Trauma

The past doesn’t always stay in the past

If you’ve experienced trauma or a traumatic event, the impact can linger.

Fear. Flashbacks. Nightmares. Panic attacks. Irritability. Difficulty sleeping. Avoiding places or situations which could trigger the memories.

The effects are wide ranging and differ from person to person.

But they can make you feel like you’re a shadow of your former self. Like your mind is a prison. Or that you’ll never be happy again.

But it’s not easy when something as seemingly innocent as a smell or a sound can instantly transport you back. And you’re feeling the same emotions again. Or if going to sleep is anything but restful.

There are strategies to help you. You don’t have to stay trapped by the traumatic events forever.

You don’t have to do it on your own.

“It was nice to be able to talk about all things I had bottled up over the years both in the past and the present. Lindsey let me talk about anything and listened and talked to me to try and make sense of how I was feeling. I never felt pressured by her and she let me go at my own pace.”

Client E

Teign Talk: Trauma counselling in Teignmouth

Hi, I'm Lindsey.

I’m a trauma counsellor in Teignmouth, Devon. (Want to know more about me? Find out more here Lindsey Brown, trauma counselling in Teignmouth)

Life can be extremely difficult at times. When you’ve experienced* an event or situation that’s stressful, frightening or distressing, it’s completely normal to have a reaction to it.

(*And it might not have happened to you directly, it might have been your community.)

But sometimes the reactions and emotions take over. And sometimes behaviour that was supposed to help you feel better might actually be keeping you stuck and from living a full life.

When you talk about your struggles, you lighten your load

My office (or Zoom room) provides a safe space where you can talk about and process all the different emotions you’re carrying around the trauma. We’ll examine your coping strategies and decide if they are still helpful and useful to you.

I don’t judge. I’m here to listen. And help.

I have experience of working with people who have experienced many types of trauma including bereavement, abuse, serious illness events like a heart attack, finding a person who has taken their life.

“It was cathartic to be able to talk everything through with someone who doesn't know the context, but who has an intelligent understanding of the issues so the empathy feels meaningful. Lindsey then took me through lines of thinking that I hadn't considered myself, which was the push I needed out of the rut I'd dug in how I thought and felt about it previously.”

Client A