Trauma Treatment Center in St. George, UT

Being Honest About How Emotional Abuse Affected You

Isn’t this what all kids go through?… Well, just because “all kids” go through this or even “some kids” go through this doesn’t mean it was okay for you. Think of it this way, most kids can experience eating peanut butter. But everyone once in a while, one kid eats peanut butter and has a life-threatening reaction. They aren’t a bad kid! We wouldn’t shame them for being broken or tell them they are making a big deal out of nothing. As with you – you aren’t bad or broken that these experiences stuck with you and impacted you the way they did. All that matters now is that you acknowledge it is indeed causing you pain. You do deserve to release the depression, anxiety, relationship stress, and PTSD symptoms. That is why we offer individual counseling for depression and treatment for anxiety in addition to trauma recovery.

Emotionally Abusive Parents, Siblings, and Family

I wasn’t the only one in my family who was treated this way… It’s not unusual for emotional abuse to occur in a family system. When this happens, sometimes the trauma is compounded; it kind of builds on itself. An example of emotional abuse by parents is when a child is sexually abused, and this is followed by parents denying it or acknowledging it but them pretending it never happened. Another example is when a child is neglected due to a disease or addiction and the child then “grows up too early” and finds themselves in situations they are too young to actually handle. If you lived in an emotionally abusive home, you might have also witnessed other members of your family “getting it worse.” This can lead to vicarious trauma and a kind of ‘survivors guilt’ that is common in dysfunctional family systems.

When Examples Of Emotional Abuse Seem Normal

It was normal for me… Despite all these examples of emotional abuse, you might still feel like what you experienced was normal. People often believe it was normal because it was frequent and predictable. But know this: even if it was “normal” doesn’t mean it was okay. Just because it was “normal” doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt. You just came to expect it and guard yourself against it. Perhaps you even learned to “go along with it” so it would be over sooner, less severe, or you could pretend to be invisible. That’s how we survive and there is no shame in that.
Here’s the good news – it doesn’t have to be normal anymore. Therapy for emotional abuse, trauma, and PTSD can help you create a new normal of your choosing. One that relies on good coping skills and healthy boundaries. You can choose safety now. You can choose who you trust now. You are in control now.

Finding A PTSD Therapist In St. George, UT

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter when you experienced the abuse, and you can get help now. It doesn’t matter if the abuse happened once or a hundred times; it hurt, and you can be honest with yourself as a first step. Even if “that’s just how it was…,” it’s not how it has to be now. You have a say in your life and your relationships going forward.
Addressing your pain with a therapist at Guided Wellness Counseling in St. George, UT, is a brave and courageous move. In this process, you’ll walkthrough:

• A free 15-minute phone consultation with our practice manager to identify your
  goals and schedule with one of our amazing therapists.
• Attend your first appointment in the office or online.
• Continue the healing process by attending regular therapy sessions until you’ve
  reached your goals for healing.

I AM READY TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP FORWARD

Congratulations! Our goal going forward is to provide you with individual counseling services that are designed to feel like self-care, start to finish. We know that counseling for the many types of trauma can be a vulnerable process. For this reason, we honor your pace and your timing with addressing the details of your past. A skilled PTSD therapist understands this. We are with you every step of the way

What Is Emotional Trauma? 

Experiencing emotional trauma is unique from other kinds of trauma or abuse. Although it may sound odd, many women who have experienced emotional trauma may wish they’d experienced something more tangible… something they could point to and say, “This is so clearly and undeniably wrong.” But make no mistake about it, what you experienced was real, hurtful and life-changing.

What Is Emotional Trauma And Abuse?

Emotional trauma is the result of events or experiences that leave us feeling deeply unsafe and often helpless. These events and experiences can be obvious (e.g., screaming in someone’s face) and difficult to pinpoint (e.g., being neglected by a parent who is chronically ill). Let’s remove the mystery around emotionally abusive experiences by listing out some of the most basic and common experiences of emotional abuse:

• Yelling and screaming
• Name-calling and insults
• Shaming
• Humiliation
• Intimidation
• Breaking commitments for no reason
• Lying
• Manipulation and gaslighting
• Controlling
• Guilt-tripping

Other experiences of emotional abuse include bullying and teasing, discrimination, threatening, and neglect for any reason. These all fall under the blanket term emotional abuse and trauma.

