Trauma Counseling

Are you tired? Do you find yourself either feeling emotions at an extreme level or feeling nothing at all? Does the memory of one event replay in your head constantly no matter how hard you've tried to forget it? Have your relationships started to suffer because you can't seem to connect to people the way you used to?

If you have experienced trauma in your life, it is likely that these and other symptoms are affecting you on a daily basis. If these symptoms are persisting and it has been longer than a month since your experience, you should consider getting help.

Trauma is unlike any other experience. It is literally carved into our brains. It changes you, but it does not have to own you. Whether you are a combat veteran, sexual abuse survivor, lived through a natural disaster or accident, or witnessed something traumatic, you must know that your pain is valid. Trauma is a normal reaction to an abnormal event and you don't have to carry it alone.

Trauma may be more common than you realize.

According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lives. This means that 223.4 million people are struggling with trauma right along with you. While everyone is going to experience and process trauma differently, many people experience some of the same symptoms such as: flashbacks, difficulty connecting with people, physical symptoms, strong emotions, sensory sensitivity (bright light, loud noises, etc.), appetite and sleep disruptions, and trouble enjoying things they once did.

If you are like a lot of people, you have probably tried to manage this yourself. Maybe you have started exercising and changed your diet. Perhaps you have been patient thinking that in time, the symptoms would go away. You might have even started medicating with drugs or alcohol in an attempt to help yourself sleep or forget your experience. It is likely that this worked for a while, but now you are not sure what to do.

Trauma Counseling can help.

Studies have shown that working with a licensed counselor, who is trained in treating trauma can be effective in helping to reduce trauma related symptoms. Trauma therapy is not about you simply talking about what happened to you. While that can be helpful to a point, a trained professional has the education and skillset necessary to help you navigate your experience in a way that is specifically intended and proven to help reduce your symptoms.

Regardless of what you experienced, and regardless of your gender, the answers you are looking for could be provided by reaching out to a professional counselor. In trauma counseling, you will learn to disconnect your emotions from your memory so that you can recall the event without involuntarily experiencing the emotions associated with the event. You will also learn skills that can help you reduce the symptoms brought on by the trauma you experienced. Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to let go of some of the burden that you have been struggling to carry alone since your experience.

Find a counselor who understands trauma.

While most counselors are equipped to work with clients on a wide array of mental health issues, the interventions that are specifically designed to treat trauma often require further education and training. At Mind Works Counseling Services, we have counselors who have received the proper training and who are passionate about helping you take back some control of your life.

Our clinicians are well-versed in approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and others which have been empirically proven as effective in treating trauma. We will work with you to formulate a treatment that is suited to you and your healing.

In addition to the competency of our counselors, we also strive to provide a safe environment for you regardless of your experience. While we are a practice that specializes in counseling for men, we accept female clients as well. Please know that regardless of who you are and what you have experienced, we are committed to providing quality mental health services to you. We genuinely care about you and want to help.

Concerns you may have about trauma counseling.

"I don't feel like another person can handle my experience, and I don't want to burden someone with my pain."

We understand and appreciate this concern. This is where our extra training comes in. We know how to work with you to help you navigate your experience. Trauma therapy is a collaborative journey that two people take together. You will have someone with you every step of the way. We won't absorb your experience, but we will show you how to let go of some of the pain you are carrying.

"I know I need help, but I don't want to re-live my trauma by talking about it."

We understand that it is hard to re-visit a traumatic event. However, it is likely that you are involuntarily re-living your trauma every day. It is true that part of trauma counseling is talking about what happened. However, it is done in a way that leaves you in control, and by intentionally processing your experience, it can help you so that you don't have to keep re-living it against your will.

"If I see a counselor and talk about my trauma, then it becomes real."

This is true. Part of healing means acknowledging what happened to you, and this can be difficult. Avoiding your experience can feel like the right choice, but it won't help you move past it. In trauma counseling, you will have someone to take this journey with you so that you won't carry the burden alone any longer. We are on your side.

If you are ready to start your journey to healing, then we are ready to help you. Believe me when I say that you do not have to carry this pain alone any longer. It may not seem like it now, but there is hope. Reach out to us and let is help you on your journey to healing. You've suffered enough. Let us help you heal.

If you have more questions, please call us at (806) 553-6068 or click here to send us an email. If you'd like to know more about setting up an appointment, click here.