Trauma Management

Coping With Adversity and Challenging Situations

WHAT IS TRAUMA MANAGEMENT

Trauma Management services help individuals and organizations to cope with the impact of traumatic events. A range of feelings are typical in a traumatic experience including anxiety, anger, depression, uncertainty and unpredictability, aggression and the feelings of loss. If managed and resolved, trauma can be an opportunity for growth and development. If not well managed, unresolved trauma can negatively affect individual and organizational wellbeing. At Dolly and Associates we utilize a range of methodologies in addressing trauma. One that we are particularly well known for is TIR.

What is Trauma Incident Reduction

Trauma Incident Reduction services, TIR is a rapid (compared to traditional therapy) method of effectively reducing traumatic stress from emotionally and/or physically painful events in the past. It involves re-experiencing past traumas in a completely safe environment, free of distractions, judgments, or interpretations. When something happens that is physically or emotionally painful, one has the option of either confronting it fully and feeling the pain, or trying in some way to block one’s awareness of it.

Why is TIR useful

TIR is highly effective in eliminating the negative effects of past traumatic incidents. It is especially useful when:

- A person has a specific trauma or set of traumas that has adversely affected them, whether or not they carry a formal definition of PTSD.
- A person reacts inappropriately or overreacts in certain situations, and it is thought that some past trauma might have something to do with it.
- A person experiences unaccountable or inappropriate negative emotions, either chronically or in response to certain experiential triggers.

Our Range of Services

Common Issues We Help You Address

- Re-experiencing the trauma
- Anxiety and fear
- Explosive Anger
- Recurrent nightmares
- Hypervigilance
- Guilt, shame, self-blame

- Unpredictability
- Aggression
- Feelings of loss
- Withdrawal from others
- Shock, denial, or disbelief
- Loss of interest

Our Range of Services

Common Issues We Help You Address

- Re-experiencing the trauma
- Anxiety and fear
- Explosive Anger
- Recurrent nightmares
- Hypervigilance
- Guilt, shame, self-blame

- Unpredictability
- Aggression
- Feelings of loss
- Withdrawal from others
- Shock, denial, or disbelief
- Loss of interest

How We Can Help You

Our therapists are trained to assess and intervene with trauma related issues. We support individuals and teams in addressing the traumatic event. When an entire unit or organization has been affected by an event, our team of professionals conduct Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Sessions (CISD), usually at the workplace. CISDs help to process the event and its meaning and to create opportunity for a return to equilibrium. Where the trauma is deeply personally experienced, that person will work on a one-to-one basis with a therapist to resolve the trauma. We provide a caring, non-judgemental, safe and confidential environment to support you through to resolution.

Benefits of CISD

There are 3 main goals of a CISD, namely:

- Lower the tension and mitigate the group’s reaction to a traumatic event.
- Facilitate and accelerate the natural recovery process.
- Identify employees within the group who may be in need of additional counselling support. Most EAPs provide this type of support and referral can be made for this support.

Depressed, Anxious, Need Help. We’re here to help.

5 Key Tips To Trauma Healing

Trauma often overwhelms an individual’s normal coping mechanisms and the person may feel disconnected and unwound. Healing from trauma takes time, support and courage. It can be difficult to know how to help someone who has suffered from a trauma but your support is very important in their recovery. Here are some tips that help.

Understand the impact of trauma and be patient

Healing from trauma takes time. Remember that everyone responds differently to the experience of trauma. Healing requires the reconnection of mind, body and spirit. Be patient with the pace of recovery.

Offer Support

Often, practical support is necessary to help with the healing process. Providing meals, helping with house work, taking the person to medical visits – all of these are practical supports that help in the return to normal functioning. Encourage (not pressure) the person to seek professional help.

Listen to understand

Be available if the person wants to talk. Listen to understand versus fix it for them. Don’t pressure them to talk but establish that you are there.

Establish a support network

Develop a support network of family and friends around your person. Share the responsibility of supporting. Also encourage your person to do things they enjoyed with the group or subsets of the group. Don’t be discouraged if your plans or ideas are met with a lack of enthusiasm. It takes baby steps at times.

Don't take it persoally

Don’t take the trauma symptoms personally. Symptoms such as anger, irritability, withdrawal, dis-interest are part of the trauma response and may have nothing to do with you.