Trauma changes everything about us, including our perception of ourselves and our place in the world. Judy Crane explains this truth about trauma in The Trauma Heart: We Are Not Bad People Trying to Be Good, We Are Wounded People Trying to Heal–Stories of Survival, Hope, and Healing. Trauma, as Crane defines it, is “any life event or series of life events or ongoing life events that create a negative impact on your life that changes or distorts your vision of yourself and your place in the world.” Crane emphasizes that everyone’s trauma is different. Even when two people experience the same traumatic event, their response to that trauma will vary significantly and the impact that trauma has on them will also significantly vary.
A changed sense of self can result in a changed narrative inside the mind. Often, survivors of trauma develop a critical inner voice which is debilitating and demeaning. People can feel as though they are the only ones on earth suffering from these thoughts and ideas in their head, over which they feel they have no control. Judy Crane explains that it is an empowering moment when people realize their experience of trauma is different from others, but that most people experience trauma. Their life has been impacted, as has everyone else’s. The journey to healing is unique, but shared.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a leading therapeutic application for healing trauma, particularly the critical inner voice. By working with a goal setting approach, cognitive behavioral therapy can target the critical inner voice specifically. Therapists trained in CBT help patients recognize their autonomy in their thoughts. First, there is an awareness that the thoughts exist and that they can be changed. Next is investigating where the thoughts come from and how they affect behavior. Realizing the power of these thoughts and their origin, a CBT patient is able to make changes.
We don’t often realize that our critical voices come from somewhere related to our trauma. Our voices could be the voice of our abuser, or a voice we’ve created in response to our trauma, or even a voice that came from an unsuspecting place.
We’re proud to call Florida our home state. At The Guest House Ocala, everyone with an experience of trauma is welcomed to our estate to heal in mind, body, and spirit. Our treatment programs are customized on a concierge level of care. Each client’s treatment program is tailor fit to their specific needs and experiences. For information on life at the estate or our approach to trauma care, call us today: 1-855-483-7800