What is Trauma?

Certain events in our lives can demand more from us than we are able to handle. These are moments when we may become psychologically traumatized. While our initial responses to traumatic events are normal, our lives can sometimes become disrupted in the long run, in our day-to-day living and functioning. Traumatic events can leave you in a state of distress long after the event has passed. At times, this can lead into more problems with interpersonal relationships, a sense of generalized or suddenly triggered internal distress/anxiety/panic/other debilitating responses, difficulty concentrating on tasks, and a general sense of unease or fear.

Signs of Trauma you may be feeling:

  • Shock, Sense of numbness
  • Overwhelmed, anxious
  • Lonely, sense of being disconnected from others
  • Recurring panic attacks, tenseness
  • Heightened or persistent sense of fear
  • Flashbacks
  • Intrusive thoughts
  • Patterns of negative thinking
  • Insomnia, nightmares
  • Feeling easily agitated or startled / highly reactive
  • Having unrelenting negative suspicions of others
  • Withdrawal from relationships or social settings

What Causes Trauma?

General Causes

  • Unexpected exposure to a overwhelming situation for which you were unprepared
  • You were or you felt powerless to deal with the situation
  • You may have been too young to handle the demands of the event
  • Your internal psychological resources were not able to address the demands of the situation
  • You may have been exposed to a series of stressors and traumatic events over a period of time

Emotional & Relational Causes

  • Repeated emotional abuse in a significant relationship
  • A relational betrayal / experience of being backstabbed
  • Manipulation by a significant other
  • Overwhelming shame or guilt
  • Being bullied, whether you are a young child, teen or an adult
  • Emotional neglect
  • Subjected to pervasive passive aggressive relational patterns

Physical Causes

  • Natural disasters
  • Accidents
  • Unexpected major losses or injuries
  • Physical violence
  • Witnessing violence
  • Being physically attacked

When is it time to seek help?

It may be time to get professional support if you are:

  • Having difficulty functioning your relationships
  • Having challenges at work due to the signs indicated above
  • Feeling numb and unable to connect with others
  • Having difficulty controlling intrusive thoughts or flashbacks
  • Unable to concentrate and this is affecting the quality of your work/school/family life
  • Are using methods to numb your pain or escape, such as drugs, sex or gambling

What can I expect at
Trauma Counselling?

  • A safe, secure, environment with a specialized trauma therapist
  • A unique treatment plan dedicated to your specific trauma history
  • To feel heard & understood with your boundaries respected
  • To explore your trauma history at your own pace
  • Specialized treatment for healing the effects of your traumatic experiences
  • Increased coping skills with recurring problems or issues
  • Regained control over your thoughts, feelings & behaviours
  • Freedom from the debilitating effects of past trauma

In severe cases, you may experience increased feelings of dissociation – or disconnectedness from the present and from parts of yourself. This can be very challenging for yourself and for those with whom you live and/or work. Receiving trauma treatment and care is a sure step towards feeling better and regaining control of your life. Call us to book an appointment.

Take the first step by calling us today. Our dedicated psychotherapists in
Ottawa want to help you.

Confidential and Empathetic Counselling

Family-Therapy™’s family counselling services in Ottawa, Nepean, and Kanata aim to help you and your families cope with a wide range of complex challenges. Seek timely help and resolve difficult situations by discussing them with a trained professional therapist. We work with refugee claimants and Military members and their families. For more information about our services or to set up an appointment, please call 613-287-3799 or email us. Doctors, Therapists, and Lawyers can fax us at 1-613-777-4975.