This is an article in my Catholic Healing Series, where I talk about the most prevalent mental health issues of our time, who the best thinkers are, what the theory is, and how to heal the issue. If you enjoy this, feel free to check out other articles or videos!
The Issue
Around 70% of people will experience a potentially traumatic life event in the course of a lifetime. Examples of potentially traumatic events are natural disasters, violence, accidents, serious health problems, death, abuse, racism, living in an unsafe environment, and more. There is an important distinction to make here. These events are potentially traumatic events, but what is trauma? Trauma is something that happens inside ourselves. When we go through events that are overwhelming and abhorrent, the result often is that emotions and thoughts surrounding the event do not fully process through our system. This “stuck information” is trauma. So, a person can go through a potentially traumatic event and not develop PTSD. That is to say, not every person who goes through a potentially traumatic event is traumatized. However, many people are traumatized, and healing from trauma is a pivotal part of many people’s lives and relationships.
The Thinkers
Dr. Gabor Mate is a physician who is one of the biggest thinkers in the field. While many of the top thinkers in other areas of healing are PhDs, many of the leaders in the field of trauma are medical doctors. As a person, Gabor Mate is soft spoken and thoughtful. He has had to heal from trauma himself and has struggled with workaholism as an addiction. This has led him to be compassionate in addition to clinical. As Catholics, we would say that he is unique in his focus on human dignity, although he might not use that term. Mate has identified that people who suffer from trauma feel disconnected, ashamed, and in pain. Trauma can impact personality. For example, Mate notes that people who have experienced trauma are more likely to shut down in the category of vulnerability, more likely to diminish the importance of their own needs, and more likely to have a negative view of the world. Finally, those who suffer from trauma can have a view of the world that is negatively distorted. These findings alone constitute the accomplishment of a lifetime. As I read through these symptoms of trauma, I can envision almost every client to whom I have spoken come to life before my eyes.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk is another physician who has done extensive study regarding trauma. More outspoken than Mate, van der Kolk can be eccentric and flamboyant. Certainly, he is brilliant. His studies have done a lot to help people understand how trauma impacts our physiology, our neurology, and our attachment, the way we form emotional bonds with others.
Dr. Arielle Schwartz, PhD is one of the leaders in the field when it comes to somatics, healing trauma’s impact on the body. She is one of the warmest practitioners in the field in terms of personality. She has a special gift for being soothing and connecting with others. She likely had to heal herself due to trauma early in life and discovered that the body often opens the gateway to healing. She is one of my favorite thinkers and her promotion of the body’s ability to lead the mind and soul in healing is ground breaking. She is not Catholic, but like many of the experts, her tools for healing easily are adaptable to Catholic approaches.
Lillian Gibson is one of the best when it comes to doing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy regarding Insomnia that is caused by trauma. She has a brilliant technical mind and is very detail oriented. Her personality reveals a lot about what is required to heal insomnia from trauma. A person needs to track everything with detail and make intentional changes in order to maximize sleep quantity and quality.
Dr. Richard Schwartz, PhD is the creator of Internal Family Systems therapy, which often is used to heal trauma. He began as a systematic family therapist and discovered that many of his techniques were effective with a person’s “internal family,” when a client is seen as having a series of parts or members. Richard Schwartz is calm, subdued, and thoughtful. Much of his approach has to do with creating a sense of safety and relaxation where parts of a client’s self are able to unburden and reintegrate. It is possible to see his sessions online, and the results are eye-popping. Internal Family Systems represents the greatest breakthrough that I have seen in therapy in the course of my life.
Dr. Stephen Porges, PhD is the developer of Polyvagal Theory. He is warm, intelligent, and engaging. Polyvagal Theory has revolutionized the world of trauma, because it identifies three states of the brain that are particularly relevant to trauma. The first is the ventral vagal, or socially engaged state. The second state is the dorsal vagal, or withdrawn state. Many people feel numb after repeated trauma and experience a sense of void. This is because they are living in the dorsal vagal state. The third state of the brain is hyperarousal. This is the state of fight or flight where people who have experienced trauma perceive people and situations as threats when triggered. Polyvagal Theory provides a language to describe living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as a framework for healing or managing the condition. There will be more on that to come!
One of the things that I love about trauma healing is that it represents a collaboration among thinkers of a wide range of backgrounds and personalities. Each thinker has a unique approach and personal makeup that assists in the solution of the greater problem. As Catholics, this is particularly exciting in terms of the concept of the Body of Christ. Each member of the trauma community has a unique role just as each Catholic has a unique role in the life of the Church.
