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Trauma is at the centre of the work that I do with most clients. Very often, trauma is thought of as major life events like accidents, assaults, natural disaster, and wars. While these are life changing events that alter our sense of self and ways of being. I am also interested in the other traumas which we fear are too small to be seen as trauma, such as, feeling unseen as a child, growing up in a home feeling ignored, being constantly criticised and humiliated as a child, being made to feel too much or even being surrounded by people yet still feeling isolated. Or you could have grown up in a loving home but still hold deep feelings of sadness and pain when you look back on your childhood. These experiences leave an invisible imprint which shape the way we view ourselves and our relationships, which can lead to patterns of self doubt, a deep fear of abandonment or people pleasing behaviours.
Trauma doesn't only live in the past- we experience echoes of it in the present as it influences the way we see ourselves, our relationships and the world around us. In working together we can recognise how past hurts influence your thoughts, feelings and behaviours, understand patterns of self doubt, emotional disconnection and people pleasing, work on developing self compassion and foster trust within yourself and recognise the generational patterns that no longer serve you but still show up in your relationships.
Areas I have experience working with
Anxiety
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Low mood/depression
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Loneliness
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Panic Attacks
Childhood trauma
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Emotional neglect
Immature/unavailable parents
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Childhood abuse
Relationship difficulties
Sexual abuse
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Trauma
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Family issues
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Generational trauma
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Low self confidence
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Life changes
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Stress
Meaning & purpose
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Grief & loss
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Childhood trauma & emotional neglect
Our childhood experiences shape the way we see ourselves and the world around us. Childhood trauma isn't just about what happened to us, it is also about what did not happen- the absence of consistent validation, support, and emotional safety, can result in feeling unseen, unheard and emotionally alone. You learn how to suppress your feelings, shame yourself for having needs, question your self worth and remain disconnected from others because you never feel like they care enough or that there is space for you. As adults, this shows up as self doubt, difficulty forming and maintaining relationships, absent/rigid boundaries and idealising self reliance and self dependence. Healing from these experiences requires these experiences to be seen and validated, learning how to reconnect with the way you feel, developing self compassion for those parts that kept your protected and learning how to trust yourself and communicate your needs.
Cultural sensitivity in therapy
Cultural sensitivity in therapy emphasizes the importance and understanding of your unique background and beliefs in a way that speaks to your race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and other elements that hold importance over one's identity. To incorporate cultural sensitivity into therapy means understanding and acknowledging differences in opinions, values and attitudes in order to best support you. Why is cultural sensitivity important in therapy? It shows a respect for diversity by acknowledging that people come from different backgrounds which brings it's own unique values, beliefs, and experiences. It enables effective communication by recognizing the cultural nuances in language, body language and communication styles. It also provides the opportunity to reduce stigma and misunderstanding. By addressing the cultural experiences that impact our experiences we're able promote acceptance within culturally diverse populations. Most importantly, it is empowering and validating to be understood and respected in one's cultural identity by another.
Intergenerational trauma
As we've come to learn, we do not enter the world as a tabula rasa (blank slate), we don't just inherit our genetics but also our families stories, narratives and worldviews. We carry with us our families legacies and experiences- the good and the bad. Intergenerational trauma is trauma that is passed from one generation to the next, through individuals or groups, within cultures and systems within society. We inherit beliefs about who we are, what we're meant to do and where we fit in. Its not always easy to identify some of these belief systems because they have become so ingrained in who we are, but it sometimes manifests in anxiety, depression, hypervigilance and maladaptive ways of coping. We are taught how to people please, to strive for perfectionism, to never rely on others, to be the fixers and to be hyper-independent. We often find these generational traumas hidden within what we call our culture. By fostering awareness of generational traumas we can understand behaviours in the context of experiences and can make a choice to respond differently.