Acute and Complex Trauma Therapy

At LifePath we recognize that exposure to trauma is pervasive in our world, and we are committed to changing the way that we talk about and treat trauma.

Trauma includes single incident events but it also can also result from a series of events or set of circumstances that is experienced as overwhelming and impacts your ability to cope or your sense of safety, control, belonging, identity, and meaning. Trauma can be interpersonal, generational, familial, racial, religious, sexual, medical, or from a natural disaster or global event. At LifePath we see you as a whole human, and take into account the ways trauma may be impacting your mental, physical, relational, emotional, or spiritual well being.

The Impact of Trauma

When we experience a traumatic incident, our body and brain has an automatic response to help us survive and seek safety. This response is unique to each person.

Some common responses and symptoms of acute trauma include:

• Intrusive thoughts, nightmares or flashbacks

• Sleep disturbances

• Painful depression or crippling anxiety

• Anger, irritability, and hypervigilance

• Aggressive, reckless behavior, including self-harm

• Loss of interest in activities that were once considered enjoyable

• Difficulty remembering details of the distressing event

• Avoiding specific locations, sights, situations, and sounds that serve as reminders of the event

Complex or chronic trauma may show up in similar ways to acute, and may also include experiences such as:

• Chronic feelings of shame or guilt

• Experiencing relationships as either disconnected or chaotic

• Difficulty regulating or expressing emotions

• Difficulty managing impulse control

• Self-injurious behavior

• Difficulty remembering large portions of childhood

• Sense that something is “missing” in you

• Social isolation

• Feeling disconnected from yourself, losing track of time or reality

You are not broken, you make sense.

It is normal to feel fear, sadness, anxiety, anger, or disconnection as your body and mind attempt to make sense of what has happened. The behaviors and symptoms that follow trauma are adaptive, and unfortunately sometimes the very behaviors and coping tools we use to feel safe often begin to have adverse effects on our wellbeing. At LifePath our therapists do not see you as a diagnosis but as a whole person – both your pain and your strengths. Our guiding principles in being trauma informed include collaboration and mutuality, empowerment, and choice.

Our Approach to Trauma Therapy and Healing

We believe that healing from trauma is possible in a safe, connected relationship. Our trauma trained therapists at LifePath will work with you to create an individualized treatment plan and therapy experience that meets you where you are, at a pace that feels safe. While each therapist brings their own specific training and modalities, some common components of the therapy process may include creating safety, psycho-education, evidence-based skill building, trauma-informed processing, and reparative relational experiences. Often after experiencing trauma much of your energy may go towards just trying to survive, cope, and get through. Your therapist will help you make sense of the impact of trauma on your life and work with you to create safety and stabilization. When you are ready, you may engage in trauma-informed processing, processing both cognitively and somatically to make sense of your history and help your brain and body metabolize your experience. Your therapist will help you process painful memories and narratives as they come up with presence and compassion, to help integrate your experiences.

Reach-Out. We Can Help.

If some small part of you, any part of you believes that trauma therapy is what you need – trust that part of you. You already know the answer.

Begin Trauma Therapy in Chicago, IL

If you or someone you know is struggling with the impact of acute, chronic, or complex trauma please reach out. We are confident that we can help. Our Chicago, IL psychotherapy practice has ​caring therapists who specialize in healing trauma.