PTSD Treatment

Does Every Day Feel Like A Struggle?

Are you struggling to recover from a traumatic situation or series of events and feel like no matter what you do, you’re still plagued with intrusive memories, nightmares, self-blame and a rollercoaster of emotions? Is it hard for you to feel comfortable, concentrate or connect with others, making you increasingly withdrawn from the outside world? Maybe you’re easily triggered, irritable and constantly on edge, waiting for something frightening to happen again. Or perhaps you feel broken, frustrated by your inability to cope and stuck in an ongoing cycle of troubled relationships or unhealthy situations. It may be that you feel overly cautious and unable to assert yourself in healthy ways and get your needs met. Your memories of the trauma might be fragmented, causing you to wonder what really happened and if you can trust others or even trust yourself. Do you wish you could make peace with what happened to you, connect meaningfully with others and feel safe, loved and accepted?

Living with the aftereffects of trauma can be a confusing, isolating and frightening experience. And, when trauma turns into post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), symptoms—such as nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and body memories—can become more intense, further impacting relationships, work performance and your sense of self-worth. Everyday tasks can feel like a struggle, especially if you’re also dealing with depression and/or anxiety, which often co-occur with PTSD. You might feel lonely, disconnected, hyper-vigilant and/or numb. While you might desperately want relief, you may not know where to turn for help or if feeling better is even possible.

Trauma Is Extremely Common In Our Culture

 If you’re struggling with trauma or PTSD, you are not alone. While not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD, it’s estimated that 8 percent of the population, roughly 24.4 million people, have PTSD at any given time. That’s roughly the population of Texas.

While many people associate PTSD with veterans, post-traumatic stress disorder can be caused by any frightening episode in which you felt powerless to help yourself or others out of a threatening situation, such as a natural disaster, serious accident, assault or abuse, and even a sudden emotional loss. People who have also dealt with many smaller traumas and who felt unsupported and/or abandoned by loved ones can also develop symptoms of PTSD. And, studies show that people who experienced developmental trauma in childhood or trauma in the past are more prone to developing PTSD later on in their lives. Because of the isolating nature of the disorder, many people suffer in silence for years before getting help, continuing to experience ongoing distress and other trauma.

While PTSD can be a debilitating disorder, the good news is that there is help and hope for resolving trauma and living with increased balance, confidence and peace. A skilled and compassionate PTSD therapist can help you give your experience a voice, free yourself from the heavy cloak of trauma and create a new path forward.

PTSD Treatment Can Provide You With Support, Perspective, And Relief

 If you’re struggling with PTSD, trauma therapy can make a significant difference in your life. It can help you understand, accept and free yourself from the trauma experience so you can live with greater peace. As you connect with your humanity and the humanity of others, you can develop self-compassion, forgiveness and a new perspective on both the pain of the past and the possibilities of the present. You are here now, and you have gone through a lot. Through PTSD therapy, you can begin to perceive yourself as a survivor rather than a victim and tap into your courage and strength.

In safe, confidential and warm PTSD treatment sessions, I can help you give yourself permission to change the relationship you have with your thoughts and the story of trauma, create different patterns of behavior, make healthy life choices and live freely and independently of your trauma history. Through a series of functional acknowledgments, validations, mindfulness exercises, awareness training and other techniques designed to increase awareness, you can actively shift your perspective and develop skills that really work for you—ones that best support and address your specific experience with trauma and your unique history, values, needs, and therapy goals. You can also become more aware of your body and how and where sensations arise, which can help you ground into the present moment and feel increased safety within yourself.

In sessions, we’ll also draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which is an action-oriented, evidence-based, mindful approach to treating PTSD. ACT can help you identify, accept and overcome negative patterns of thinking and behaving. You can learn to accept your emotions and be present, choose a direction that is in line with your values and then take action.

Regardless of how you’re feeling right now, change is possible. With the understanding guidance and support of a skilled trauma therapist, it is possible to become the lead actor in your own life. You can write your own script and be an active agent of change. You can learn to make effective decisions that align with your values and move you toward your goals. It is possible to accept and release the hold of trauma and live an authentic, connected life.

You still may have questions or concerns about treatment for PTSD…

I’m terrified that talking about what happened will make me relive the experience.

 There is no need to relive the trauma nightmare in order to break free from it. And, in sessions, there is no need to even talk about what happened until you are ready to, if at all. Rather, we can focus on what is showing up in your life today. I can help you work through the aftereffects of trauma and develop a different relationship to your past, present, and future without delving into the trauma.

I’ve been told that I don’t need therapy and I should just get over what happened.

Our bodies are wired to retain every experience that we’ve ever had. And, when something scary happens, it’s not uncommon to struggle to get over it. You—or others—might think that you can fix PTSD like you fix something in the external world, but it just doesn’t work that way. It is also highly unlikely that PTSD will resolve on its own. In fact, left unaddressed, it will likely worsen. If you are struggling with PTSD symptoms, I strongly suggest that you work with an experienced therapist who is specifically trained to treat trauma. There is a bigger and brighter way of living.

I’m not sure that anything—even working with a PTSD therapist—can help me feel better.

 While feelings of hopelessness are often part of the PTSD experience, I firmly believe that there is always help and hope for healing. And, while you may not be able to see a healing path right now, especially if you are in distress, I can share a different perspective with you. In PTSD therapy sessions, we can work collaboratively to create a PTSD treatment strategy that works specifically for you. And, I’ll support you along your path to healing.

You Can Live A Calm, Confident Life

 You don’t have to navigate the distress, pain, and uncertainty of PTSD on your own. If you’re struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder in Denver, CO, I invite you to contact me to schedule a free 20-minute call. I’m happy to discuss your particular needs and answer any questions you have about PTSD treatment, my approach, and my practice.

Due to a busy practice and an ever-increasing passion working as a coach, I am not taking on therapy clients in my Lakewood, CO office at this time, and only taking on a limited number of therapy clients for meetings via secure telehealth and online counseling platforms. I will continue to take on new clients for coaching. For more information, visit the business and career coaching, empowerment coaching, relationship coaching, habit coaching, and getting unstuck coaching information on my site, and become the change you wish to see in your life