Trauma Therapy

Trauma arises when our physical and/or psychological integrity is violated and the person affected is left feeling helpless, at the mercy of others and powerless.

Post-traumatic stress disorder can be triggered by a single traumatic event, such as a mugging, an operation or an accident, etc., or by repeated stressful situations over a short or long period of time (such as experiencing violence in childhood or adulthood, emotional neglect, bullying, sexual violence, etc.). These stressful experiences often leave a deep mark on the lives of those affected, manifesting years later – even under other stressful circumstances – in the form of anxiety, depression or psychosomatic illnesses.

In 1980, post-traumatic stress disorder was recognised as a distinct condition.

Traumatic experiences can be caused by many factors:

• Sexual (abuse) and physical violence during childhood and/or in adulthood
• Emotional and/or physical abuse during childhood
• Bullying
• Stalking
• Accidents
• Diseases
• Deaths
• War
• Natural disasters are just a few examples.

Trauma can affect many areas of a person’s life and severely restrict the person concerned. 

Symptoms such as addictive behaviour, outbursts of anger, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, feelings of alienation, difficulty concentrating, dissociation, an inability to form attachments, sleep disturbances, exhaustion, chronic pain, etc.  may develop, in some cases years later, as a manifestation of an early traumatic experience.

Typical symptoms of trauma-related disorders include:

• Being easily startled
• Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, accompanied by nightmares
• A lingering memory
• Flashbacks
• Avoiding situations that remind those affected of the trauma or resemble it
• Inner restlessness and mild irritability
• A vague sense of anxiety
• Recurrent depressive episodes (including thoughts of ending one’s life)

PTSD is a chronic condition, but it can be effectively treated using trauma-specific methods.  The aim of trauma-focused therapy is to successfully integrate traumatic experiences into the person’s life, meaning that they can think about the trauma without suffering as a result or having to react to it with symptoms.  

At our clinic, the following methods are incorporated into our overall approach.

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, as developed by Francine Shapiro)
• Behavioural Narrative Exposure Therapy
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy according to Foa
• Psychodynamic imaginative trauma therapy according to L. Reddeman
• Stabilisation and distancing technique according to L. Reddemann

We use Somatic Experiencing as part of our body-based therapy

Somatic Experiencing focuses on the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for trauma, where the trauma manifests itself in physical reactions. Consequently, this treatment approach also centres on the nuanced awareness of one’s own body.

With a bit of practice, you can develop the ability to actively work towards healing and ‘reprogramming’ the nervous system. These new experiences can ultimately become a vital resource for your everyday life in the future.

Thanks to Somatic Experiencing, trauma can be re-processed physically, mentally and emotionally, and one’s body awareness shifts towards a greater sense of security and presence.