trauma and neglect 

Trauma and neglect are ever increasing challenges faced by many Restoring Lives Counseling clients.  Today, my (Jeff’s) 11-year-old son asked me why I was reading a book on trauma.  With little hesitation I replied, “because a lot of people are trying to overcome it and I need to constantly keep myself prepared for the journey with them.” He just tilted his head like a bewildered Labrador.  

Confronting trauma and neglect takes a mountain of courage and we’re no strangers to this.  At Restoring Lives Counseling we work hard everyday to create an environment safe enough for you to unfold and face your past bit-by-bit with trust and confidence.  We are guides to healing.  We’ve found freedom of our own and have been trained to help others do the same.  

While we can’t change what happened to (or didn’t happen for) you, we can certainly teach/help you to learn to cope with and manage the overwhelming emotional aftermath it caused.  The sensations, memories, disruptive physical reactions, disturbing thoughts and controlling behaviors are all aspects we can work with.  We can’t change the trauma, but we can affect the outcome by helping you make your peace with it.  Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk says it best, “the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going on inside ourselves.”  

After treatment of trauma and neglect, many clients report that the self-confidence, playfulness, spontaneity, and inspiration they had as a child, returns.  Research demonstrates that the sooner we treat trauma and neglect, the better the outcome.