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Why Doctors and Nurses are Experiencing Symptoms of PTSD During COVID

By: Jessica Taylor, LPC Here’s Why More Doctors and Nurses are Experiencing Symptoms of PTSD During COVID COVID-19 Is Taking a Toll on All of Us Almost all of us have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in significant ways. Countless people have lost their jobs and are currently worrying about how to pay their bills and feed their family. Others have struggled with the disease themselves and continue to experience residual symptoms. Far too many of us have watched friends and family succumb to the disease. Then there are the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers who have experienced these impacts in their personal lives while also having to confront the disease every day while they are at work. Studies have shown that in general, the rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in healthcare providers range between 10 and 20%. In addition, this number gets larger in healthcare providers working in ICU environments, with the rate going up to 30%. These numbers are based on the experience of healthcare providers, such as doctors and nurses, during times where there was no pandemic. We are still very much in the thick of treating COVID-19, so only time and more research will show us the psychological impacts that this devastating pandemic has had on our healthcare workers. How Trauma is Defined To experience symptoms of PTSD, one much first be exposed to a traumatic event. We often only think of trauma in terms of an experience where we feel our life, or someone else’s life is in danger (i.e. a car accident or being robbed). But the experience of trauma can also be classified as “an extreme state of uncertainty and confusion…(which) violates our expectations about our life and world (Mock, 2020).” It is an easy assumption to make that treating patients of COVID-19, and the associated death rate of those patients, is out of the realm of what most healthcare providers expected to experience during their professional tenure. Symptoms of PTSD The DSM-5 groups the symptoms of PTSD into five categories, which are listed below. If you believe that you may be struggling with symptoms of PTSD, read each section carefully and assess whether this is what you are experiencing. The Experience of a Traumatic Event If you are a healthcare worker treating COVID-19 patients, you are being exposed to trauma almost constantly. You are in a high-risk situation for multiple hours a day, are witnessing patients become extremely ill and/or pass away and are also watching your colleagues experience the same. This is trauma. Intrusion (re-experiencing) Do you experience intrusive memories and/or dreams of specific traumatic experiences? Do experience flashbacks where you feel as though you are back in the traumatic experience? Do you experience psychological distress and/or physiological reactions to reminders of traumatic experiences? Avoidance Do you do things to try to avoid having memories of traumatic experiences? Do you avoid external stimuli that remind you of traumatic experiences? Significant Impacts on Cognition and Mood Do you struggle to remember aspects of specific traumatic events? Are you holding onto negative beliefs about yourself, others and/or the world (ie: “The world is a dangerous place.”)? Are you blaming yourself or others? Do you experience persistent negative emotions such as fear, anger, or guilt? Are you finding that you are not interested in engaging in activities that you once enjoyed? Do you feel isolated or estranged from others? Do you feel as though you are unable to experience positive emotions? Significant Increase in Reactivity Are you experiencing more irritability and anger on a regular basis? Are you struggling to fall and/or stay asleep? Do you have trouble staying focused? Do you feel more hypervigilant and/or become startled more often? What is Acute Stress Disorder? Acute Stress Disorder is when you are experiencing the signs and symptoms of PTSD, but you experienced the traumatic event associated to their symptoms less than a month ago. If you are experiencing Acute Stress Disorder and your symptoms go untreated, they will likely then meet the criteria necessary for a diagnosis of PTSD. Risk Factors for Healthcare Providers Treating COVID-19 Patients Here are some factors that might put you at a greater risk for experiencing symptoms of PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic: Frequency of Exposure to Traumatic Experiences If you are a healthcare working, offering direct care to COIVD-19 patients, you are most likely experiencing something traumatic every time you go to work (although, remember that it might not feel traumatic in-the-moment, because your body and brain are in “survival mode.”) No Time to Process Experiences One of the most important coping skills when experiencing trauma is speaking about those experiences out loud to someone else (preferably a trained professional). If you are a doctor or nurse that is consistently experiencing a new trauma each day at work, chances are that you have not yet had the chance to adequately process through these experiences. Sleep Issues Due to Shift Work. Sleep issues are extremely common with individuals doing shift work. But these sleep issues are bound to worsen if you are plagued with reoccurring memories of past traumas and intrusive thoughts about current sick patients. Relational Coping Skills Are Not Available Maybe you used to blow off steam from the stress of work by going to a fitness class or meeting friends for dinner. For most of us, these experiences are now high-risk and unavailable to us. It would make sense if, because of this, you are struggling to find new ways of coping with the constant stress at work. What You Should Do If You Are Struggling with Symptoms of PTSD Just as you provide medical attention to those in need, there are professionals waiting to help you overcome the psychological impacts of this pandemic. Studies have shown that just talk therapy alone, with a licensed mental health provider, is extremely helpful in lessoning the frequency, intensity, and duration of symptoms of PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder. Taking the time to care