Healing Trauma
Disclaimer: these are just some of the tools that can be used to heal Trauma. Also, I cannot guarantee healing or benefit. This entire article represents my opinions and applications of the tools, nothing more and nothing less. This article does not constitute medical, mental health, psychological, or other advice.
Healing Complex Trauma
Complex trauma results from enduring multiple traumatic events, usually in childhood. It has effects that are long-term. When trauma healing is discussed, it often is addressing complex trauma. In a discussion of how to heal complex trauma, I will discuss methodologies that address immediate needs first, and then I will move on to longer term methodologies and needs.
Often, a person who struggles with complex trauma experiences Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. These symptoms include re-experiencing the event, having nightmares or vivid dreams, sweating, heart palpitations, avoiding thoughts and situations that remind a person of the traumatic events, and negative thoughts and mood changes.
Step One involves not beginning with the mind, but with the body. Somatics can be used to promote muscular relaxation and integration. When a person is triggered with PTSD and also through the day, if possible, it helps to have a person focus on muscular relaxation. Butterfly tapping is one effective way to achieve this. There are many good videos for it on YouTube. Interoception also provides good options. Interoception helps people to understand their internal state, including physical sensations and emotions. A good way to practice interoception is to sit in a hard backed chair with feet flat on the floor. Close your eyes, relax, and breathe deeply. Identify the location in your body where you feel tension. What does that are of the body feel like? Is that part of the body communicating an emotion? If so, what emotion? Let your body know that you hear what it is saying, relax your muscles to the fullest and be totally present. Of course, this is a great time to pray and to invite God into the moment and to ask Him to help you understand what you are feeling and to calm. Additionally, integrative exercises like SoulCore and pilates are very helpful. Why focus on muscular relaxation? The reason is that when a person is triggered with PTSD, the brain is in a state of hyperarousal. The brain is stuck in fight or flight mode. Muscular relaxation is the solution to being stuck in hyperarousal. Where muscles are relaxed, it is impossible for the brain to remain stuck in fight or flight mode.
Step Two involves social connection. Most people who struggle with PTSD are isolated. Also, they tend to be stuck in hyperarousal (fight or flight mode) when triggered. Both the problem of isolation and the problem of hyperarousal can be solved by social connection. When a person is socially connected, she or he is no longer isolated. Additionally, when a person is socially connected, she or he is lifted out of the state of hyperarousal into the ventral vagal (socially connected) state of the brain. The ventral vagal (socially connected) state of the brain is the best state of the brain where a person is thoughtful, emotive, and engaged.
Step Three involves using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia if a person is struggling with sleep. Charting sleep patterns and identifying ways to increase sleep is very helpful. When does the person go to sleep? It is a good idea to be early to bed and early to rise. Ideally, most people need eight hours of sleep per night. Does the person practice good sleep hygiene (the best practices for good sleep)? If not, a person might benefit from keeping the bedroom cool, quiet, and dark. Also, a person might benefit from doing muscular relaxation exercises in the evening. Finally, avoiding electronics and screens within three hours of bedtime help. One pivotal tool for trauma and sleep issues is Image Rehearsal Therapy. Does the person suffer from a recurrent nightmare? If so, it can help the person to identify the nightmare. Then, the person should sit with it while awake. What does the person feel? Where in the body does she or he feel it? Is there anything that the person wants to do to unburden from that emotion? It can be helpful to envision giving negative emotions to Jesus. Then, the person can identify ways to change the dream. What are more positive things that could happen in the dream? Or is there something else that could change? What is the new emotion? A person can feel the new emotion in her or his body. If a person “rehearses” the dream several times throughout the day, especially around bedtime, it can be extremely helpful when it comes to avoiding nightmares, quantity of sleep, and quality of sleep.
Step Four involves using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to increase awareness of thoughts and to develop better thinking that leads to better feeling, which leads to better acting. It is helpful for a person to journal her or his thoughts. Is the person having thoughts that are unhelpful? Do they lead to actions that do not provide outcomes that the person desires? Are thoughts causing anxiety? It is helpful to identify the thought that a person is having and then to identify the better alternative thought. Sometimes, trauma negatively impacts the way that a person sees the world. Does she or he see herself or himself as the victim in many situations? Shifting out of the victim mindset can be essential when healing from trauma.
Step Five is where healing starts to go deep. It can be helpful to take an existentialist approach to healing that tells the story of traumatic experiences to discover meaning. What was the story? How did the person experience the events originally? With the perspective of age, does the person see the story differently now? Many traumatic experiences send the individual negative messages about herself or himself. Most of these messages are lies. Identify the lies. Then, identify the truth about the individual. Also, many traumatic experiences involve a perpetrator. What does the traumatic experience say about the perpetrator? Understanding this more fully is very therapeutic.
