Trauma Therapy
Bad Things Happen… And You Are Not to Blame
You’ve experienced a traumatic event that has left you reeling, affecting your ability to cope with everyday life. Sometimes, you manage okay. But then something happens—a dog barking, a car horn, or a familiar song—and you’re transfixed back to the moment you try to keep out of your mind. These aren’t just bad memories. Your entire nervous system has been rewired all because of this one event. The good news is that trauma therapy can help.
Whether you experienced one major incident, or an ongoing situation that lasted years, trauma is not just “something bad that happened”. It’s the impact of a tragic or shocking event that affects your body, mind, and spirit called PTSD.
Our Approach
While you might feel isolated in your pain, please know you’re not alone. At Lapeer Christian Counseling, our practice is built on faith-based compassion, understanding, and respect for all of our clients. Whether you have strong christian beliefs or prefer to keep your trauma therapy completely secular, we honor your needs.
We provide a safe space for you to work through your traumatic experience at a pace that feels right for you, and are here with you during the tough moments. Trauma work can be scary, but it’s also a brave step toward reclaiming your life and rewriting your story.
Is Trauma Therapy Right for You?
PTSD symptoms can begin after any event where a person is exposed to death, serious injury, sexual violence, or the threat of one of these events, even if physical harm did not actually occur. This could be by directly experiencing the event, watching it happen to another person, hearing about it happening to a loved one, or repeated exposure to these events.
PTSD typically last more than one month and has several types of symptoms:
Intrusion
Recurrent, distressing memories or dreams of the event
Flashbacks (feeling as though the event is happening again)
Intense psychological distress when reminded of the event
Physical reactions to reminders such as certain sights, sounds, smells, or touches
Avoidance
Avoiding distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings related to the trauma
Steering clear of people, places, events, activities, or objects that bring reminders of the event
Changes in Thinking Patterns or Mood
Negative beliefs about yourself or the world
Self-blame for the event
Persistent negative emotions like guilt, fear, horror, or shame
Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
Feeling detached or disconnected from others
Trouble feeling positive emotions
Difficulty recalling important parts of the event
Other Symptoms Related to Reactions or Startle
Irritable behavior or angry outbursts
Reckless or self-destructive actions
Hypervigilance (feeling constantly “on guard”)
Exaggerated startle response
Difficulty concentrating
Sleep disturbances, including trouble falling or staying asleep
You can see why living with PTSD from trauma can become so debilitating. And why you are not to blame.
Taking the First Step
If you think you might be suffering from PTSD, we are here for you. Using evidence-back trauma therapy, we can help you reframe your experience and develop coping skills for when triggers occur.
Our team of counselors are ready to support and guide you toward a brighter tomorrow. Reach out today to get started.