Burnout Among Doctors and Nurses Due to COVID-19 is Climbing—Here’s Why

What Is Burnout and How is it Affecting Healthcare Workers? The ICD-11 defines burnout as: “a syndrome (that results from) chronic workplace stress…that has not been successfully managed.” The three most common impacts of burnout are: lack of motivation and exhaustion, negative thoughts and feelings about one’s job, and being less effective in job role. Due to the overwhelming impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, research proves that burnout is running rampant among doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. Mental Health America (MHA) completed a survey with healthcare workers to assess their mental health while working through the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this survey are worrisome. Out of the 1,119 individuals surveyed, 93% said that they were suffering with general feelings of stress. 76% said that they were experiencing exhaustion and burnout. These statistics show the truth: we need to acknowledge the long reaching impact of this pandemic on our healthcare workers and work on finding ways to combat these issues so that they are able to continue caring for their patients to the best of their ability. Maybe you are healthcare worker wondering if what you are experiencing is burnout. If so, continue reading to learn the signs of and factors that are contributing to burnout, and how to cope. Signs of Burnout in Healthcare Workers If you are a healthcare worker and wondering if what you are experiencing is burnout, ask yourself these questions. Constantly feeling tired, even when getting enough sleep Are you feeling exhausted most of the day? Does your body feel heavy? Do you notice that you are consuming more caffeine or sugar to keep yourself going? Feeling overworked and/or underappreciated Are you having to work longer hours and/or more shifts? Are you starting to feel resentful because it seems like no one is noticing how hard you are working? Dreading going to work Do you feel a sense of dread or experience symptoms of anxiety the day before or the day of going to work? Compassion fatigue Have you noticed that you are struggling to feel empathy or compassion toward your patients (and others)? Factors That Are Contributing to Burnout in Doctors and Nurses The general state of the world is concerning. Living during a pandemic is stressful for most of us, but our healthcare workers are undoubtedly shouldering most of the burden as they care for our sick and dying loved ones. Fear of contracting COVID-19 and/or exposing family and friends. There are too many stories about doctors and nurses feeling as though they need to isolate themselves away from their immediate family members for fear of exposing them to the virus. Isolation from loved ones only compounds any symptoms of anxiety and depression that are arising from the experiences of treating COVID-19 patients. Hospitals are short-staffed, which means longer hours. Longer hours and more shifts mean less sleep. Less time with family. Less time to engage in self-care activities. What to do if you are experiencing burnout Set boundaries when possible. Ask yourself whether there is room to ask for time off from work. Ask your family to let you have some solo “unwind time” when you get home from your shift. Attend to your basic needs. Are getting enough (quality) sleep? It helps to have a set bedtime that allows for an adequate number of hours of sleep. At least 30 minutes before bed, put all screens away and engage in relaxing activity. Take a hot shower, read a (non-stressful) book, or listen to a guided meditation. How are your eating habits? A busy schedule might not always allow for cooking fancy meals, but just try to consume whole foods when possible. Also consider your water intake, how much you are moving each day, and whether you are using any unhealthy coping skills. Practice self-care. You are spending so much of your time caring for others, but it is important that no matter how busy your schedule becomes, you are still finding time to engage in activities that you enjoy in hopes of ‘recharging’ between work shifts. Self-care looks like calling a friend, doing a craft, or taking a yoga class. Find ways to feel hopeful about the future. There will be a time in the future when you will feel better. Allow yourself to get excited about that time and plan what you will do. What friend will you go get lunch with first? Do you want to take a trip? Ask for emotional support. Allow others to care for you. Engaging in talk therapy is an effective way to release some of those anxious thoughts you have had pent up. You don’t need to cope with your experience of burnout by yourself. A therapist will provide a non judgmental space for you to vent, and then figure out how to move forward. By: Jessica Taylor, LPC

