The origin of the word TRAUMA means “injury.” Psychological trauma can result from exposure to threatened death, serious physical injury, or sexual violence. Witnessing these events as they occurred to others can also be traumatic.
The impact of trauma
The impact of trauma can interfere with how you think, sleep, dream, or experience reality. It can change how you react to events that resemble your traumatic event. It can impair your mood and motivation. Finally, it can change how you react physiologically.
For some, talking about your trauma will help resolve it. For others, talking about your trauma can actually make your symptoms worse. I have been trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy, or ART. Accelerated Resolution Therapy works directly to reprogram the way in which distressing memories and images are stored in the brain so that they no longer trigger strong physical and emotional reactions. You can feel significantly better in only 1 to 3 sessions.
Psychotherapy after exposure to multiple traumatic events, which is also referred to as complex trauma, will take longer.