Trauma Therapy in Charlotte, NC

Has A Negative Experience Defined Your Life?

Did you survive something sudden, scary, painful, or life-threatening?

Or did you grow up in an environment that was emotionally and/or physically unsafe?

As a result of what happened to you, are you struggling to feel at ease, in control, and trusting of others?

If you’re a trauma survivor, you might find it difficult to manage your emotions and stress response. Instead of reacting to normal, everyday situations with a sense of calm, you may feel as though you are always on high alert. On top of that, you may experience flashbacks and nightmares that keep you from being able to relax.

Trauma is at the core of many mental health struggles. You may feel anxious, depressed, or unable to concentrate. And it’s understandable that you want to avoid people and places that could potentially trigger symptoms. But because you have a hard time trusting your environment and those around you, you may have encountered challenges in your relationships and ability to connect with others.

Our therapists understand that all you want is a “normal” life—free from the reminders of your trauma. We will work with you in counseling to safely explore and process your experience so that you can move forward into a future defined by possibility rather than pain.

Trauma Is Incredibly Common

While traumatic experiences are deeply personal and specific to those who survive them, it’s important to remember that you are not alone.

It’s estimated that most adults—70 percent—have experienced at least one trauma in their lives*. Given that trauma is defined as an emotional reaction to any situation in which we feel unsafe, unprepared, or in danger, many human experiences, including sudden loss, can trigger a traumatic response. Other common traumas include physical and sexual abuse, domestic violence and assaults, bullying, community violence, natural disasters, military combat, and attachment injuries (i.e., the absence of a safe, consistent, and nurturing connection with a caregiver) to name a few.

There are also elements of systemic and generational trauma prevalent throughout our culture. Those of us who grew up in marginalized communities—including people of color, women, and folks in the LGBTQ+ community—are subjected to disproportionate rates of discrimination, violence, and abuse, creating further mental health obstacles.

Overcoming trauma requires coping and stress management skills, but those are not always taught or modeled effectively to us. That’s why working with a therapist in trauma treatment can be so beneficial. By building your resilience toolbox, you can navigate traumatic experiences in a healthy way and begin to move forward.

Therapy For Trauma Through Halos Counseling Can Help Shift Your Perspective On Your Past, Present, And Future

Trauma leads to disconnection from yourself, your environment, and those around you. Therapy offers you a meaningful and life-changing opportunity to reconnect with yourself so that you can have a healthier outlook and stronger relationships.

Our therapists will provide you with a safe space to gain insight into your experience without fear of judgment or criticism. Working together, you can learn strategies for facilitating a stronger sense of trust, security, and ease in your life.

What To Expect

Early on in treatment, your counselor will work to learn more about your history, symptoms, and specific trauma triggers. We will always move at a comfortable pace with the intention of getting you to feel increasingly less distressed as treatment goes on. We do this by providing you with stress management tactics, including mindfulness, breathing techniques, and emotional regulation skills.

Alongside these skills, you will also learn communication techniques that will improve your relationships. Interpersonal and problem-solving strategies will allow you to be more flexible, vulnerable, and intentional with those around you, offering you opportunities to set meaningful boundaries that will protect your energy and resources.

From there, we will work with you to cognitively “restructure” your experience. As you challenge negative thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions with more neutral, realistic perspectives, you will learn to overcome the inner voice that shames and criticizes you. This, along with trauma processing methods, allows you to identify strengths and uplifting narratives as you begin to heal.

No matter your trauma, our therapists are here to meet you wherever you are on your healing journey. We even have counselors on staff who can offer spiritually informed therapy on request. We will customize the counseling process to meet your unique needs and reduce your specific trauma-related symptoms.

True Healing Is Possible

What you experienced is part of your story, but counseling can help you adjust the narrative in a way that promotes peace and wellbeing. In therapy for trauma through Halos Counseling, you no longer have to feel defined by your past but instead in control of your future.

Still Unsure If Trauma Treatment Can Help You?

I’m afraid therapy will just keep me stuck in the past.

Therapy is designed not to worsen your trauma but to help you process your experience so you can move forward. While you may feel “stuck” in early sessions as you explore some of your history with your therapist, our clinicians are specifically trained to help you escape the cycle of trauma and facilitate a sense of true progress in your life.

Counseling is a safe, supportive environment, and our therapists take great care not to re-traumatize our clients in treatment.

What if I don’t have the words or ability to verbalize my trauma?

If you aren’t sure where to start but know on some level there is trauma to address, it is totally okay—we will support you in a way that feels productive and comfortable. Your therapist will be a great resource, offering you psychoeducation about trauma’s effects on the brain and body and a vocabulary with which you can speak about your experience.

Even if you are not ready to share specific details, our counselors will always find ways to help you express your feelings without having to explicitly discuss your trauma.

What if I start exploring my trauma in therapy and find I need to take a break?

While it’s understandable that therapy might become overwhelming and emotionally taxing at times, it’s really important to communicate your needs with a therapist before taking a break from trauma treatment. That way, your therapist can offer specific tools for regulating distress and other coping skills that might make treatment more manageable.

There are also some risks associated with halting trauma treatment, so we want to help you make the most informed decision possible if you are thinking about taking a break from therapy.

Tell A New Story, Step Into A Brighter Future

If you’ve been unable to heal and move forward from a difficult experience, therapy through Halos Counseling can help you overcome the barriers created by trauma. Find out more by contacting us to schedule a free, 20-minute consultation.

* https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Trauma-infographic.pdf