What Is Trauma?
Trauma can be defined as a distressing or upsetting experience that overwhelms the nervous system, catalyzing physiological, neurological, emotional, and relational impacts. Thankfully, over the past twenty years there has been greater cultural attention shifted to trauma and its impacts, with an increased appreciation of the role of trauma on the nervous system, relationships, and symptom profiles.
Trauma responses can be seen as survival mechanisms and the body’s innate response to a perceived threat or danger. The fight or flight response that is activated during a traumatic event is designed to help an individual survive.
Many clients feel that they are “broken” in the wake of trauma, but the reality is their trauma responses kept them alive. Once the distress is over, we work to soothe and regulate the nervous system through a variety of interventions.
Types of Trauma
Traumatic events come in many shapes and sizes, and you’ll often hear therapists refer to “capital T” and “lowercase t” traumas, referencing the various severities and intensities of traumatic events. Traumatic events can include:
- Natural disasters, such as pandemics, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and wildfires
- One-time accidents, such as car crashes, plane crashes, or train derailments
- Physical or sexual assault
- Domestic violence, which includes emotional, physical, financial, and psychological abuse
- Childhood neglect or abuse
- Military combat or exposure to war
- Vicarious trauma, or exposure to other people’s trauma
- Terrorism or mass violence
- Generational & systemic traumas
- Medical traumas, such as a serious illness, injury, or medical malpractice
- The unexpected death of a loved one
- Witnessing or experiencing frightening events, such as a crime
NERVOUS SYSTEM FOCUS
Trauma can trigger intense physiological responses and emotional flooding. Trauma therapists often adopt a deeply non-pathologizing biological approach that directly acknowledges the nervous system’s role.
TRAUMA-SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS
Trauma-informed therapists draw on integrative, evidence-based approaches specifically designed to help with trauma, including Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), somatic exercises and interventions, and trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy.
TRUSTWORTHINESS
Trauma therapists understand that trust takes time to build. They may go slower and ask for permission more when working. To this end, many trauma-informed therapists open up and disclose more with their clients in the spirit of trust and transparency, compared to traditional “blank slate” psychoanalytic therapists.
RESILIENCE
Many trauma therapists adopt a strength-based approach, focusing on their clients’ resources, community, resiliency, strengths, and self-efficacy.
By integrating these core elements into their therapeutic practice, trauma-informed therapists create a safe and supportive environment where clients can work through the effects of trauma and build resilience and healing.
What is “Trauma-Informed” Therapy?
In an ideal world, all therapy should be with a trauma-informed therapist. However, due to differences in educational background, cultural competency, philosophy, technical ability, and modalities of choice, there can be a wide variety of therapeutic experiences. Core elements of trauma-informed therapy should include:
SAFETY
A trauma-informed therapist aims to create emotionally and physically safe environments, which may require additional accommodations. They establish clear boundaries, ensure privacy and confidentiality, pay close attention to their own nervous systems in the room, and proactively check in with their clients about the therapeutic relationship.
COLLABORATION
Many trauma survivors have experienced abuses of power, which is why trauma-informed therapists intentionally adopt a non-expert positionality in the room.
IN THE ROOM WITH ME
My Specific Approach
I have intentionally chosen to focus my clinical career on trauma and crisis intervention. My work began with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault at Peace Over Violence, a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles. I fell in love with trauma-focused work because it is collaborative, warm, non-pathologizing, and integrative. This aligns well with my belief that people are doing their best and do not want to have a dysregulated nervous system.
As a lifelong musician with a background in somatic (body based) practices, I also appreciate the use of non-talking modalities in trauma therapy. These modalities include havening, guided breath-work and visualization, grounding exercises, tapping, and singing for trauma. With this in mind, I launched the first Music Intervention Processing Group at Peace Over Violence to help clients connect, ground, and process their emotions.
Many clients struggle with Complex Trauma (C-PTSD) as a result of attachment injuries and adverse childhood experiences. To help these clients make sense of cognitive dissonance, cultivate internal harmony, and generate self-compassion, I use an Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) framework with many clients. Given that a lot of trauma stems from systemic power imbalances, trauma, and narratives, I also use Narrative Therapy techniques in sessions.
Finally, I have received training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an evidence-based intervention that reprocesses traumatic events and experiences. This training has enhanced my ability to provide effective trauma treatment and has broadened the range of interventions I can offer to my clients.
In the therapy room, I work collaboratively with my clients to determine which interventions will be most effective for them. I believe that therapy should be a highly collaborative process, and I am always open to feedback and suggestions from them. My clients know that I regularly attend trainings, am working on several advanced certifications, and keep up on the latest trauma research as well.
If this sounds like a good fit
Danielle Palomares is a Registered AMFT 137663 supervised by Alejandro Sandoval, LMFT 89577
as an Associate of Sandoval Therapy
LINKS
LOCATION
Sandoval Therapy
491 South Marengo Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
