What you will learn from this blog:
- Trauma may not be caused by “big” or “serious” events
- Trauma is any event that caused a strong emotional response in you that was unresolved
- The steps to overcoming trauma and finding love, joy and peace
Many people who come to us for trauma counselling think trauma is only caused by big and serious events like a car accident or the loss of a loved one.
But trauma has more to do with what happens inside us than what happens outside us.
Trauma is anything in your life that caused a strong emotional response that you could not fully resolve. In other words – trauma is our unresolved emotions.
Living through a traumatic incident that happened in your life can be a terribly painful thing to do. But living with that trauma without healing from your wounds can be even more painful. This is something we highlight to all those who come to us for mental wellness therapy at Intracresco.
Through trauma counselling, you will understand that unresolved emotions will remain stuck in us like a computer bug, until we become aware of them and resolve them.
When left unresolved, these bugs cause us to react negatively when we are triggered by something that reminds us of the trauma. It is as if we are running the same unwanted program over and over again.
For example, someone who was severely punished by their parents for doing badly in school can get angry and triggered every time they do not perform up to expectations in their adult life.
If you have an emotional challenge in your life that you suspect is caused by past trauma, here are steps you can consider. Some of these are the exact steps we use when working with people who come to us for trauma counselling:
01. Find the root cause
To overcome your emotional challenge, first, you need to be aware of the underlying trauma that is the root cause.
To access this trauma, you need a clue. Most often than not, the clue is the emotion that is being triggered.
Next time you are triggered, reflect on when was the first time in your life that you felt that emotion. This is most likely the trauma that is the root cause.
02. Process your emotions
Once you are aware of the events that caused the trauma, reflect on all the thoughts and emotions that arise in you when you recall the event.
Some ways that could help you process the emotions are by journaling, speaking to someone you trust about these emotions, or even by seeking mental wellness therapy (if and when you are ready).
03. Find the blessings
After you have processed your emotions, reflect on the blessings that came out of that event – for example, it may have assisted you in learning an important life lesson, brought you closer to someone, or made you stronger.
This might be hard at first, but the more positive things you associate with the event, the less it remains as a trauma and the more it becomes a strength.
As therapists, we understand that some traumas are deeper, more intense than others, and might be more difficult to process on your own. You do not need to embark on this journey alone – we are here to guide you through trauma counselling.
Learn more about how we at Intracresco can support your inner healing journey through our mental therapy services.
