Traumatic Stress
“When the nervous system is overwhelmed, a dysfunctional neurological pattern is set in motion. And that pattern tends to recreate itself and persist, even when it has outlived its usefulness. When we are in a state of traumatic activation, we lose our ability to respond freely and flexibly in present time; instead, we react.”
– Dr. Peter Levine
Despite our best intentions, when we haven’t healed our own trauma, we sometimes act in ways that overwhelm and cause trauma reactions in others.
Dr. Peter Levine has catalyzed a whole new approach to releasing trauma. Rather than crude catharsis, he has revealed and refined organic ways to support the body and nervous system to naturally release trauma with Somatic Experiencing, an innovative psychotherapeutic school that thousands of therapists have learned during the last twenty years.
Richard utilizes the protocols of Somatic Experiencing as an effective and gentle approach for working with traumatic stress, deconstructing and reintegrating the psychological and physiological conditioning that limits our innate capacity to fully inhabit our body and live vibrant lives.
Sources of Traumatic Stress
Pre and Perinatal Distress, Severe or Confusing Interpersonal Misattunements and Attachment Disruptions, Surgery, Illness, Burns, Suffocation, Choking, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Falls, Chronic Stress, Physical, Emotional or Sexual Abuse, Loss, Major Life Transitions, Confusing Spiritual Experiences, Natural Disasters, War
Symptoms of Traumatic Stress or PTSD
In trauma, we tend to either be overwhelmed by intense bodily sensations or shut down against them. The degree to which we cannot deeply feel our body’s interior is the degree to which we crave excessive external stimulation. Or conversely, if we are overwhelmed by internal bodily sensations, we drastically limit our exposure to external stimuli.
Common Symptoms of Traumatic Stress
Hyperarousal & Constriction
Increased Heart Rate, Restricted Breathing, Cold Sweats, Muscular Tension, Chronic Pain, Inability to Sleep or Relax, Anxiety or Panic Attacks, Hyperactivity, Angry Outbursts, Hypervigilance, Racing Thoughts, Worry, Flashbacks
Disconnection & Dissociation
Low Energy, Exhaustion, Numbness, Weakness, Poor Digestion, Poor Immune System Function, Depression, Inability to Focus, Apathy, Disconnection in Relationships, Addictions
Syndromes (Syndromes occur over time as the symptoms above affect the healthy functioning of body systems.)
Migraines, Fibromyalgia, Autoimmune Disorders, Hypertension, Pain Syndromes, Irritable Bowel, Spastic Colon, Sympathetically Mediated Pain Syndrome
Somatic Experiencing deconstructs and reintegrates the psychological and physiological conditioning that limits our innate capacity to fully inhabit our body and live vibrant lives.