Is the past burning you and keeping you from growing?
Let's get through it together.
You have probably seen on the news how, because of someone who doesn't care for or respect nature, a forest has gone up in flames, leaving a desolate, charred landscape.
And you have probably also seen how, all too often, walls and blocks of buildings go up as a quick fix to hide the damage the fire caused, instead of giving the land the time and space it needs to heal and flourish again.
Trauma in a person works in a similar way. When someone has been emotionally hurt, instead of giving themselves the time and space they need to recover, they often build emotional barriers, hide their wounds by avoiding talking about them and look for superficial distractions. It's like building on a burnt forest without giving it the chance to regenerate, without letting real healing happen.
However, if space is left for recovery, the forest tends to regenerate naturally, although the process can be faster and better if the soil is tilled, new seeds are planted and it is watered with patience and care. It will never be exactly the same as before, but every new shoot will be a sign of life: new species and opportunities to grow will join, and the past will be seen as something distant that we have learned from.
Shall we begin?Could you relate to this?
Complex trauma is usually the result of painful experiences repeated over a long period of time.
As human beings we need to bond with others, and a close relationship that hurts can seriously damage the wellbeing of the person who suffers it.
People who live with it often describe feeling something like this:
- “I feel a lot of anxiety or fear. Constant worry, mood swings or impulsive behaviour.”
- “I feel sad about my past and hopeless about my future.”
- “I find it hard to trust people, even those close to me.”
- “Sometimes I'd rather be alone and I tend to avoid social situations.”
- “I find it hard to say “no” and set boundaries.”
- “I feel tired or have little desire to do things.”
- “I sleep badly, feel pressure in my chest, have a racing heart, sweat a lot, get hot flushes, dizziness, headaches…”
- “I struggle to concentrate and have intrusive thoughts.”
If these sentences resonate with you, let me tell you that this is normal when you go through trauma.
In therapy we will understand where it comes from and draw up the plan needed to change it.
Hi! I'm Álvaro, a general health psychologist.
In therapy I like to create a warm space where we can properly understand what is happening, and also take action when we're ready. I work from an integrative approach, adapting the tools and the pace of the process to each person.
Would you like to get to know me a little more?
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