Sometimes things happen to us which feel too big to share, but too big to contain. When a trauma occurs, it can feel really difficult to know how and where to begin. Sometimes clients worry that what they’ve been through doesn’t ‘qualify’ as trauma. However, trauma is defined as how it’s left you feeling, rather than being related to specific events. The experiences you’ve had matter, and you deserve the space to talk about them.
We will work together to unpack the events that have brought you to therapy. The pace at which we do this will be different for everybody. What’s important is that we build a relationship between us, so you feel safe to talk and to share. There is no expectation that you tell me everything immediately, or that we move chronologically. In working with traumatic experiences, we need to make sure you feel equipped and comfortable to share the details. We may need to go through things in manageable chunks or even spend some time at first talking about what it’s been like to carry this burden, without talking about the events specifically. We can work to manage the psychological effects of what’s happened, the events themselves, and a sense of resilience to move forward.
