“Working with trauma is as much about remembering how we survived it is about what is broken.” —Bessel Van Der Kolk—
Trauma resides in all of us. It’s what happens to a person where there is too much, too soon, too much for too long, or not enough for too long (Duros & Crowley, 2014)
When we encounter stress, our body goes into fight or flight, a survival response.
With survival being our only option, our autonomic system goes into protection mode.
As a child, if we find ourselves in a state of survival, new patterns form—patterns where there is no room for connection or safety. In trauma, we survive in whatever way we can. Our nervous system is stunned and ends up in a state of autonomic imbalance. We are merely trying to get out of the situation we are in. Over time, patterns form in how we respond to stress and challenging life transitions.
For those who are in the role of helping others, the stress of this is repetitive. Without coping tools, this can lead to compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, burnout, and even chronic illness and dis- ease.
Similar stress patterns show up for those experiencing other life transitions, whether it be caring for a terminally ill pet or person, ups and downs of break up/divorce, or the loss of a job.
In my work with Veterinary Medical Professionals and Pet Parents, I help connect the dots between the unspoken toll we feel in caring for others (tired, numb, that it never feels enough, shame, guilt) to creating a practical plan for breaking down the patterns that bind us.
ONCE YOU “SEE YOUR OWN POSSIBILITIES FOR YOUR FUTURE, YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO “UNSEE” IT. HERE’S TO RESTORING YOU TO WHOLENESS. BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL TODAY.