Trauma & PTSD Therapy and Counseling
Finding the right PTSD therapist is a brave first step toward healing. Whether you’ve experienced a single overwhelming event or years of chronic stress, the symptoms of trauma can leave you feeling disconnected and stuck. We provide specialized trauma counseling tailored to your unique journey. Located in NW Indianapolis near Carmel, Broadripple and Zionsville, our practice is dedicated to helping individuals navigate the complexities of PTSD with sensitivity and expertise, guiding you toward a life defined by resilience rather than your past.
What is trauma?
Trauma isn’t just a "bad event"; it is the lasting emotional and physical response to an experience that made you feel unsafe, helpless, or overwhelmed. While we often think of trauma as big life-altering events, it can also be the result of "invisible" experiences like childhood neglect, chronic stress, or long-term emotional patterns.
Think of trauma as an "injury to the spirit." It changes how your brain processes safety and makes it difficult for your nervous system to return to a state of rest.
What is PTSD?
If trauma is the injury, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is the body’s way of staying on high alert to prevent the injury from happening again. It’s a natural survival mechanism that gets "stuck" in the ON position.
When you have PTSD, your brain is essentially a 24/7 security guard. It is constantly scanning for danger, even when you are in a safe place like your home or a grocery store. This is why you might feel:
Hyper-vigilant: Always checking exits or feeling jumpy at loud noises.
Intrusions: Memories or "flashbacks" that make you feel like the event is happening now.
Emotional Numbness: Feeling "flat" or disconnected from the people you love as a way to protect yourself from feeling more pain.
How It Impacts Your Daily Life
Trauma doesn't just stay in the past; it shows up in your "right now." Many clients come to us not realizing that their daily struggles are actually connected to trauma. You might notice:
Physical Exhaustion: Your body is tired from being in a constant "fight or flight" state.
Relationship Tension: It feels hard to trust others, or you find yourself pulling away when things get too close.
The "Window of Tolerance": You feel like your "fuse" is shorter than it used to be. Small stressors that others handle easily might send you into a panic or cause you to shut down completely.
Digestive & Gut Issues: The "gut-brain axis" is highly sensitive to stress. Many survivors experience chronic stomach pain, nausea, or conditions like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) because the body diverts energy away from digestion during "fight or flight" mode.
Chronic Muscle Tension & Bracing: You might notice your shoulders are permanently "up to your ears," or you have a chronically clenched jaw (TMJ). This is the body physically "bracing" for an impact that hasn't happened yet.
Cardiovascular Strain: Frequent chest tightness, a "racing heart" (palpitations) out of nowhere, or even unexplained dizziness can be the body’s response to a perceived threat in the environment.
Somatization of Pain: Unexplained back pain, migraines, or joint aches. Research suggests that childhood maltreatment or long-term trauma can "localize" in the lower back or abdomen later in life.
Nervous System "Short-Circuits": This includes tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, tremors, or even "pseudo-seizures" where the body shakes to release built-up survival energy.
Skin Flare-ups: Stress hormones can trigger or worsen inflammatory conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or unexplained hives and itching.
Understanding the "Freeze" Response
While most people know about "Fight or Flight," the Freeze (or Shutdown) response is a common physical symptom of complex trauma. It can feel like:
Feeling "heavy" or paralyzed: Like your limbs weigh lead and you can't move.
Dissociative Numbing: Feeling physically detached from your body, as if you are watching yourself from a distance or your skin feels "dull" to the touch.
Cold Extremities: Blood being pulled away from the hands and feet toward the internal organs to prepare for survival.
Important Note: These symptoms aren't signs of weakness. They are signs that your brain is incredibly good at trying to keep you alive. In therapy, we don't "fix" you—we help your nervous system learn that it is finally safe to stand down.