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About PTSD

What is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event of some sort. Experiencing it yourself can be just as traumatizing as witnessing it. Any event, or series of events that overwhelms you with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness and leaves you emotionally shattered, can trigger PTSD. This may happen especially if the event feels unpredictable and uncontrollable. Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping with the things they have been through, but with time and good self-care, they usually can get better on their own. But if the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD can start right after experiencing a traumatic event, but it is also normal to start a few weeks later or in some cases even after several years. Survivor’s guilt can be a direct result of a traumatic event that causes PTSD. The Columbine school shooting here in Denver for example has impacted many, many people and one case was described in this article. The mother of one shooting survivor who died by suicide shared her daughter’s PTSD and survivor guilt. The father of the young Columbine victim had struggled with prolonged grief over 6 years after his daughter’s death, according to his wife. How do I know if I have PTSD? PTSD is diagnosed when symptoms last longer than one month. It is very important to seek professional help as soon as possible to prevent the symptoms from getting more intense. Symptoms of PTSD include the following: Trouble sleeping and/or concentrating Unwanted and distressing flashbacks to the event Unprovoked anger and aggressive behavior Feeling detached from family and friends Negative thoughts and a feeling of hopelessness about yourself, others and the world in general Avoiding memories of the traumatic event Self destructive behavior, such as dangerous driving, using drugs, alcohol abuse etc. How to treat PTSD One form of treatment is behavioral therapy, called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR incorporates elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic, left-right stimulation, such as hand taps or sounds. These techniques work by “unfreezing” the brain’s information processing system, which is interrupted in times of extreme stress. Here at Thrive Counseling in Denver, you can connect with Julia Hofman, if you are looking for a therapist that is trained in EMDR. Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy is another form of treatment and involves gradually “exposing” yourself to feelings and situations that remind you of the trauma, and replacing distorted and irrational thoughts about the experience with a more balanced picture. Recovery from PTSD is a gradual, ongoing process. Healing doesn’t happen overnight, nor do the memories of the trauma ever disappear completely. Here are some ways to cope with PTSD in a positive way: Learn about trauma and PTSD Join a support group Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation or focused deep breathing Talk about your symptoms to a person you trust Spend time with positive people Avoid alcohol and drugs Spend some time in nature (for relaxation, seclusion and peace) Exercise (the released endorphins can improve your mood and general outlook) Volunteer – this is a great way to connect to others in a positive way and regain your sense of control and self worth Choose healthy foods – Omega 3s play a vital role in emotional health so incorporate foods such as fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts into your diet. Limit processed food, fried food, refined starches, and sugars, which can exacerbate mood swings and cause fluctuations in your energy Focus on getting enough restful sleep A recent article by the Denver Post revealed that first responders are a group that is especially impacted by PTSD due to the traumatic nature of their jobs. Seven first responders from different departments in Denver have committed suicide in the last two years – which is seven times the national average. The departments are reacting and offering more mental health awareness and education. If you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD or need to work through a trauma of any kind, please reach out to a therapist. We here at Thrive Counseling offer free consultations and all of our therapists are trained in and have experience with working with clients who have experienced trauma.

To Move Past Your Past, Visit It.

