Welcome, I’m glad you found me.
I’m Suzanne — a psychoeducator passionate about the mind-body connection. I offer a gentle, supportive space to help you reconnect with your body, calm your mind, and feel safe within yourself again.
THE SOMATIC TRAUMA HEALING PROGRAM
An integrative approach to promote wellness.
Our sessions will focus on four different phases. The length of our work together is flexible and determined by your personal needs and goals. Throughout all the four phases, you will be encouraged to practice self-compassion and self-care.
Psychoeducation
In the first phase, we will learn about you, your condition and the different tools and skills to manage your symptoms of trauma to promote healing and well-being. You will understand that your feelings are normal reactions to abnormal experiences.
Growth and Experience
In the second phase, together we will establish a sense of safety. We will practice body-mind techniques such as boundary work, gentle Somatic Experiencing® exercise
Fight, Flight, Freeze and Fawn.
Fight: aggressively facing a threat,
Flight: running away from a threat,
Freeze: unable to move or react to a threat and
Fawn: trying to please to avoid any conflict.
Practice Phase
During phase three, exposure exercises will be practiced helping you to overcome your habitual anxiety reactions to certain situations. You will be supported throughout the entire process, beginning with mild to moderate challenging exercises, and then progressing to harder ones. Keep in mind, these exercises will be determined by you and will never put you in any kind of danger. We will always respect your rhythm and the exercises will be tolerable and safe. You will use the different skills learned to face the situation you were once avoiding. Resting after each session will be important to allow your body the time to integrate.
Integration
In this last phase, you will know that trauma no longer defines you. The traumatic event won’t be forgotten or erased, but you will be empowered with the knowledge and tools to be able to re-set your body to a normal state of balance and equilibrium.
TRAUMA SYMPTOMS
Do you avoid certain people, places or things that remind you of the traumatic event?
Do you have nightmares or are easily triggered?
Do you overreact to loud sounds or are you constantly tense and on guard to prevent another traumatic event from occurring?
Do you have more intense emotions such as anger, sadness, shame, guilt or even helplessness?
Do you sometimes feel detached from yourself or others?
Are these symptoms familiar to you? These can be signs of trauma.
“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence. Not only can trauma be healed, but with appropriate guidance and support, it can be transformative.”
– PETER A. LEVINE
Here are some common symptoms of trauma:
Avoidance:
Using avoidance to cope with your traumatic memories can make your symptoms worse and make it harder to move on with your daily life.
Flashbacks:
Flashbacks can be caused by anything that reminds you of your past traumas. You experience overwhelming feelings as if the trauma is happening right now.
Hypervigilance:
Hypervigilance can make safe situations, people or places feel dangerous. It may stand in the way of normal daily activities and inflict significant stress on your interpersonal relationships.
Dissociation:
Unprocessed trauma can lead to feeling disconnected from your emotions, memories, or thoughts.
Trauma is not in the event, but in the nervous system.
– PETER A. LEVINE
If you feel like you relate to these symptoms, you are not alone. Reach out today. I look forward connecting with you.
