Trauma Service
When we are traumatised we are no longer loving, trusting or spontaneously engaging with others. Our goal is to help people re-engage with safety when something has frightened and traumatised them into a state of immobilisation – frozenness from fear. When we are traumatised somehow we find it hard to transition out of this fear state back into a safety state where we function in our own best interests, continue with our goals and get on with life. Often trauma will prevent us from engaging socially and we develop complex stories about why we don’t want to socially interact and why we don’t trust others or life. These stories we tell ourselves can keep us stuck for a long time. Our nervous system is still detecting risk where there is no longer a real danger. Our social system shuts down and we live half a life.
What Causes Trauma
We can be traumatised by many experiences and trauma is often identified in war veterans who have been in combat. But trauma can be caused by a single event, natural disaster difficult interactions with people, through loss, shock and disappointment, accidents and unexpected events as well as through the course of work that is demanding and presenting us continuously with people who have been endangered (secondary trauma). Institutions and work places can also traumatise us and family rifts or abuses can be a cause of deep emotional upset that cause traumatic symptoms. Sometimes these upsets can be inherited, historical and multigenerational. Bullying is frequently the cause of trauma and upset in children, refugees are often profoundly traumatised by their experiences and we can become distressed and confused when our cultural identity is defiled through racism.
In our work we want to help people out of a loop of defensiveness and isolation and repeated memorising and flashback that arises when we are traumatised. We empower our clients to negotiate to a felt sense of safety and to maintain a state of wellbeing and continuance of their lives.
Models of Work and our Experience
Jo North was trained in EMDR 15 years ago and has used this model of work continuously to help clients with all levels of trauma. She works with a Consultant EMDR Supervisor to help with her cases. She draws on the expertise and theories of Bessel Van Der Kolk the world’s leading expert in trauma recovery as well as ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) developed by Professor Steven Hayes. Jo has written The Trauma Recovery Model as model for helping Looked After Children who are traumatised by their lives, having worked in this field for twenty five years. She works with individuals, families and groups to not only recover from trauma but to build psychological resilience and pathways towards living their best lives.
The Trauma and Mental Health Package
Working with Individual 8 Session Package – From assessment to completion.
Team Monthly Resilience Package – 2 hours online to help de-brief from stressful work as well as build resilience and coping.
Public Services Trauma Recovery Model Group or Team Day – Group day 10-3 p.m. Including Principles of Recovery, engaging in resolution techniques, building self care and trauma resilience. A day for your team to take a breath, reflect, learn new skills and re-engage with a sense of hope.
How to access this service
If you are interested please get in touch, see how to contact us.
