Transforming Trauma into Resilience

Have you ever noticed how easy it is for your brain to chase the negative? How often do we describe what went wrong with our day versus what went well? This can happen when we look deeper at the trauma we have experienced in life. I am not suggesting that a Pollyanna approach of just looking the other way and saying everything is “fine” will help us feel better, as we all know where that leads.

I was recently at the wedding of a nephew.

During the ceremony, they were remembering and honoring the family members who had died and were not here for the celebration. I was taken by surprise as they named some of the people with who I was very close. I began to weep as I allowed the healing tears of grief to be present instead of bottling them up as I would have in the past. I was particularly struck with grief around the tragic death of my sister when I was 13 and the recent death of my sister-in-law whom I helped take care of until she died. Throughout that day, I worked with my body to allow the grief and also to notice how it felt in my body to be around my nephew (my sister’s son) and the joy I felt to be with him in the present moment.

Instead of focusing on the abyss of sadness and grief, I allowed my body to experience it. I moved into the present moment to notice how my body was letting go of the sadness and leaning into the joy. This pendulation between joy and sorrow helped me to uncouple the links to the past sorrow that my body was experiencing. I worked with my body so that it would not go into overwhelm (trauma) and so that I could process the past in the here by now allowing my body to cry, tremble, and release what it needed to.

My experience at the wedding was touching back into past trauma.

When we experience flashbacks/memories of trauma our body is trying to process something that is linked or coupled to the present. Healing happens when we slow down those experiences and allow the incomplete responses to be complete. Often, we did not get to voice something or flee a situation or express our sorrow in tears or mobilize in other ways. These responses were incomplete and yet by working with the body and emotions in the here and now to complete those responses we can heal.

It is through my own experiences with a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) and through the training, I have done with the work of Peter Levine to become certified as a SEP that I have come to realize how important our connection to the body is to heal from trauma and move towards resilience. If you are interested in learning more about Somatic Experiencing, I would recommend reading “Waking the Tiger” by Peter Levine or listening to this brief podcast by Dr. Abi Blakeslee “The Way of Somatic Experiencing”

Begin Therapy for Trauma With A Bozeman Therapist Today!

You can overcome past trauma and learn to stop chasing the negative. Our team of caring therapists would be honored to support you and equip you with the tools to heal later in life. We are happy to offer support with online therapy across the state. You can start your therapy journey with Bridger Peaks Counseling by following these simple steps:

1. Contact us to speak with a staff member

2. Learn what your attachment style is and how it is affecting your relationship problems

3. Start coping with past trauma in a healthy way!

Other Services We Offer in Bozeman, MT

Trauma therapy isn’t the only service the caring counselors at Bridger Peaks Counseling provide. Our team is happy to offer several mental health services including adult counseling, teen counseling, group therapy, rising strong workshops, and marriage counseling. Furthermore, we provide anxiety therapy, depression treatment, substance use counseling, and online grief counseling. Along with EMDR, postpartum depression support, body image therapy, and psychiatric care. Our services are accessible using online therapy in Montana.