Tuesday, February 28, 2012

What helped you get through therapy?

I often hear from clients that the process of therapy (trauma treatment in particular) is very isolating.  I am wondering if there might be thoughts from those either in the midst of the muck or who have completed their process as to what helped get you through it?

Monday, February 27, 2012

Creativity & Trauma

I am preparing an article that has got me thinking about creativity and trauma.  There seems to be an assumption out there that creativity is motivated by pathology, which would imply that artists are pathological in some way.  Some artists have trauma and some don't so in a simple way that idea is challenged immediately, but I thought I might explore it a little bit further here.  I wonder if really what happens is creativity is an asset that someone brings to their recovery process.  This isn't to imply (and I wouldnt' assume) that all artists want to use their art to digest their trauma, however perhaps it may occasionally be an expressive tool for some.  Frida Kahlo comes to mind; her art was so closely linked to her trauma to the extent that she did art amidst trauma and it was clearly reflective of what happened or was happening.  There was an aggressive quality to her work as well in that her paintings weren't always pretty but were generally disturbing.  Survivors are confronted with a certain kind of darkness that one almost feels compelled to both look at and avoid simultaneously.  It seems that the work can be reflective of repetitive thoughts of traumatic events that are reported by people; artists may be doing this for themselves as well as to share with others what happened.  And sometimes I wonder if the creative product has nothing to do with what actually happened but perhaps the process of painting, writing, dancing, acting etc. is really the most important thing.  Maybe it acts as an emotional conduit and allows unspent feelings to go somewhere in order to be manageable.  The process of creating is in itself dissociative; it can feel like a departure from the here and now in order to indulge the work.  This too is likely functional (it offers a break from pain).  I suppose what I am challenging is the idea that artists are different because they are unhealthy but rather they are different because they are healthy.  The ability to be creative, I am assuming, is a resiliency factor in the process of trauma recovery as well as just in life.  It is a place for people to go during stress and is reliable in a way that sometimes people aren't.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Trusting in Self & Perception

So many of people I have worked with both and without trauma often share that they don't trust what they  have experienced to have been accurately perceived.  There is this sense that it (whatever it is ) didn't really happen the way it is remembered or that perceived motivations in others for their boundary violation probably isn't right.  If there aren't distinctive memories about the past but a feeling that either the absence of memory means something or that an event(s) happened that can't be recalled, then distrust in self and reality seems to be even stronger.  Some of the ways this can effect us in the present might be that because we don't trust our own perception, our boundaries can be a little softer, opening up room for more injury from others.  Sometimes there is a mistrust in what is happening in the moment and thus we don't feel strong enough internally to make a statement to someone that our boundary has been violated.  There can be an array of reasons for struggling to put limits around self, but one of them might be that there isn't enough internal trust to foster the assumption that one is worthy of limit setting.  Essentially, I wonder if establishing trust in perception and in self would foster a comfort with asserting what is seen, noticed, and responding to it with clarity.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Things my clients taught me this week...

The prevailing thought I have this week surrounds the abatement or even abandonment of authentic "wants" that can offer us both connection to ourselves and direction for our lives.  The kind of want I am describing should be differentiated from things that serve to make us feel better, numb our pain, or help us avoid discomfort.  What I am focusing on is the idea that if we listen to what we want, or become more skilled in identifying that internal pull towards something it can help us achieve goals that fit us, nurture us and challenge us.  Many of us are inclined to either be dismissive of what we want or we think we shouldn't be allowed to feel that way in the first place.  Sometimes we don't know what we want, which is particularly true for those who have experienced developmental trauma.  How can we know what we want when we aren't sure about what we feel, whether or not those feelings are real, and when our focus is pushed outward?  Trauma survivors can be very skilled at reading others and interpreting their environment but sometimes struggle to articulate their own internal experience.  I just wonder if we started there...started with what feels true and right and used that as a catapult, what might happen?  Where might we end up?

Friday, February 10, 2012

Things my clients taught me this week...

There is so much learned in working with people.  I recognize what an honor it is to be invited into their inner lives and in doing so gain new insights that I hadn't had before.  I hope to use my blog as a place to share new perspectives gained through the therapeutic process.  This week, what my clients taught me is how little I know, actually.  I rely on my training to guide me throughout sessions and in doing so perhaps place myself in the role of expert unknowingly.  It is in the moments of assuming I know more that I make mistakes (I think).  I may have access to information or ways of thinking about mental health, but only the individual has full access to themselves.  Humility and curiosity are likely a more palatable approach, but then, here I go assuming I know something again :).....

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Please post your responses anonymously :).

I will put this up somewhat regularly, but just a reminder to please post any responses anonymously if you would like your words published.  This is to protect privacy and I won't publish if your name or information is visible.  Thank you so much!

Support group fro trauma survivors going through treatment

Clients going through trauma treatment often talk about how isolating the experience of getting better can be; their partners don't understand, they can't really discuss it with friends, and sometimes family is the source of trauma, leaving them with a feeling of having nowhere to turn for support.  I am considering starting a support group for survivors and the title of it reflects the experience of going through treatment:

"Trauma Treatment Sucks!  A support group for survivors in the midst of Healing."

Participants would obviously need to be in treatment and I would require coordination of care with the therapist as part of the work.

I am curious what the response might be if there seems to be people who would benefit from this kind of forum?  Let me know!

Some of the things trauma can offer to survivors...

My most recent article for goodtherapy.org.  Enjoy!

http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/gifts-of-trauma-survivors-0201124/

An article discussing the downsides to trauma treatment (from the perspective of a survivor)

http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/trauma-treatment-and-recovery-problematic-0106114/

Article with a positive spin on PTSD symptoms

Please click on the link below to view this article that I wrote for goodtherapy.org.  Enjoy! The Externalization of Trauma: A View of PTSD Symptoms as Healthy    

http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/externalization-trauma-ptsd-symptoms-healthy/

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  My goal here is to provide information and support to both clients and colleagues.  I also hope to combine my love of writing with my commitment to providing quality treatment to all of my clients.  For the purpose of protecting privacy, I will moderate the blog and will only publish anonymous posts.  However I certainly encourage everyone to share experiences, thoughts, trials, and tribulations as well as responses to articles that are published.  Thank you!  ~Athena