In person and online counselling in New Westminster
A traumatic incident can destabilize us and make the world feel unsafe. Sometimes, the world feels unsafe, and we are not sure why now or why this situation has set us back. When anxiety spikes or depressive symptoms heavily weigh on us, we can focus on finding our individual sense of safety and security.
A traumatic incident or a build-up of stressful situations can make the world feel unsafe and make us feel unstable and insecure.
We may intellectually understand what is happening, but it keeps happening. Our feelings keep weighing us down.
There are many ways to process trauma – including talking to trusted people and sitting with our emotions. We process trauma both in the mind and the body. Some therapies are specifically designed for this stage of processing, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.
We need the time, space, and tools to process and work through these experiences.
We cannot avoid being out in the world. Usually at our best we do not want to completely isolate from others. So, we find ways to be in the world that bring us joy and connection.
Reconnecting with the world in a way that feels more safe and secure is the general goal of working through our trauma.
However, being in the world can cause trauma or trigger past traumas. This can make us crave safety and security again.
Working through trauma and difficult moments in life is more of a cycle than stages we complete and move on from.
It is normal to move through safety and security, processing, and connection at our own pace and in our own way.
For each of these stages, or whatever mix you find yourself feeling, there are therapeutic techniques which can help.
Managing stress, uncomfortable emotions, and memories requires strategies individual to everyone. One way to understand which strategies would work best for you is to think about what activities make you feel most safe and secure.
Some people find solo activities what they need in times of stress and overwhelm. Others find social activities like conversation and feeling heard most effective. Still others might find that having a consistent routine keeps them most grounded. We can also find all of the above helpful at different times!
