Trauma

In this article, I will discuss guidelines for discussing traumatic events which facilitate organizing memories effectively. In my last article, I discussed how the challenging task of discussing the details of traumatic events leads to many benefits which facilitate healing for clients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One of the benefits was that discussing traumatic events facilitates the organization of these events in a person’s memory. In turn, I indicated that organizing the details of traumatic events in memory is fundamental to healing from PTSD by using the metaphor of organizing books in a bookcase. To organize memories effectively, it is important that discussions of traumatic events follow research-based guidelines. In the following sections, I will discuss these rules for efficiently organizing the books on the shelves of the bookcase...[more]

In this article, I discuss one of the benefits of discussing traumatic events as analogous to organizing books in a bookcase. Although it is a challenging task, discussing the details of traumatic events leads to many benefits which facilitate healing for clients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One of the benefits is that discussing traumatic events facilitates the organization of these events in a person’s memory. In the following sections, I will discuss why organizing the details of traumatic events in memory is fundamental to healing from PTSD by using the metaphor of organizing books in a bookcase...[more]

In this article, I discuss distinctions between exposure to a traumatic event and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. I often hear people use the terms trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) interchangeably. I also often hear people indicating that suffering from a trauma means that the person has PTSD. Are the terms trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder equivalent in meaning? Does suffering from a trauma mean that the person has PTSD? I will provide answers to these questions along with a discussion in the following sections...[more]

In this article, I discuss how to deal with reminders of traumatic events which produce strong emotional reactions. In my work as a Calgary psychologist and a Cochrane psychologist, I have had many clients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People with PTSD have had exposure to one or more traumatic events leading to lasting negative emotional effects which significantly interfere with their lives. One of the most difficult PTSD symptoms to cope with is unexpectedly encountering reminders of the traumatic event which ‘trigger’ a strong and unpleasant emotional reaction. This emotional response is often comprised of intense anxiety accompanied by strong physical arousal and negative thoughts. When using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help my clients address their PTSD symptoms in trauma counselling, I give them a two-step process to deal with triggers. The first step...[more]

In this article, I discuss how to address the issue of having a strong emotional reaction to stimuli which remind you of a traumatic event. One of the most disturbing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is persistent re-experiencing of the traumatic event. This can take the form of flashbacks--memories, images, intrusive thoughts and nightmares associated with the event. In this article, I will focus on one additional type of persistent re-experiencing which is particularly unsettling--having a strong emotional reaction when you encounter people, places or other stimuli reminding you of the event. In the following sections, I will discuss the reasons for the strong emotional reaction to ‘triggers’ and what steps can be taken in and out of therapy to address this issue...[more]