I had a therapy session today with a brave and insightful young woman who is working hard to get past her past. She was sexually abused as a child, and she wants to move on from it. She says that it haunts her, and that she can’t stop thinking about the past. I was reminded today during our session one of important pillar of the work I do in counseling to get people to move on from their past; that to leave it behind, we actually need to re-visit it. Not being able to stop thinking about the past can be a sign of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It can also be a sign of just having a difficult time in your life, or feeling ‘stuck’ in general. Usually we try to cope with this by stuffing it down, telling ourselves to stop thinking about it, or focusing only on the present. Unfortunately, this way of coping doesn’t usually work in the long-term. We may be able to “forget about it” for a while, but it comes up again, often at the most inopportune times. Like when we want to start a new relationship, or be intimate with a partner, or even when things are finally “going right.” That’s when the past can come knocking. Today I was leading my client in a mindfulness exercise to prepare us for doing her trauma work; which for her is talking about her memories of abuse while I help her self-regulate, be calm, and integrate her feelings. This is hard work, and one of her fears about doing counseling is that he will get “stuck” in the past by talking about it. She’s worried that the bad feelings from the past will seep into the present and overpower her (sound familiar?) While we were doing a little meditation together, I reminded her that we visit the past, but we don’t live there. We set an intention together to be visit her past, explore it together, and then come back to the present together as well. It reminded me of one of the core prinicples od trauma treatment; that to move past your past, you have to visit it once again. So if you are struggling with constant thoughts about your past, or feel ‘stuck’ with it, try to visit it from time to time. Here’s what I recommend: Set a time and place that feels calm and you won’t be interrupted to visit your past. Set a time limit for yourself to do this, so it doesn’t feel never-ending (15-20 minutes is fine) Spent that time visiting the past by journaling about it, looking at pictures taken at that time, or making an art project or collage about it. While you’re doing this, try to stay with any uncomfortable feelings that come up (it’s hard, I know). If you feel overwhelmed, take a break. When your time is up, put away your journal, pictures, or art and spend a few minutes coming back to the present. Notice your own breathing or do a quick mindfulness meditation. Move on to the next activity that’s engaging for you. Remember that it’s a process. The first few times you visit the past it may be difficult, but over time it will become easier. Stick with it.

If Your Loved One was Sexually Assault -Therapist in Denver here to help

If Your Loved One was Sexually Assaulted-Be The Encourager

Healing from trauma is hard work. It’s exhausting and taxing. As a supporter, you can help by encouraging the survivor to continue doing their work of healing while validating how difficult the process is. Sometimes we all need a word of encouragement to continue down an uncomfortable path. Make time to encourage the survivor in your life, letting them know they can do it and that you have faith in them. Here are some things to say to encourage the survivor in your life: You’re doing a great job, I can’t imagine who difficult this must be for you. I know it’s hard to do this healing work, keep at it. I saw that you used that new coping tool you learned in your group, great job. How can I help you to stay on your healing path? Can I help you find a therapist to talk through this? You seem overwhelmed but you’re doing a great job right now, let’s slow things down and talk about it. If your Loved One has stopped their healing process As a trauma therapist, I know first-hand that healing is really hard work, and sometimes people ‘drop out’ of their process. They could stop seeing their therapist, stop going to their group, stop utilizing coping tools and turn to unhelpful ones such as using substances to ‘numb out’ or shutting down their feelings. It happens, and it’s scary for those who love them and only want to see them get better. As the Encourager, you can support them by helping them re-enter their healing process and remind them of the progress that you see when they are working on these things. When the survivor is in their healing process, it can be difficult to see their progress, so make sure that you are reminding them in concrete ways of how their work is helping and encourage them to continue. Be their cheerleader, they need one right now.

How Can I stop Thinking About the Past?

Whether you’re finding yourself thinking too much about the past, or obsessing over upsetting memories, it’s difficult to “get over” the past and live in the present. Part of the reason that it’s so difficult to stop ruminating about the past is due to how our brains are wired. Specific memories, feelings and thought patterns often arrange themselves together if they coalesce around a past event. There’s a saying in brain science that goes: What fires together, gets wired together. This basically means that we create well-worn “paths” in the neural structures of our brains that we can get caught in. Once we start thinking about one thing, it leads to the next and so on and on. Here are some concrete tools to stop thinking about the past: Notice when you are thinking too much about the past. Pay attention to where your mind is. If you’re obsessing about the past, say to yourself “I’m obsessing again, and I’m working on letting this stuff go.” 2. Use an Interruption Technique. This is where you jolt your mind out of the obsessive pattern by thinking about something else, moving your body around, giving your brain a new task (such as solving a simple math problem), or even singing to interrupt the ruminating on the past. 3. Re-write the story of the past event. Take a more balanced view of the past event and re-frame it as something both good and bad, not simply something bad that happened that you can beat yourself up over. For example, you could re-frame a job firing as: “I didn’t do well in that job, but I did learn new skills and I know what to work on in my next job.”

