Body reading 
The affects of trauma on the body, mind and soul can be crushing. When something truly horrific happens to us, like war, abuse, rape, or any other life-threatening situation where we feel overwhelmingly helpless, we enter survival mode, which often means completely dissociating from ourselves and our environment so we don’t have to feel our immense distress. The problem with this is that the trauma survivor usually finds themselves stuck in the same survival mode even years after the event. Their brain, body, and nervous system are locked in high alert and this is where we see the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) emerge: depression, anxiety, social isolation, an overall lack of control, a feeling of physical uneasiness, self-loathing, and constant fearful thinking.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms know that no matter how hopeless you might feel, your body and brain have the capacity to heal. As a trauma resolution specialist trained in Somatic Experiencing I’m here to help you use the power of your nervous system to overcome your symptoms so you can live a vibrant, fulfilled life. The most effective way to heal is at the Autonomic Nervous System level – this where the trauma, both implicit and explicit memories are stored.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is something that happens to us that overwhelms our entire system. It could be a single, life-threatening event, or it could be an on-going stress such as growing up in a tense household, getting bullied in high-school, or experiencing prolonged financial stress or relationship problems. The reason it comes in so many shapes and sizes is because we’re all so uniquely different. A stressful event to one person could be just that – a stressful event. For people who are less resilient (say, because of a less than perfect childhood) that stressful event can be very traumatizing.
DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMA:
Did you grow up in a stressful household? Maybe you had an alcoholic or neglectful parent? Or your mom had postpartum depression? Developmental trauma includes any stressors that happen in the first few years of an infant’s or child’s life that directly impacts their brain and nervous system development. Essentially, because the child wasn’t given the right tools to properly handle stress (how could they when Mom and Dad didn’t have the right tools either?), their wiring becomes somewhat “faulty” and ends up affecting their ability to take care of themselves later in life. A lot of my clients who experienced this kind of trauma say they spent the majority of their lives feeling our of touch with themselves and their emotions. Many of them have spent decades numbing themselves through drugs and alcohol in an attempt to escape the nagging feeling of distress inside of them.
SHOCK TRAUMA:
Shock trauma occurs in single events such as car accidents, natural disasters, injuries, abuse, and hospitalizations, to name a few. These extremely high-stress situations prompt HUGE amounts of survival energy to enter your system – usually in the form of a fight, flight or freeze response. Depending on the situation, your body is preparing to do one of three things: run like hell, fight like a maniac, or freeze so as not to feel the pain of death. Some people are able to process this massive amount of survival energy and stay regulated, but most people can’t. Instead, the survival energy stays in their system and they stay stuck in survival mode. If you’ve ever experienced shock trauma it’s likely it was compounded by pre-existing developmental trauma, because if we have developmental trauma we already have faulty coping strategies.
Is this you?
How I Can Help
In order to fully recover it’s so important you accept the help of a compassionate professional who not only understands the biology of trauma, but is trained in rewiring the nervous system too. As a Somatic Experiencing practitioner I specialize in this powerful system, and it’s on this level that transformational change can happen.
When we work together you’ll experience gentle neurobiological methods that will help shift and release the same old survival energy that has been stuck in your system for years or decades. Since opening my private practice 6 years ago I’ve helped hundreds of people overcome the debilitating symptoms of PTSD, and I’d absolutely love to help you too.
Verdell has pretty much saved my life. I suffered a traumatic event several years ago and went through all kinds of counselling to deal with my PTSD. Add to that a very stressful job and being a single mom – I felt like I was dying inside the day I went to see her for my free consultation. I have seen her regularly for a few months now and I feel so much better. The hopelessness is gone and I don’t find the day to day stress overwhelming. Verdell’s safe and non judgmental presence coupled with her skill and natural talent to reawaken the energy your body holds is nothing short of amazing.