PTSD Treatment and trauma Therapy
You feel guilty and ashamed
Maybe you think you should be a better mom or daughter
The voice inside says you’re weak asking for help
Perhaps you believe you could just be stronger, you could overcome on your own
Or maybe you think you must have asked for this
Most people have experienced some type of trauma in their life. It may come in the form of a distressing or disturbing experience. It can be very difficult to cope with and often has lasting effects on our lives. It can cause you to feel out of control, lost, numb, hopeless, and helpless. When these experiences occur, it can take a while to heal the pain and make you feel safe and trusting again
Not only that, but trauma can make you feel emotionally, cognitively, and physically overwhelmed. This may make it more difficult for you to cope with what happened. It may cause you to repress the memory. This may lead you to carry this unresolved pain with you into future relationships and experiences. You may end up feeling under-appreciated, taken advantage of, or unable to connect in relationships as a result.
Everyone Experiences Trauma Differently
Traumatic experiences impact each person differently, some people have had to take on the role of caretaker from a young age, and continue to be this person as an adult. Maybe you have normalized the event causing you to forget that what has happened matters and you deserve the space to process what is going on. Others have experienced a bigger trauma that happened all at once, and now they are left picking up the pieces.
Regardless of where you are, if you are struggling with fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, and have difficulty trusting people - you are not alone. It may feel like you’re being too sensitive and you should be able to handle these emotions. However, you may have started to realize it’s harder than you expected on your own. The good news is, I am here to help so you don’t have to go through this difficult time alone. PTSD treatment and trauma therapy can help!
What is PTSD Treatment and trauma therapy?
PTSD is common in men and women who have served in the military. It can include re-experiencing the event in disturbing ways. This may look like avoiding certain parts of your life, mood alterations following trauma, flashbacks, trouble sleeping, negative thoughts, anger, tension, and even difficulty remembering certain memories.
It is important to know that PTSD and trauma can affect you even if you have not served in the military. We all experience this in some capacity. Sometimes the memory is what we consider small t trauma, which involves smaller events that happen over time. Likewise, you may experience what we consider Big T, which is where a bigger event occurs such as a traumatic injury. You may not acknowledge your experience as trauma looking back at it from an adult perspective, but it does affect us.
A few examples of the ways trauma and PTSD can affect your life include:
Carrying the weight of childhood, family, and intergenerational trauma which has unfortunately either been normalized or you’ve had to discover ways to cope in order to manage your struggle and suffering.
This may have led you to develop a perfectionist personality, become extremely self-critical, people-pleasing, or due to taking on parenting responsibilities as a young child, you have continued to take responsibility for others/ especially those who are close to you. Furthermore, you may be fearful of abandonment and neglect because of these adverse experiences.
You may not describe what you’re going through as trauma, because you may think to yourself “ there are so many things going on in the world, who am I to complain?’ I am here to tell you, what you’re going through matters. You don’t need to continue to suppress your emotions toward what has happened. And you don’t need to be consumed by the guilt, shame, and heaviness you feel. You may not be able to control the past, but you can take charge of how you work to develop resilience in the future.
Trauma therapy in long beach, cA can Help!
It’s important to know you’re not alone if you’re struggling to cope, there are plenty of things you can do to help you move forward. My role is to provide the support you need to help you cope with these experiences and help guide you in living a better life. One way we may work through this is with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy which works to heal wounds and rid emotional distress.
My Approach to Trauma Therapy & PTSD Treatment
While in therapy with me, I will listen to your experiences and ask questions to better understand where you are coming from. My approach is to guide you. I will be open and honest throughout the whole process. The best part about therapy is that it is a collaboration. We jointly work together to help you heal. What I am trying to discover throughout this time is what are the common patterns and language being used in session. The goal is to explore these truths and figure out where they developed.
Together, we will challenge them with evidence-based questions and start to understand the reasoning behind the belief. For example, we may explore how your childhood or past shaped you today and explore where codependency, generational trauma, and setting boundaries intersect. We may do exercises that challenge and acknowledge your growth and self-resiliency.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, and Narrative Therapy
My main approaches to therapy include Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). The thought behind CBT is behavior can change our actions. This ultimately can cause you to be negatively impacted. On the other hand, the goal of EMDR therapy is to "leave you with the emotions, understanding, and perspectives that will lead to healthy and useful behaviors and interactions". Lastly, I do use a mix of other modalities that help to fit individual needs.
For example, I may use narrative therapy, which can help you to feel better understood. This form of therapy helps you to realize that you’re the author of your own story and to understand that your story is your truth. This will allow you to be more compassionate with yourself and others. The counseling relationship is simply a collaborative relationship where I go where you lead in therapy. Overall, the objective is to help you gain positive and healthy tools to cope and thrive in your life.
Don’t let the fear of judgement keep you from getting the help you need
You may be unsure about whether therapy will help you overcome the stress and fear that surrounds you situation. Common fears my clients experience include the fear of not being liked, fear of diagnoses or being seen as broken. You may worry about being deemed unworthy, or others will discover new insecurities you may have. You may also worry that I will be judgmental and tell you what to do as though you have failed.
My goals for you in therapy for you are to develop better communication, feel understood, develop coping skills, build healthier connections, have a better outlook on life, and begin to realize what you can and cannot control. Lastly, I want you to leave counseling with a newfound love and appreciation for your resilience.
I want you to know that I am here to help
I am honestly honored and privileged to be in this place where I can just hold space for you. Having the ability to come into counseling in order to tell me your story is the bravest thing you could do. I want to clarify that I don't diagnose, I am here as an advocate, and to support. I am here to help you achieve the goals you set forth. My role is to help you to sort things aloud. I’m not here to judge, I am here to understand and empathize, and help you see what is going on from a different perspective.
Having a secondary pair of eyes on the situation may help you to realize that you do have the answer to what’s bothering you. I am also here to let you express your feelings in an environment with support. Not only do I want you to appreciate your uniqueness, and take ownership of who you are, but you should begin to feel more grounded and authentic. This space may allow you for the first time to feel like you have control, for others, it's like a long lost reunion with an old friend.
You don’t have to keep struggling to heal yourself. Let me show you how.
Begin PTSD Treatment and Trauma Therapy In Long Beach, CA
You don’t have to live with the anger, guilt, and shame of what you’ve been through. Counseling can help you to break free from the past. I am a skilled therapist who specializes in PTSD treatment and trauma therapy. Take the next step and schedule your free consultation or begin counseling in Long Beach, CA:
Meet with me! Connie Hsu, your caring therapist
Begin to break free from negative and painful patterns that have held you captive
Other Mental Health Services at Healing Generations Counseling
PTSD treatment and trauma therapy isn’t the only service I offer in my in-office and online Long Beach, CA counseling practice. Other mental health services at Healing Generations Counseling include individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, life transitions, divorce recovery, trauma therapy, EMDR therapy, therapy for teens, support groups for women, and support groups for teens. All sessions are offered via online therapy in California, with limited in-person options. I also specialize in cross-cultural issues. If you’re dealing with pain across families or are in need of a new perspective, this may be a helpful service for you and your loved ones.