Tag: trauma

What NOT to Say to Sexual Assault Victims

In the wake of the #metoo movement, the highly publicized cases of Brock Turner, Harvey Weinstein, and Brett Kavanaugh have evoked thousands of men and women to come forward and share their stories of sexual assault. Sharing about the incident with someone you trust can be helpful, but only if the response is one of belief, support, and non-judgment. It is important to know what to say — or what NOT to say — to someone who has shared a history of sexual assault.

Recognizing Mental Health Challenges in Military Families

This Veteran’s Day, we thank and honor all who have selflessly served to protect our country and defend our freedom. We also take this time to recognize and highlight the unique stressors affecting service members and their families. Pre-deployment training and preparation, deployment, as well as reintegration can affect not only the service member, but his/her spouse and family. Knowing how to support yourself and your loved ones can seem daunting, but we are here to help.

Understanding Race-Based Stress

When it relates to mental health, terms such as “trauma-informed care” are now part of the lexicon in supporting youth and vulnerable populations. Various types of trauma can affect everyone differently and can have profound negative emotional, mental, and physical effects on the brain and body. One focus area in trauma-informed care at Sunstone Counseling is race-based stress, which are symptoms that individuals experience after being exposed to distressing or life-threatening experiences, such as systemic racism or discrimination.

Understanding PTSD: You Are Not Alone

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can originate from experiencing or witnessing any number of frightening or distressing events, such as a serious accident, a natural disaster, combat or a violent assault, or personal abuse or harassment. If you’re living with PTSD, you may feel as though you’re destined to deal with these symptoms forever. But treatment is possible, and you do not have to bear this burden alone. 

3 Therapy Approaches for Childhood Trauma

Whether it’s physical or sexual abuse, emotional neglect, homelessness, or the sudden loss of a loved one, childhood trauma leaves a lasting impact on the child and even the adult they grow into. Here are 3 therapeutic approaches to help children – and adults – process and heal from trauma.