, and behavioural responses.
Trauma Therapies
Therapies that I most commonly use, and am trained in are:
- Brainspotting (BSP) (Trained Phase 1-3, Masterclass and Addictions)
- Ego State Therapy (Ego State & EMDR training with Robin Shapiro)
- Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR) (Trained Lv1-3 & EMDR 2.0) Although this is common therapy - EMDR alone is often not enough to work with personality/ego states within complex trauma.
- Eye Movement Integration (EMI) Therapy (Trained Lv1-2 & Supervision)
- IFS Therapy (IFS) (IFS Lv1-3 Institute Trained & Masterclass) IFS Therapy is a type of Ego State therapy - which I am also trained in.
- Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) (Trained Lv1 Inc. consultation/supervision and experiential learning & sessions) with Dr. Pat Ogden's Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute
- Lifespan Integration Trained Lv1 & 2 with Lifespan Intgeration Brighton/Hove (please note: if you are a therapist looking to develop/train in Lifespan Intgeration, please seek another therapist)
EMI & BSP treatments are like hybrids of Eye Movement Desensitisation Emotional Reprocessing (EMDR), and to me have a richer theory supporting them.
These therapies use eye movements, and eye positions as a way of treating the psychological, emotional & physical impacts of trauma more quickly and effectively than talking alone.
They are particularly successful as a Post-Traumatic Stress treatment. EMDR, EMI, BSP, IFS, LI & SP are some of the most healing, and powerful form of therapies I have come across in treating the impact of distressing events. Results can be felt after just one session of each treatment, although more sessions are usually required to make a full recovery.
EMDR, EMI, BSP, IFS, LI and SP are based on how the brain and nervous system is wired, so they are different from some other forms of more traditional 'talking therapies'. BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS, LI and SP work with the body and brain, they work with the mind body connection to integrate traumatic experience so it sits more comfortable rather than overwhelming you.
Recent research has shown that the brain has a profound ability to heal itself - like a wound heals, this phenomenon is called 'neuro-plasticity' in the brain.
Even deeper parts of the brain (known as the mid-brain) have recently been found to be able to form new neurotransmitters (the connectors in your brain). The eyes Optic Nerve connects to the 'midbrain' which is deep within the brain, and this is partly why the eye movements/positions can be so powerful - they take a direct route into where the trauma is first registered.
The mid-brain manages your most unconscious senses, it just 'does' without you needing to even think about it. I.e you just: feel, see, hear without thought. Your consciousness is aware of these things second to your midbrain. Your mid-brain is a very primitive but powerful part of your brain/body/mind - it is the part of you that helps regulate your whole being alive!
BSP, EMDR, IFS, LI & Senosorimotor Psychotherapy are great ways to work with people who find it too traumatic to talk, feel stressed, burnt out, or don't want to talk about what has happened, this is because the 'content' or the 'words' are not what is treated.
Successful trauma therapies seem to get around cognitive functioning (thinking) and get directly into the Limbic System (so that your brain to learn to re-regulate your nervous system). In turn 'if you feel better, you will think better'. If you are injured it can be distracting and stressful at times. It's not talking that heals the injury it's more how you take care of the injury - physically.
'IQ has shown to decrease as anxiety increases, therefore as anxiety decreases, IQ usually increases'
BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS, LI & Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
In BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS, LI and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy we are not only working with the memory, but we also work with the physical imprint the trauma has left in your brain and body. Trauma creates fragmented, and lost memories - a bit like if a computer breaks - your work is somewhere but it cannot be accessed. Neurotherapies help rewire your brain by exercising it in the right way, this is why sometime old memories reoccur during these therapies, integration of IFS Therapy into the other therapies add an extra layer of safety to therapies that otherwise can be very intense. A good way of thinking about these therapies is a kind of physiotherapy for your brain, and just like physiotherapy, sometimes you may feel a little worse the days after a treatment.
I have successfully used BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS, LI & Sensorimotor Psychotherpay help people who have been involved in 'traumatic experience' such as:
- abuse
- accidents
- attacks
- attachment injuries
- birth
- bullying & narcissistic abuse
- childhood trauma
- crimes: directly or indirectly involved in
- domestic abuse/violence
- childhood neglect - unloved, ignored, not loved enough as a child.
- psychoactive drug use
- road traffic incidents
- rape and sexual abuse
- witnessing of death, suicide or other critical incidents such as traumatic birth or The Hillsborough tragedy.
As well as trauma BSP, EMDR, EMI, IFS, LI & SP have also been successfully used with people experiencing: anger | anxiety | depression | phobias | sexual dysfunction | sleep paralysis | substance misuse | unwanted thoughts and distressing memory.
EMI & BSP are not the same as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) but may have a similar outcome to EMDR. Having experienced all three therapies, I can make an informed decision which may best suit you.
I have completed specialist training in EMI therapy and trauma - with thanks to Dr. Eva Pollani an Austrian Psychotherapist, who is the only licensed and accredited EMI Teacher and Supervisor in Europe. I have also completed BSP Phase 1, 2, 3 & Masterclass with thanks to Dr. Mark Grixti (Clinical Psychologist), Dr Roby Abeles, and Brainspotting founder Dr. David Grand, I have also completed certified training in EMDR 1-3 with Dr. Derek Farrell: EMDR Europe Accredited Trainer, and EMDR 2.0 with Dr. Ad de Jong and Dr. Suzy Matthijssen
- NHS recommend EMDR as a treatment for trauma: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/treatment/ please bare in mind that NHS are somewhat restricted in what they can offer as therapy.
- MIND also have information: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/treatments-for-ptsd/#c
- There is recent research to evidence 'the sooner the better' in treating trauma https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-02/uoc--etf021320.php?fbclid=IwAR2GsW-zAmX1bwsx8zQie13KESwj_41DSn0VqJnMVjUc5pfMZ3MusnPZkHE (again just like any other significant injury the sooner it is treated, the better chance it has to heal at it's best)
As well as training, I'm also 'trauma Informed', and my work in this area is heavily influenced by: Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, Dr. David Grand, Dr. Dan Siegal, Dr.Deb Dana, Dr. Gabor Mate, Dr.Janina Fisher, Dr. Onno Van Der Hart, Dr. Pat Ogden, Dr. Peter Lavine, Dr.Richard Schwartz, Robin Shapiro renowned EMDR Author & Trainer, Kathy Steel and Dr.Stephen Porges.
Optional EMDR equipment
| emi_article.pdf |
| Brainspotting research in comparison to EMDR |
| emdr--emi-_brainspotting-_info.pdf |
EMDR is probably the most popular trauma treatments, but not necessarily the most appropriate on its' own:
I can think about what happened now without feeling overwhelmed and angry about what happened.... It's just a memory now... A client...
Even if you are based outside of Liverpool or the even the United Kingdom, I can provide Online Trauma Therapy direct to your location.
I can think about what happened now without feeling overwhelmed and angry about what happened.... It's just a memory now... A client...
Even if you are based outside of Liverpool or the even the United Kingdom, I can provide Online Trauma Therapy direct to your location.