If Your Loved One is Sexually Assaulted-Be the Encourager

If your loved one is sexually assaulted, you might now know what to do. For example, your girlfriend may be raped, or your boyfriend opens up and tells you that he was molested as a child. A friend may tell you in hushed tones that she was sexually assaulted by a friend or someone she was dating. I get asked often what do to if your loved one is sexually assaulted, and one important thing to do is to remember your role with them. One of your roles is to encourage them- Be an Encourager. Healing from trauma is hard work. It’s exhausting and taxing. As a supporter, you can help by encouraging the survivor to continue doing their work of healing while validating how difficult the process is. Sometimes we all need a word of encouragement to continue down an uncomfortable path. Make time to encourage the survivor in your life, letting them know they can do it and that you have faith in them. Here are some things you can say to encourage your loved one if they are sexually assaulted: I can see how hard this is, and I’m proud of you I bet it was really hard to go to therapy today Thank you for telling me how I can help you in this moment You’re doing a good job taking care of yourself-you must be exhuasted I see all your hard work to heal, I see your progress even if you can’t right now

If Your Loved One is Sexually Assaulted: Be The Listener-Not The Fixer

Most loved ones ask me about the single most important thing they can do to help a survivor. My answer is always the same: you need to be a listener. It sounds very simple, but it’s a difficult task to simply listen and not try to “fix” anything. When someone we love is in pain, it’s natural to try to bring them out of that pain or help them identify the cause. Just like the survivor is learning to practice acceptance and to simply be with their emotions, your job is to listen and validate how they feel. When you focus on being a “fixer,” the survivor is often left feeling unheard and frustrated. When listening to your loved one, be sure to communicate that you are hearing them and validate their feelings. You can say things like: That must be very hard to deal with. I would feel the same way in your situation. I can see where you are coming from. That must be difficult, and I want you to know that I hear you and I’m here for you. If you find yourself being pulled into “fixer mode,” and you do want to make a suggestion, make sure that you ask first. You can always help your loved one to problem-solve while avoiding invalidating them. You can say, “I hear you and I wonder if you want some help with this? I could give you some suggestions but I want to make sure that would feel okay for you.”

3 Reasons Why Trauma Counseling Will Help You

There are events that happen to us in life that we can’t handle ourselves. These events often overcome our daily life, making us depressed, hopeless, and powerless to even get out of bed in the morning. Trauma can make it harder to live life, be happier, and see the good in everything around us. If you’re the victim of a traumatic event, trauma counseling will help you by working through the trauma and finding ways to cope with it so you can live a normal life. 3 Reasons Why Trauma Counseling Will Help You Live Life Help Alleviate and Deal with Flashbacks One of the hardest aspects of dealing with trauma is reliving the events repeatedly. These are called flashbacks. Flashbacks can be triggered by similar events or reminders of the trauma; they can come at any moment, often at the worst times when you’re at school, work, or out in public. These flashbacks can shut you down, making it impossible to go on with what you’re doing. Trauma counseling can help alleviate flashbacks and learn how to deal with them when they strike. These coping skills can help you live a more normal daily life as well as confront the trauma head-on to overcome it. Help You Function in Day-to-Day Life Trauma can make it hard to get out of bed in the morning, participate in conversations, or just get through a single day. Depression, lack of sleep, anxiety, hopelessness, and more can manifest from trauma which can make it hard to feel like your normal self. This can impact everything from your education to your work to your relationships with family and friends. Trauma counseling can help you develop coping skills for the aftermath of trauma, like overcoming flashbacks. You’ll be able to talk through your fears, identify triggers, and develop the skills to confront negative feelings and anxiety. Help You Form and Maintain Relationships When you’re dealing with a traumatic event, the way you’re coping often hurts the relationships you’ve built. This makes it even harder to have the support system you need around you to deal with trauma. While you aren’t intentionally trying to destroy your relationships, the symptoms your trauma takes on as you’re dealing with it can make you moody, angry, or withdrawn. When the people around you don’t understand that, it will be hard to form and maintain relationships. Trauma counseling can help you identify how you’re interacting with the people around you and what you could be doing differently. It can also help you learn how to talk to the important people in your life so they understand and are aware of what you’re going through. There’s many more reasons why trauma counseling will help you overcome the event in your life that’s making it difficult for you to live a normal life. If you’re dealing with trauma and need help, consider a trauma counselor to get you on the right track and develop the coping skills you need to get back on track.

