Posttraumatic Stress / Trauma

  Trauma dysregulates the body. It moves energy levels away from baseline to extremes of hyperarousal (“too much,” panic, overwhelm) and sometimes hypoarousal (“low,” lethargy, ... Read More

Fred is a 40-year-old firefighter who has been working as a first responder for more than 15 years. In his first year as a firefighter, he arrived at a car accident in which three children ... Read More

When people think of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, they generally think about a treatment for trauma, which is partially accurate. Treating trauma is what ... Read More

Thank you for your question. Boy, oh boy were you put through the wringer. My heart ached to read of your experiences. I suppose the short version of my answer would be to see a therapist ... Read More

I find myself looking at this person; I feel for him, knowing that he is tormented by his anxiety and sense of isolation. While he has made amazing strides in therapy, especially through ... Read More

Trauma often leaves us living in a seemingly hostile world, feeling ineffective, believing that help cannot be expected. To some degree, the concept of limited internal power and limitless ... Read More

When soldiers are killed in battle, families grieve and nations mourn for some of their bravest citizens. However, wars claim thousands of lives even decades after agreements have been ... Read More

Do you want to build a case about how your partner is wrong and defective or do you want to repair the relationship? So many people come to my office wanting to convince me how wrong and/or ... Read More

If you were to attend a professional training on trauma, the instructor would likely reference the nervous system and its window of tolerance. In recent years, trauma researchers and therapists ... Read More

Thanks for writing in. Gosh, I’m sorry you’ve been through such an emotionally brutal experience. I can’t imagine the blow of losing a girlfriend and an allegedly good friend at once, ... Read More

Most people have had a traumatic experience of some kind. While many of us learn to cope and be resilient in the face of trauma, others may become overwhelmed. Trauma is an overwhelming ... Read More

The first question a person who is seeking help for trauma often asks is, “Will I ever get better?” It is common to feel hopeless after experiencing a traumatic event. Trauma affects ... Read More