Step Six is where Internal Family Systems comes into play. Internal Family Systems divides the self into parts. The Conscious Self is the leader of the Internal Family System. It needs to form as deep a relationship with each part of the self as possible and to motivate them in positive directions. The Wounded Exile is the wounded part of the self that is sent away during trauma. It carries negative emotions that need to be unburdened and it needs to return to the Internal Family System and reintegrate. The Manager/Guardian is the part of the self that keeps the self safe. It protects. In the case of someone who has been through complex trauma, the person needs to dialogue between the Conscious Self and the Guardian. The Conscious Self needs to understand the Concerns of the Guardian, the Strategies that the Guardian uses to stay safe in relationships, and the Alternative Strategies that will allow a person to enter more deeply into relationships. A common aspect of a Guardian in the state of PTSD is that the Guardian is avoidant and/or hyper vigilant. A healed Guardian trusts the Conscious Self to make judgment calls about entering more deeply into relationships. A healed Guardian allows the self to relax. Once the Guardian is in a healthier state, it is important for the Conscious Self to dialogue with the Wounded Exile. How old is the Wounded Exile? What does the Wounded Exile look like? What is the Wounded Exile’s story? What emotions does the Wounded Exile carry? Where in the body does the person feel the negative emotions? What visualization does the Wounded Exile choose to unburden itself? It can envision giving the negative emotions to Jesus, or allowing them to vanish in the Light of Christ, for example. Often, when the Wounded Exile unburdens and reintegrates with the rest of the Internal Family System, the deepest healing occurs.
Acute Trauma
Acute Trauma refers to a single, sudden, and overwhelming event that causes significant physical, emotional, or psychological distress. Often, healing from Acute Trauma is easier than healing from Complex Trauma. Simply going back through the experience of the event with a focus on emotions is enough for some people to process through an Acute Trauma. That said, it is perfectly understandable if a person has been through Acute Trauma and has all of the symptoms of PTSD. If that is the case, then the person should feel welcome to go through the entire progression that allows people to heal or to manage PTSD.
Betrayal Trauma
Betrayal Trauma refers to the significant emotional distress experienced when someone’s trust is severely violated by a trusted person, often within a close relationship. Betrayal Trauma is a broad category. The most common type of betrayal trauma results from a spouse having an affair, either emotional or sexual. However, in the context of marriage, betrayal trauma can result from any dynamic where a spouse feels betrayed. For example, an addicted spouse may lie about an addiction, or a spouse may betray the other spouse by siding with family of origin in disputes. Finally, Betrayal Trauma can exist between any two close people, so spouses do not even need to be involved. In the Catholic world, people can experience Betrayal Trauma during spiritual abuse by a spiritual director.
When there is Betrayal Trauma in a marriage, an essential part of the process is having the betrayed spouse share her or his experience of what happened. It is the job of the offending spouse to empathize and to answer any reasonable questions. Also, transparency needs to be established. The betrayed spouse gets as much access as possible to be certain that future betrayal is being avoided. Finally, there needs to be restitution. What can the offending spouse do to make amends?
In terms of Internal Family Systems, someone who has experienced Betrayal Trauma likely has a Guardian/Manager who fears future betrayal and who favors hyper vigilance as a Strategy for staying safe. The Guardian/Manager needs to choose prudent judgment as an Alternative Strategy. Also, someone who has experienced Betrayal Trauma likely has a Wounded Exile who feels betrayal, rejection, shame, sadness, and anger. The Wounded Exile needs to unburden from these emotions.
Conclusion
Why does God allow people to experience trauma? The answer lies in a story that I like to tell from my childhood. On special occasions, my Mom would make sirloin steak when I was young. The sirloin steak was tough, so my Mom would take a two prong meat fork and jab the steak over and over. Then, she would sprinkle tenderizer on all of the meat. By the time she cooked up the steak, it was tender and delicious! In a lot of ways trauma is like that two prong fork and tenderizer for our hearts. When we go through deep pain, it makes us more likely to recognize pain in the lives of others and to take action to help them. This is the gift of trauma. Many of the best people in life have been through deep trauma. That is not a coincidence. The suffering of trauma draws us close to Christ and transforms us into people who can transform ourselves and others for eternity.
Resources:
Trauma Healing Basics has educational information on healing trauma: https://www.traumahealingbasics.org/
Is trauma preventing you from flourishing in your life and/or relationships? Reach out to the Catholic Healing Institute and Tom Weishaar for therapy from a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level II (CCTP-II)
Tom Weishaar, MA LPCC CCTP-II CCATP is the Founder and CEO of the Catholic Healing Institute. He lives in Steubenville, OH with his wife and three children.