If you have experienced a major trauma in your life, such as sexual abuse, a road traffic accident, or been in military combat, you may have experienced flashbacks, hypersensitivity to situations that remind you of your trauma, difficulties with sleep, and with managing your emotions.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is one possible diagnosis, and the two treatments recommended by NICE guidelines for PTSD are trauma-focussed CBT, and EMDR, both of which I use in my work.
It is important to emphasise that should such experiences be disclosed in therapy, it is very much your choice as to how, when, and whether to address these issues. One of the main aspects of trauma is the sense of powerlessness, so it is particularly important that every step you take is one you know you have chosen.
I will work with you sensitively to use the best available tools to help you come to terms with what has happened.
We can’t change the past, but we have the freedom to choose what it means to us, and what it means about us. CBT and EMDR help you to find within yourself the chosen meaning that will help you to hold your head up high and live fully despite your trauma.