Trauma Therapy

For sensitive, high-achieving, anxious people in OKC

In person & online in Oklahoma 

 

What is Trauma Therapy? 

Trauma is a difficult thing to process. You probably hear the word trauma thrown around a lot, and don’t have a clear idea of what it is or how it can impact a person long term. The truth is, it can impact a range of things: relationships, self-esteem, sleep, and mental health. First, let’s look at how we can define trauma, and then explore how trauma therapy can help. 

Traumatic events can be life shattering and intense. These experiences end up creating a trauma response in both our bodies and minds. For example, you get into a car wreck, and during the wreck, you are able to stay present and grounded in your body. Afterwards you may certainly be tired or have some level of shock happening, but overall, you feel “okay.” 

What if, you go through that same thing, and during the wreck, you dissociate (go somewhere else in your mind) in order to protect yourself, and then afterwards are plagued with intrusive thoughts, an inability to sleep, you avoid driving a car, and each time you think of the car wreck you become overwhelmed and dysregulated (dysregulation is when your body and emotions feel out of control, like they’re all over the place). Maybe the symptoms continue for months, over and over again, without relief. 

Both of these situations are traumatic, however, how our body and mind end up responding to what we went through, that is where the focus should be. There’s a range of trauma related disorders for a reason. The event itself may even become less important, but how it impacts your life, even in the smallest way, is what’s important. 

Remember, if you say it’s trauma, it is. 


Trauma: Body and Mind 

Trauma impacts both our brains and bodies. In the above trauma scenarios your brain was sending all focus to the primitive side in order to increase the likelihood of your survival. This happens when your fight-or-flight response is triggered.

We have a sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Our sympathetic nervous system (or SNS, for short) allows our brain and body to do whatever is necessary in life or death situations in order to protect ourselves. It floods our body with adrenaline, leaving us with the energy to be able to either fight or run away. We may also freeze in response, which involves shutting down or becoming “immobilized.” 

Our parasympathetic nervous system (or PNS) allows us to relax. The messages that go to our brain say: “You’re safe, protected, social, engaged.” 

Imagine that your nervous system is like driving a car. The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is the gas pedal. When you hit the gas, your car speeds up, much like the SNS revs your body in response to whatever stress or danger is occurring. Then your heart rate increases, you get a boost of adrenaline, and now your body is prepared for whatever it needs to do: fight, flight, or freeze. 

Then, we have the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) which is like the brake pedal. When you press down on the brake it slows your car down, much like the PNS allows your body to relax and enter into a state of calm. Your heart rate decreases, stress hormones are lowered, and it encourages rest and digestion. 

These two systems create harmony and balance in your body, much like when you use the gas and brake pedals. Your body gives you energy (SNS) when in life threatening or stressful situations, and then promotes rest (PNS) when it is safe to do so. Trauma can often create a disruption in the balance, leaving us stuck with the gas pedal pressed, unable to fully engage the brake.

Impacts of Trauma 

A lot of people have difficult and/or impactful experiences in various capacities throughout their life. Difficult and complicated events happen, and yes they are a part of life, and can be traumatic. How our body and mind end up reacting to those traumatic events, depends on a lot of different factors.

If we aren’t careful, trauma can end up leaving core issues or “wounds” that are difficult to heal; especially if we aren’t paying attention to them. They end up being a part of our everyday life. They shape our thinking, our ability to trust in relationships, even how involved or connected we are in other people’s lives. They can leave an imprint that we don’t even know about. 

We often pick up strategies to cope with traumatic experiences that can end up hurting us even further. These could be things like: 

  • Dissociation

    Mentally checking out.

  • Numbing

    Overworking, overeating, or using drugs and alcohol.

  • Projection

    Pushing old wounds onto others

  • Perfectionism

    The goal is unattainable.

  • Anger and/or aggression

    Lashing out, even when you don't want to at times.

  • People Pleasing

    Constantly giving of yourself to the point of exhaustion.

  • Avoidance

    Choosing to ignore things that you don't want to address.

 
 

 All of these can end up leaving us feeling further isolated and alone.  

Until we start to pay attention. 

This is where trauma therapy can be useful.

There are a lot of different ways of treating trauma, and today I’d like to talk to you about a model that you may have not heard of before. It’s called the Healing Our Core Issues (HOCI) Model. 

What is the HOCI Model?

The Healing Our Core Issues Model was developed by Jan Bergstrom and Dr. Rick Butts from the Healing Our Core Issues Institute. It’s an approach that allows for healing related to developmental and relational trauma that developed in our childhood. It’s based on the idea that our experiences that occurred in childhood shape how we see ourselves, how we connect to others, and how we cope when difficult circumstances occur. 

There are 6 Core Issues that the HOCI Model addresses: 

  1. Loving The Self

  2. Improving Boundaries

  3. Getting Your Story Straight

  4. Practicing Self-Care

  5. Practicing self-regulation and balance

  6. Developing Interdependence 

By exploring these ideas and core issues on a deeper level, it allows understanding for how trauma or “wounds” that occurred in childhood relate to how we feel about ourselves and the decisions we are making in our present life. 

By beginning to understand your past, it no longer dictates your future. By understanding where and how the unhealthy patterns developed, healing and re-parenting those inner wounds, you can set yourself up for success. 

How Does the HOCI Model Work?

The HOCI model encourages attuning to these core issues so that your quality of life can improve. This can be done by exploring your past, or as the model calls it “Getting Your Story Straight,” reparenting your inner child, creating healthy patterns and boundaries in your life, and finally, living more authentically with a stronger sense of self-worth. 

Why Choose the HOCI Model?

The HOCI Model is no joke. It is helpful in exploring the unhealthy pattern of cycles that are stopping you despite the efforts you have made to change. It’s also an approach that helps to not simply treat the symptoms of whatever is happening, but look to the root causes which can create more systemic change and healing. 

The HOCI model is transformative especially if you have struggled despite making consistent efforts to change. It’s a compassionate approach that looks beyond the symptoms to the root causes, offering a path to deeper and more lasting healing.

To learn more about the trauma therapy intensive process please go here. 

If you’re ready to dive in and “get your story straight”, book a consultation call now. 

Are you ready?

I look forward to walking with you on this journey of healing.