Ready to leave the past behind? We are here to help.

Are you struggling with

• Overwhelming emotions
• Loneliness and a sense of disconnection from others
• Unhappiness and a persistent sense of worthlessness
• Feeling split between what you show people and what you feel on the inside?

If the answer to any of the above is yes, you may be experiencing the effects of  psychological trauma

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Trauma is a response of our mind and body to events that leave us feeling emotionally and physically overwhelmed. We typically experience feelings of helplessness, fear, terror and powerlessness, emotional numbing, and disconnection from the world and others.  The effects of trauma can leave you struggling with these emotional difficulties for many years.  For some people something in their present life can activate traumatic responses that seem to come out of nowhere. A history of unresolved trauma has major negative effects on our emotional and physical health.

Traumatic events include
 

• Witnessing/experiencing wartime atrocities
• Combat
• Being a victim/witness of crime
• Natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis
• Sexual and physical assault
• Childhood abuse: sexual/neglect/control/ongoing inadequate parenting/parent's mental illness
• Motor vehicle accidents, air plane accidents
• Other traumatic events such as childbirth complications, house fires
• Surgeries and medical procedures
• Death and sudden loss – job, possessions, finances and relationships

The Trauma Response

There are two parts or our nervous system that deal with stress and trauma . 

Fight or Flight.   This is the emergency part or our system that helps us prepare to deal with a threat.

Freeze.   This is the part of the system that shuts down when things get too overwhelming and we have to shut down and numb it out.

Unresolved trauma becomes stuck in these parts of our system causing us to have traumatic responses  IN THESE WAYS to things in our life today.   You may find yourself suddenly feeling in a crisis where everything becomes desperate and dramatic and/or feel numb and disconnected.  There seems to be little in-between.  You may have become accustomed  to living this way, but you don't have to.   This is a trauma reaction that is stuck and needs to be released from your nervous system so that it will not go on affecting your life.  

This Trauma Reaction may affect how you feel about your self and relationships with:

• Feeling ashamed of yourself
• Having difficulty opening up to those around you
• Experiencing anxiety and panic
• Engaging in constant self-criticism
• Finding it difficult to feel safe and secure anywhere in your life  

These are common symptoms of people who have suffered trauma. Most of the traumatic events in our life are at the hands of others. Relational trauma is very common and can take the form of a single event such as assault or infidelity, or the ongoing effects of childhood abuse and neglect or living in an atmosphere of criticism and control.

If you experienced relational trauma in your childhood this will effect you more deeply because you were even less equipped as a child to deal with the emotional impact of such experiences.  You were dependent on the people who hurt you. Because you had fewer choices and resources when you were young, it is much easier to blame yourself, rather than the people hurting you.  This leads to deeper struggles with self-esteem and self-blame.

To heal trauma we need safe, supportive and skilled relationships to be able to repair the damage

Finding a "fit" in the counselling field is much more important than finding a "fit" in a pair of trousers. Delyse proved to be that perfect fit for me. She supported me through one of the most difficult periods of my life. Her calm and gentle style provided me safe and warm haven, where I was able with her guidance to begin addressing my demons. With continued support I've felt able to walk forward, armed with self-awareness, knowledge and tools that have had a positive impact on every relationship in my life. Thank you, Delyse from the bottom of my heart! CF

We know from research into the brain and nervous system, that it is important to feel safe when processing difficult emotions, pain and memories.  We also know that good connections with other people are our path to emotional safety.  This is the basis of the counselling relationship.

It may seem like a 'catch 22': you feel hurt and betrayed by relationships that were not safe, and yet you need to trust relationships in order to heal! No matter how hard that may seem, we will work together to make the counselling relationship safe.

Our counselling approach is rooted in research that tells us we need relationships to feel safe. Through experiencing an empathic, non-judgmental therapeutic relationship we can begin to grieve and morn the losses and emotional pain associated with trauma.  Research also implies we need a holistic approach that works with the body to release traumatic energy that has formed patterns of responding to the world as a result of coping with trauma. This is why Turning Point Therapy counsellors come from a mind-body perspective of counselling.

You may find Delyse's article How is Therapy Transformative useful

Individuals come out of in-depth psychotherapy and counselling with

• greater sense of ease with their experience
• increase self-esteem
• authentic contact with others
• clearer about their desires
• develop healthier relationships

I started seeing Delyse for counselling because I felt that i was leading two distinct and separate lives. Although this pattern caused me a great deal of stress. I found it hard to reconcile and move forward in a positive way. Through the exploration of my past, my thought processes and patterns, and my reactions to every day life occurrence, Delyse is helping me to understand my actions and reactions and be confident in the decisions that I make. Delyse is an open and understanding counsellor who does not forget that she is a human being too. I feel that Delyse relates to my experiences and this makes the process real. Nikki'