Available Services
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Trauma Informed Care (TIC)
Traumatic experiences can be a single event or repeated events over time. The American Psychological Association defines trauma as;
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“an emotional response to a terrible event such as a car accident, rape or natural disaster”.
Although definitions exist to clarify the meaning of trauma, what equates a traumatic experience is based on the subjective experience of the individual. Following a threatening experience, it is normal to experience shock, denial, irritability and anxiety. For some individual’s symptoms will naturally dissipate within a few weeks and their nervous system settles. For others, the natural healing process may be interrupted for various reason (i.e. lack of social support, inadequate resources, lack of emotional regulation skills, prolonged exposure and other adverse conditions). When the biological healing system is thwarted the experience then becomes a trauma, with the potential to damage an individuals quality of life.
PTSD symptoms include feelings of hopelessness, flashbacks, hypervigilance, diminished sense of self, difficulty experiencing a range of emotion or experiencing and overwhelming amount of emotion, night terrors, decrease in motivation etc... If you believe you may be experiencing post traumatic reactions, psychotherapy focused on Trauma Informed Care can provide the support necessary to alleviate PTSD symptoms.
A Trauma Informed Practice Embraces These Core Values
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Safety: An environment that generates a sense of physical and emotional safety through compassion and trauma sensitive approaches.
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Trustworthiness & Transparency: A clearly defined and reliable relationship that allows for honest and open communication while reducing the risk of re-traumatization.
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Voice/Choice: An individual’s input into their treatment process and goals is taken seriously. Autonomy is always promoted.
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Collaboration: Clinician is committed to developing an individual’s complete understanding of trauma and its impact on their well-being. Clinicians actively seek input from patients when considering an important new initiative, then share how that information was used.
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Empowerment: Encourage resilience and personal growth to access the innate set of strengths and capabilities within an individual. Through empowerment, healing is fostered and the skills to adapt to future life struggles are built. Clinicians will always encourage you to use your voice, use your innate power and always acknowledge & promote your choice.
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Peer Support: Bringing peers together so they can also support and empower one another and grow together.
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Cultural, Historical, and Gender Issues: This means being competent about how culture interplays in an individuals life and making conscious efforts to understand the historical context or ways a person might have experienced discrimination.