Anxiety Therapist Shares The Impact of Stress and Trauma on Our Reactions

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Do you often feel overwhelmed by your reactions or struggle with intense internal conflict? Perhaps you notice yourself reacting in ways that seem contradictory or out of proportion, leaving you feeling confused or ashamed. These kinds of responses are more common than you might think, especially for those with a history of trauma. The truth is, your reactions make sense in the context of your past experiences. When we’ve been through overwhelming situations, our minds and bodies develop survival strategies to protect us, sometimes leading to extreme or conflicting emotions. In this post, we’ll explore why these responses occur and how they are not only normal but adaptive.

Orlando Therapist Explores the Difference between Physical Trauma & Attachment Trauma

There's been a lot of hype on childhood trauma recently. You could be hearing about betrayal trauma, insecure attachment, or inner child healing from your therapist, on social media, and in everyday conversations. This may prompt you to reflect on your childhood, wondering, "Did I really experience childhood trauma?" You may be unsure whether what you went through is enough to be considered a trauma.

As a trauma therapist in Orlando, I often witness this uncertainty. Some people know that they have experienced trauma in their childhood, while others may be really uncertain.

So, we are going to break down the difference between physical trauma and attachment trauma because they are two different things. While there can certainly be an overlap between these two types of childhood trauma, many people minimize their attachment trauma because they don't understand it as such. However, attachment trauma can have just as big an impact, if not more, as physical trauma.

Trauma Therapist: Understanding the Fawn Response

Do you avoid conflict and then regret it later? Or do you say ‘yes’ when you actually want to say ‘no?’ Do you go out of your way to help others and find that your help is a one-way street? If this sounds like you, you might be experiencing the nervous system response of ‘fawning.’ Fawning is a way to stay out of trouble and stay in the ‘good graces’ of those around you. You go to great lengths to avoid disappointing or upsetting others.

In my last blog post, Trauma Therapist: Understanding the Window of Tolerance, I did a deep dive into common nervous system responses. I saved ‘fawning’ as its own article because fawning can present as both hyperarousal and hypoarousal.

Trauma Therapist: Why We Self-Sabotage

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Do you find yourself stuck in a cycle of getting in your way? You're heading in the right direction and all of a sudden, boom, you kick yourself right off your path. This can look like working hard towards a promotion, only to miss an important deadline because you procrastinated or doubted your abilities. Or it can look like being in a healthy relationship, but focusing only on your partner’s negative traits.

At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, we help people stop sabotaging their own efforts so they realize their deepest desires. We help them heal past wounds and traumas so they can get out of their own way and live deeply fulfilling lives.

Trauma Therapist: Understanding the Window of Tolerance

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Do you find yourself overcome with anger, only to fall into a spiral of shame because of what you've said or done? Or do you freeze at other times and hate yourself for not standing up for yourself?

Let’s take a deep dive into what is happening in your nervous system. Psychologists use a concept called the window of tolerance, coined by Dr. Dan Siegel. This offers a map, of sorts, to explore what is happening within your nervous system.

Orlando Therapist Explains How EMDR Transforms Your Life by Alleviating PTSD Symptoms

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Shows an image of someone feeling stressed. Represents how and Orlando therapist can help.

Have you gone through a traumatic or stressful event that has left you dealing with distressing feelings and memories? Are you easily triggered, swamped by discomfort, dread, or anxiety, or trapped in thought and behavior patterns that drain you emotionally and physically? Have you been withdrawing from family and friends and avoiding social interactions because you are afraid anything may trigger a painful memory or a panic attack?

Orlando Therapist: Understanding Trauma

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

If you've experienced trauma, you know that the traumatic experiences can continue to have an impact on your life long after the event has passed. After you've been through trauma the world may seem less safe and more unpredictable. You may struggle to trust others and feel stuck in a cycle of disturbing memories, shame, and isolation.

Enhancing an EMDR Intensive with Diverse Therapeutic Techniques

In the whirlwind of professional and family life, you find yourself grappling with stress and anxiety, acutely aware of the deep-seated issues impacting your well-being. You recognize the need for transformative healing, yet the thought of integrating weekly therapy sessions into your already overflowing schedule seems daunting, if not outright unfeasible.

EMDR Therapy: Healing the Unspoken

You feel anxious, on edge, and overwhelmed. This persistent feeling has left you filled with self-doubt and uncertainty in your relationships, at work, and even during your leisure time. You’re unsure why you feel this way and have tried to cope through it. You may have an awareness of going through difficult life events earlier in life, but no specific memories come to mind.

Earlier life events that occur before language development, starting from in utero and onward, can have lasting impacts if our nervous system was dysregulated or we did not have the capacity to process it at the time. Some of these events you may not even think of as a trauma. Significant family changes such as moving or loss, financial strain, and high-stress situations while pregnant are just a few examples of events that can take a toll in these preverbal years.

Benefits of EMDR Intensives

You’ve been carrying around heavy emotional baggage for way too long, and you’re ready to work through it and let it go. On the one hand, you’re ready to do the deep dive and do the work, but you don’t have the time or energy to commit to weekly therapy sessions. Between work, family, and those never-ending responsibilities, committing to weekly sessions seems almost impossible.

As an EMDR Therapist in Orlando, I am offering one-, two-, and three-day EMDR Intensives. Intensives have been a complete game changer for my busy clients. My clients appreciate the ability to set aside a few dedicated days for their healing without having to squeeze EMDR into their hectic schedules.

In my last blog post, I shared What to Expect in an EMDR Intensive and in this post, I am sharing the many benefits of an EMDR Intensive.

What to Expect in an EMDR Intensive

You’re ready for relief and you’re ready for it now. You know you need EMDR Therapy, but the thought of extending out over months and months just seems so daunting. You’re ready to handle the issues that have been holding you back, but the idea of meeting for weekly sessions feels long and drawn. You want results faster and you don’t want to deal with processing your trauma while you’re handling all of your life’s responsibilities. It’s hard enough to work through your trauma. You don’t need the weight of the daily grind on your shoulders while you’re trying to heal your past.

Orlando Trauma Therapist Explains Rape Culture Part 3

Have you or someone you care about recently experienced some form of sexual harm? Knowing what to do next, or how to best provide support can feel overwhelming! Sexual violence can greatly affect a survivor’s overall wellness. Learning about Rape Trauma Syndrome can help orient us to what’s going on, and help us see the supportive and healing path forward.

Orlando Trauma Therapist Explains Rape Culture Part 2

Written by: Trissa Dodson, LMHC

In the last blog post Understanding Rape Culture Part One, we learned that Rape Culture negatively affects survivors of sexual violence by turning blame onto the victims and invalidating their pain. We also learned that Rape Culture protects those who inflict harm on others and minimizes the gravity of violence. Rape Culture ultimately damages our individual relationships with one another, as well as our relationship with our communities on a larger scale. How do we end Rape Culture? You can start by reflecting on your own experiences and the experiences of others with compassion and respect. 

Orlando Trauma Therapist Explains Rape Culture

Your heart is pounding. You might be thinking, “What did that person just say to me?” “What did they mean by that?” You’re left feeling icky or uncomfortable. You try to brush off their comments, but you can’t shake that irritated, nervous feeling that something is off. You question whether or not to say something back, but decide it’s not worth the confrontation and try to ignore it.

My name is Trissa Dodson LMHC, and I’m a sexual violence trauma therapist. In order to heal from sexual trauma, we need to talk about how sexual violence permeates the larger society we’re all a part of. We need to talk about the word no one seems to want to say, the dreaded R-word: Rape. More specifically, Rape Culture.