3 Signs You May Be Suffering from PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common mental illnesses in the world. PTSD occurs after witnessing or being involved in a traumatic event. It manifests in a variety of ways, including flashbacks, uncontrollable thoughts, nightmares, and depression. These symptoms often get worse over time becoming debilitating to those who aren’t getting help to overcome it. Let’s look at three of the most common signs of PTSD so you can begin fighting back. 3 Signs You May Suffer from PTSD There are two main types of symptoms of PTSD: Emotional and physical. Emotional symptoms present in a variety of ways, such as intense guilt, worry, depression, and feeling emotionally numb to the world around you. Physical symptoms also present in different ways, like headaches, sleeplessness, heart flutters, and tension throughout the body. Three of the biggest signs you may suffer from PTSD include: Re-experiencing the traumatic event Avoiding reminders of the event Increased emotional arousal and anxiety Re-experiencing the traumatic event and avoiding reminders of the event are the two big indicators you may be suffering from PTSD. By going out of the way to avoid triggers that make you relive the event, you’re affecting telling your brain you don’t want to deal with it. From there, your mind and body begin “dealing” with it in other ways, which leads to other emotional and physical symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Increased emotional arousal and anxiety will manifest, too. This can include angry outbursts, feeling suicidal, and extreme anxiety in even the easiest of circumstances. Other symptoms to look at for when suffering from PTSD include physical aches and pains, substance abuse, hopelessness, feelings of mistrust, and guilt or shame. PTSD can have short-term and long-term effects for sufferers. It’s important to determine if you need help after a traumatizing event, even if you’re not presenting emotional or physical symptoms. By going into therapy or on medication from the beginning, you can begin to learn the coping skills you need to overcome issues that arise from symptoms of PTSD.

4 Signs you may have PTSD

Here’s the four questions. Ask yourself these, and if you answered ‘yes’ to 3 or more, you may be suffering from PTSD

What Is Trauma Therapy for PTSD?

What Is Trauma Therapy for PTSD? I say these words so often I forget they are a mystery to many. It sounds fairly scary and honestly, at times, it certainly is. Let’s first examine the definition of trauma before moving into the world of what it means to heal from it through therapy. Since you could read a definition on Wikipedia of trauma, here is my simple one. Trauma sucks. It hurts and it sucks. Trauma is inevitable for all human beings, but suffering does not have to be a part of the equation. Trauma is something our brains and bodies have not learned to process; it’s an unwanted visitor demanding all of our attention and we simply have none left to spare. It hijacks our nervous systems so strongly; it often manifests life-challenging symptoms and disorders such as PTSD. What is PTSD? PTSD stands for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. This disorder is common for anyone, but just because you have been traumatized, does not mean you will experience PTSD. PTSD must include various symptoms such as re-experiencing the trauma though nightmares and flashbacks or avoiding the trauma through feeling disconnected and disassociated to name just a few. These symptoms are not choices, just like the trauma experienced was not of your choosing. Trauma impacts every single aspect of our lives; our connection with ourselves, our bodies, our various relationships, and the world around us. Whether it’s a car accident, losing someone we love, a divorce, being psychically, sexually or verbally abused, trauma does not discriminate. It impacts us all. The good news? There’s a cure. And it is called therapy. Trauma focused therapy has been proven time and time again to help us reconnect with all which was once lost during or after the traumatic event occurred. I want to describe what I mean by cure. Therapy is not like a pill that makes all of the pain disappear. It is more like a weekly massage; bringing awareness and intention to the places that hurt and slowly, safely working it out of our being. Trauma therapists skilled in their knowledge of trauma’s impact on one’s whole self, help the survivor first understand their symptoms and then find tools and skills to decrease and hopefully, eliminate them; like finding the knot in our muscle and targeting it with treatment for release. Doing trauma therapy is vulnerable and very brave. Being in the role of trauma therapist, I have witnessed this bravery take place before my very eyes and let me tell you, it is beautiful. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.