Articles
- Screening For Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol-Related Problems in College Populations
- Young American Women Drinking Harder
- Broad Drug Testing Adopted in Kansas Town
- Monthly Illicit Drug Use Highest in S.F. Area
- Marijuana, Memory, and the Hippocampus
- Nicotine Withdrawal Starts Within Minutes of Smoking
- Study: IQ Scores Not Lower in Babies Exposed to Cocaine
- Class-Action Status Sought in 'Light' Cigarette Case
What is Trauma?
Traumatic experiences are those that are so intense they overwhelm your ability to cope or integrate them in a healthy way. Trauma can occur as the result of months or years of abuse or neglect, or in the wake of a single overwhelming event. Trauma usually involves intense fear and a sense of helplessness in the face of real or perceived threat to your physical well-being, your loved ones, or even your sanity. The adverse impact of trauma may be obvious or hidden, immediate or delayed. The effects of trauma in childhood (particularly neglect or physical or emotional abuse) are generally more complex and wide-ranging than those experienced by victims of a catastrophic event. The Life Healing Center Approach Through exposure to a range of evidence-based therapies, the trauma survivor can begin to experience new hope, as well as support and empathy they may have longed for but could not find. For most of us, the trauma recovery process can be described in seven steps:
- Step One: Learn to manage negative emotions without turning to self-destructive behaviors.
- Step Two: Create a narrative framework for recovery
- Step Three: Identify repetitive, self-defeating patterns that harm your happiness
- Step Four: Reconnect actions and feelings in a healthier way
- Step Five: Address traumatic memories to lessen their power
- Step Six: Develop new, healthy ways of connecting to others
- Step Seven: Continue a program of recovery into the future
The Life Healing Center offers a full menu of integrative therapies that can benefit survivors of trauma. These include Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR); acupuncture; Somatic Experiencing™, breathwork therapies, Hakomi, massage, Equine assisted therapy, neurofeedback, and a range of other innovative therapy techniques. All are available from qualified, licensed or certified practitioners drawn from the rich healing environment of the Santa Fe area. Through our twice-monthly Intensive Family Therapy Weekends, the healing can be extended to your family and intimate relationships.
