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Work with Jamie to resolve your past
A traumatic even can be: childhood neglect/abuse, sexual assault, a severe car crash, war/terrorism, cultural, intergenerational and historic trauma (to name a few). They can be a single trauma (ie: being mugged), recurring (ie: repeated domestic violence) or multiple/complex (several different types of traumas over the course of months or years). ​​
Trauma symptoms show up differently for people, but here are common questions to ask yourself:
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Are you burdened by past experiences that you cannot seem to let go of?
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Do you often feel like you're in danger or you cannot fully relax?
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Are your current relationships suffering from past experiences?
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Are you startled easily by loud noises?
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Do you feel emotionally numb or distant?
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Do you experience nightmares or flashbacks of the event(s)?
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Are you avoiding certain places or situations due to past events?
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Do you ever feel like you're in a dream-state or watching yourself outside your body?
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If you answered 'yes' to some of the above, you would likely benefit from working with a trauma therapist.
Growing up with an invalidating or dismissive caregivers IS trauma
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As a small child, there are many needs for emotional and social well-being. Some include: being soothed/rocked, mirroring (ie: Mom smiling at baby), feeling safe, being understood, given praise/encouragement, to name just a few.
During our child and adolescent years we learn vicariously by how our caregiver respond to situations. We observe and learn how to (or not how to) regulate emotions, validate our feelings, problem solve, connect to others, seek help, etc.
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If you did not receive these as a child you may struggle with validating your own feelings and regulating your emotions, or may experience attachment issues in personal relationships.
CHILDHOOD TRAUMA IS OFTEN NOT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU,
BUT RATHER WHAT SHOULD HAVE OCCURED, BUT DID NOT.
Do you find yourself saying, "My parents loved me, they just didn't show it the right way" or find yourself making excuses for how you were treated when you were younger?
Abuse and neglect can be overt like not being provided food, being exposed to drugs, or being sexually abused. However, the absence of these does not equal a happy or healthy childhood.
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Growing up in a home without feeling loved, supported, and validated, is a form of neglect.
It was never your fault for having to grow up with a dismissive parent or for the trauma you endured as a child,
and you do not have to carry the weight from it anymore.
Whether you survived horrific abuse, were bullied or felt like an outcast in school, or grew up in a home lacking warmth and validation, I can help. I use a combination of EMDR and CBT to resolve the long-lasting impact of childhood trauma, which has been immensely effective for my clients. After, many individuals continue therapy as I assist them in establishing healthy boundaries and learn skills to manage current and future relationships.