Understanding Emotional Abuse, Neglect and Bullying

Perhaps your experience of emotional abuse started in childhood. Now here you are, a grown woman and wondering – do I still need to address this?… Isn’t this what all kids go through?… I wasn’t the only one in my family who was treated this way… I didn’t even get the worst of it… It was normal for me.

Is It Too Late To Address My Emotional Trauma?

Let’s try to better understand what you experienced then and how you understand it now. First of all, it doesn’t matter how long ago the abuse or trauma occurred. In fact, the therapists at Guided Wellness are skilled at knowing how to address recent trauma as well as chronic abuse that occurred decades ago. Many clients find it helpful to learn

new coping skills for anxiety and communication skills for relationships as they begin to address their past. A PTSD therapist near you can help you work through the memories, how you coped with the pain then, and how it is still affecting you and your relationships now. We often tell our clients, it’s never too late to address the pain. Healing is your birthright, and now is the time.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TEAM IN ST. GEORGE UT

Being Honest About How Emotional Abuse Affected You

Isn’t this what all kids go through?… Well, just because “all kids” go through this or even “some kids” go through this doesn’t mean it was okay for you. Think of it this way, most kids can experience eating peanut butter. But everyone once in a while, one kid eats peanut butter and has a life-threatening reaction. They aren’t a bad kid! We wouldn’t shame them for being broken or tell them they are making a big deal out of nothing. As with you – you aren’t bad or broken that these experiences stuck with you and impacted you the way they did. All that matters now is that you acknowledge it is indeed causing you pain. You do deserve to release the depression, anxiety, relationship stress, and PTSD symptoms. That is why we offer individual counseling for depression and treatment for anxiety in addition to trauma recovery.

Emotionally Abusive Parents, Siblings, and Family

I wasn’t the only one in my family who was treated this way… It’s not unusual for emotional abuse to occur in a family system. When this happens, sometimes the trauma is compounded; it kind of builds on itself. An example of emotional abuse by parents is when a child is sexually abused, and this is followed by parents denying it or acknowledging it but them pretending it never happened. Another example is when a child is neglected due to a disease or addiction and the child then “grows up too early” and finds themselves in situations they are too young to actually handle. If you lived in an emotionally abusive home, you might have also witnessed other members of your family “getting it worse.” This can lead to vicarious trauma and a kind of ‘survivors guilt’ that is common in dysfunctional family systems.

When Examples Of Emotional Abuse Seem Normal

It was normal for me… Despite all these examples of emotional abuse, you might still feel like what you experienced was normal. People often believe it was normal because it was frequent and predictable. But know this: even if it was “normal” doesn’t mean it was okay. Just because it was “normal” doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt. You just came to expect it and guard yourself against it. Perhaps you even learned to “go along with it” so it would be over sooner, less severe, or you could pretend to be invisible. That’s how we survive and there is no shame in that.
Here’s the good news – it doesn’t have to be normal anymore. Therapy for emotional abuse, trauma, and PTSD can help you create a new normal of your choosing. One that relies on good coping skills and healthy boundaries. You can choose safety now. You can choose who you trust now. You are in control now.

Finding A PTSD Therapist In St. George, UT

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter when you experienced the abuse, and you can get help now. It doesn’t matter if the abuse happened once or a hundred times; it hurt, and you can be honest with yourself as a first step. Even if “that’s just how it was…,” it’s not how it has to be now. You have a say in your life and your relationships going forward.
Addressing your pain with a therapist at Guided Wellness Counseling in St. George, UT, is a brave and courageous move. In this process, you’ll walkthrough:

• A free 15-minute phone consultation with our practice manager to identify your
  goals and schedule with one of our amazing therapists.
• Attend your first appointment in the office or online.
• Continue the healing process by attending regular therapy sessions until you’ve
  reached your goals for healing.

I AM READY TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP FORWARD

Congratulations! Our goal going forward is to provide you with individual counseling services that are designed to feel like self-care, start to finish. We know that counseling for the many types of trauma can be a vulnerable process. For this reason, we honor your pace and your timing with addressing the details of your past. A skilled PTSD therapist understands this. We are with you every step of the way