Trauma is a universal human experience.

Trauma is also a subjective experience.

How trauma impacts you personally is unique to you. Each specific person experiences events intertwines with their particular story and lived experiences. Some people can recover from trauma with the love and support of their communities and loved ones. In most cases of trauma we need another person to help us process, makes sense of and heal.

We are harmed in relationship and we are healed in relationship.

When we suffer a physical trauma our bodies work hard to repair. If we broke a bone, our body will work to fuse the bone back together. When we are cut, our bodies build a protective scab while our skin repairs. Our bodies are remarkable at healing, sometimes the physical harm endures. When the physical harm endures, we need help from trusted caregivers to help set our bodies on the path to healing.

Our trauma therapists in Kirkland are skilled at helping your mind move towards healing.

Emotional and Spiritual Trauma works in similar ways, often times our minds mend and heal. Other times there are traumas we have suffered that need processing and healing with another. Minor stressors in life, are often able to mend on their own. Recurring stressors (difficult parents, bullying, etc…) and significant traumas (car accidents, surviving an act of physical or sexual violence, sudden loss, etc) need greater help than time to heal.

What does the effects of trauma look like?

· Avoidance of specific places, situations, sounds, etc.. that remind us of the traumatic event.

· It is difficult to remember details of the event

· There feels like there is a loss words to describe the event

· There is an empty place where memories of the event should be

· Sleep disturbances and nightmares

· Flashbacks and intrusive thoughts

· Increased alertness and sensitivity to your environment

· Reckless behavior

· Guilt

· Feeling like something is wrong or broken with you

· Changing behaviors since the event

What does trauma counseling look like?

Counseling is fundamental to the healing of trauma. Trauma touches many areas of our lives. It is in the presence of another person that we are able to engage our stories of harm with kindness and compassion and begin to heal. Much like our bodies, our minds are always moving towards healing. With trauma our mind is constantly trying to make sense of what we have experienced and move towards repair. Often the repair that is made is much like a physical bone that has not been re-set properly. When this happens we need help getting our mind reset towards healing.

Our trauma therapists in Kirkland are here to help.

Through working with us, you will begin to experience:

A decrease in traumatic triggers
Improvements in social relationships and romantic relationships
Greater insight into who you are
Increased compassion and forgiveness
Renewed hope for the future
Increased capacity for emotional connection

We are here to work with you towards wholeness and freedom.