Defining Trauma

Trauma is any event, natural or man-made, that is perceived as a threat to life and survival. It challenges and disrupts our sense of what is right in our world. Traumatic events range from the simple fall and life threatening illness to hurricanes, tornadoes, physical or sexual abuse and war. We become fixated or stuck at the point of the trauma and spend the rest of our lives trying to make sense of it, usually to little or no avail. Many times this is because the trauma or parts of the trauma are contained in disassociated ego-states, which makes the information difficult to get at. Invariably, when trauma occurs, a disassociated ego-state is created as a means of coping with the trauma. Unfortunately, most are not aware that this has happened. Traditional therapy techniques are slow and painful at best and offer some resolution in some cases and are useless in others.

There are actually two other types of trauma. Secondary or vicarious trauma is caused by extended exposure to someone who has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Spouses, significant others, and mental health workers who deal with PTSD clients can develop symptoms of PTSD. Combat zone veterans who do not actually experience combat are exposed to the stressors of war and develop PTSD in this manner also.

Accumulated trauma is the other type of trauma that people experience. This is not caused by a single event. It is caused by continual exposure to similar, small scale traumatic events such as those experienced in emotional abuse (ex. repeatedly being told in some manner that you are not good enough). This is actually much more difficult to treat because there is no one specific event that caused the trauma. It is a build up of traumatic stressors.

By combining ego-state therapy techniques, such as Gestalt (also known as splits or chair process), with energy therapies such as EFT or TAT, much more complete processing, recovery and integration is accomplished in a shorter time than traditional methods afford, regardless of the source of the trauma.
 

Symptoms of PTSD

Flashbacks	Intrusive Memories	Exaggerated Startle Response
Nightmares	Poor Concentration	Inability To Make Future Plans
Hyper Vigilance	Sleep Disturbances	Loss Of Interest In Enjoyable Activities
Feelings W/O Memories	Feel Out Of Control	Unable To Maintain An Intimate Relationship