Trauma Therapy Geelong
Therapies and Treatments
Moving to the rhythm of your system
Trauma and the nervous system (Polyvagal Theory)
During traumatic experiences the body responds with a survival response in the nervous system. This response is released to help us act to preserve life, this may be fighting, running, freezing or shutting down. Naturally these states are meant to be a temporary response to threat, however if the threat is ongoing or a persons nervous system is unable to complete the response and come back to safety, it can lead to the body staying in this shock. Stuck in a state of survival. This is what leads to the trauma symptoms such as hypervigilance, anxiety, flashbacks, negative self beliefs, depression, brain fog, fatigue, sleep difficulties and so on.
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A key part of therapy is learning what your nervous system needs to come back to safety. This is done through orienting to the safety in the world around you, in the things you love, in the people who care for you and in the therapeutic relationship.
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I understand that many people seeking therapy can be facing current risk and danger in the world. In these instances a slower approach is needed and some elements of therapy need to be delayed until we can make sure you are safe for now.
Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)
The first part of our work together is understand how symptoms show up in your present day life and what their role is in your system. Although people often see symptoms as problems, they serve a purpose. For example a trauma survivor might experience hypervigilance as their body is trying to stay alert to any future danger. We want to understand the function of each of these symptoms and bring compassion to them, as at their core symptoms are a persons body doing its best to help them cope.
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In our work together we can get to know these parts of you that are stuck in trauma and help orient them to the present. Often parts don't realise that we have grown up and changed since the trauma occurred. Helping these parts to allow space inside, opens up a new opportunity for trust within in yourself and allows these parts to release the burdens they no longer need to carry.
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Memory Reprocessing (EMDR)
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Once we understand how your inner system works, we can find which trauma memories we need to work on. EMDR is a tool to help process these memories that are stuck in a traumatic state in the mind and body.
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EMDR allows the mind and body to be in a state in which trauma can come out of the past and connect with your present awareness and adaptive information.
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It involved many techniques to bring your awareness to the trauma memory in a safe and therapeutic way. One of these techniques is bilateral stimulation (BLS). BLS can involve any stimulation from the left to right side of the body, back and forth. This can include moving the eyes left to right, physical vibrations or tapping and sounds in each ear. This keeps awareness focused on the present moment while looking back at the past. It also facilitates brain activity that is conducive to the processing of traumatic material.
EMDR and parts work are two main tools I use in therapy, however the healing process doesnt always include these. Your healing journey is unique to you and my job is to stay open and curious, so we can follow the path of your system and walk together towards healing.
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Resources
Videos on therapies