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Trauma

How do you define trauma?

Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like a death in the family, family separation, divorce, accident, rape, and sexual abuse. After a traumatic event, shock, denial, anxiety and depression can set in. This is a way of our body and mind alerting us to the devastating incident.

How do I know I am experiencing trauma?

Flashbacks of a particular event in question are the most obvious signs you are dealing with trauma.

Symptoms of trauma are:

  • Shock, denial, or disbelief.
  • Confusion, difficulty concentrating.
  • Anger, irritability, mood swings.
  • Anxiety and fear.
  • Guilt, shame, self-blame.
  • Withdrawing from others.
  • Feeling sad or hopeless.

How do I deal with trauma in a healthy way?

It's important to have a healthy support structure by identifying with family and friends. Dr Bosman will assist by strengthening your family support structure when acknowledging the negative emotions from the traumatic event.

Dr Bosman utilises Brainspotting and talk therapy to gather more information about the traumatic event. Brainspotting is a relatively modern psychological technique that allows patients to move through their subconscious to access painful memories from the past. The therapist, David Grand, was the first mental health professional to develop Brainspotting by working with trauma survivors. The approach is (largely) very effective for several mental health concerns

Using a pointer, Dr Bosman helps redirect your eyes to tap into negative emotions due to trauma from the event. This is done to locate specific “brain spots" accessed through particular eye positioning that activate traumatic emotions.

What are the risks involved when living with unresolved trauma?

There are severe repercussions involved when trauma is not dealt with. Trauma is instead stored in the body, and as a result, the brain’s functions change. Physical symptoms can therefore manifest from this, and as a result, you may experience nausea and headaches.

How can Dr Bosman help?

Dr Bosman will first encourage you to confront your emotions and help you prioritise self-care. However, the issues need to be dealt with first to avoid unnecessary pressure.

Dealing with trauma involves going through the five stages (Kubler-Ross model) of it: denying the state of trauma, getting angry over the incident, imagining what you could have done to stop the event from happening, getting depressed over the incident and finally, accepting what happened.

Through Brainspotting and other resolution techniques, Dr Bosman will help you come to terms with the traumatic event and accept the situation for what it is. Of course, the recovery process is gradual, so it takes time to heal from trauma, but there is still hope that one day you will be free from this terrible cycle of grief.



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Dr Bosman offers support in a relaxed atmosphere and a safe environment
where you can feel comfortable to deal with problems without being judged.
Dr Bosman offers therapy in both Afrikaans and English.