Trauma Therapy in Pleasanton, CA
Most people experience some type of trauma in their lifetime. Not all traumatic experiences are life-threatening. The thing to remember about trauma is that it’s about the lived experience of the person who has gone through the traumatic experience.
For some, recovery from trauma happens over time with the love and support of family and friends.
Others feel the effects of lasting trauma which can cause deep emotional pain, fear, confusion, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
People are resilient and with the right support, such as trauma therapy, you will be able to heal from the traumatic experience(s) you’ve gone through.
Hi, I’m Kim Salyer, and I’m a trauma therapist in Pleasanton who specializes in trauma therapy.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is a response to an experience or series of experiences that cause psychological and physiological distress. Traumatic events include, but are not limited to, sexual or physical assault and abuse, psychological abuse, accidents, war, losing a loved one, natural disasters, and grief.
Trauma can affect people directly by experiencing the harm that was caused. It can also affect people indirectly by having witnessed a traumatic event.
Trauma isn’t necessarily just the event that occurred. It’s the internal experience of the event that causes our nervous systems to be unable to process and make sense of the experience.
When you experience trauma, your nervous system becomes dysregulated. It’s difficult for the body to return to equilibrium. Because of this, trauma can manifest as somatic and body-based responses, emotional distress, flashbacks, nightmares, and dissociation.
Most of the time a traumatic event is a one-time occurrence, like an accident, single assault, or natural disaster. But there are other types of trauma that are ongoing, such as complex trauma.
Complex trauma is an emotional response to ongoing traumatic experiences. These can include childhood abuse and neglect, domestic violence, or ongoing sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. If you’ve experienced complex trauma you probably suffer from intrusive and pervasive trauma symptoms. It is possible to heal from complex trauma, but it can require intensive trauma therapy.
Trauma Therapy Can Help With PTSD
PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It happens when a person’s nervous system becomes dysregulated and stuck in an overstimulated state. This makes people unable to make sense of the traumatic experience.
You may find yourself in a state of shock and unable to process your emotions. The entire lens of how you see yourself, others, and the world changes.
Some of the trauma symptoms associated with PTSD include nightmares or flashbacks to the event. It can feel like the traumatic event is happening again. You may be on edge all the time or feel unsafe.
If you have PTSD, it’s common for you to be withdrawn, depressed, anxious, and avoidant. PTSD can also impact your relationships. It can be linked to other mental health challenges and presents itself differently for every person.
If you have PTSD, therapy in Pleasanton can help you heal from past wounds. Trauma therapy doesn’t change the fact that the event happened. However, it can help you stop reliving the traumatic experience and start the healing process.
Who Does Trauma Affect?
Trauma can affect anyone. You don’t need to be abused or have gone through war to experience trauma. Something that seems as simple as falling and breaking your arm can be traumatic. Especially if you don’t process the experience.
If you’ve been exposed to a traumatic experience, you need to know that it’s not your fault. Because trauma can happen to anyone. Just because you’ve gone through or witnessed something traumatic does not mean that you caused the incident. Many survivors of trauma believe that they could or should have stopped the event, but this just isn’t true. You are not to blame for what happened to you.
As a byproduct of the trauma you’ve experienced, your friends, family, and significant others may be affected as well. For example, if you’ve been sexually abused, your romantic relationship may be affected if you struggle with physical intimacy.
Your loved ones just want you to be ok. It can be very difficult to navigate the lasting impact of trauma in your relationships. It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that some people may not understand what you went through, and they may never will. That’s ok, as long as you can find a way to heal from the traumatic experience and communicate with your loved ones what you need to be safe.
It’s important to establish safety, which is what we’ll work on in trauma therapy in Pleasanton. A felt sense of safety is crucial when it comes to healing from trauma.
As a trauma therapist, I am here to help you remember the experience without reliving it all the time. Together we’ll navigate the long-lasting effects that trauma can have on your mental health and your relationships.
My Trauma Therapy Methods – EMDR
One of the services I provide as a Pleasanton trauma therapist is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. It’s an integrative, highly researched psychotherapy approach that has proven effective for the treatment of trauma.
EMDR therapy uses bilateral stimulation to connect both halves of your brain that have become disconnected by the trauma you’ve experienced. I’ll use hand-tapping, audio stimulation, or directing lateral eye movements while you remember a traumatic event. You’ll focus on this event, keeping the memory in your mind while completing the repetitive movement
Through this method, you’ll experience desensitization to the memory and will be able to think differently about the experience as you reprocess the memory. EMDR therapy helps you find a source of internal healing that is different than having a conversation with your therapist.
As a Pleasanton trauma therapist, I’m able to use a combination of EMDR and other types of verbal processing to help you heal from trauma. Healing is possible. I want to help you find hope for the future.
Start Trauma Therapy in Pleasanton
As a trauma therapist, I know the journey back from a traumatic event is difficult. However, I’m here to take that journey with you. I look forward to walking with you on this path toward healing from trauma. If you’re ready to take the next step towards healing with therapy follow these steps.
Have your first appointment with a trauma therapist
Start healing and living free of trauma symptoms
Other Services I Offer in Pleasanton, CA
At my Pleasanton therapy practice, I specialize in trauma therapy. I provide therapy for emotional trauma, EMDR therapy, and PTSD treatment. Additionally, I provide anxiety treatment and depression treatment. As an online therapist, all of my therapy services are available to any California resident through online therapy.