TRAUMA
Healing Time
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is a response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event or series of events that overwhelms a person's ability to cope. It can be physical, psychological, or both.
Psychological / Emotional Trauma
This is the form most people mean in everyday conversation. It occurs when an experience is so threatening, shocking, or overwhelming that it leaves lasting effects on the mind and body.
Common causes include:
- Single‑event trauma: accidents, natural disasters, assaults, sudden loss, combat, or medical emergencies
- Complex or repeated trauma: ongoing abuse, neglect, domestic violence, childhood adversity, or prolonged exposure to threat
- Secondary/vicarious trauma: repeated exposure to others' suffering (common in healthcare, emergency services, or caregiving)
Typical symptoms can appear immediately or months/years later:
- Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
- Hypervigilance, startle response, or constant sense of danger
- Emotional numbness, detachment, or difficulty feeling positive emotions
- Avoidance of reminders
- Irritability, anger, shame, or guilt
- Sleep and concentration problems
- Physical symptoms (headaches, stomach issues, muscle tension)
When these symptoms last more than a month and significantly impair functioning, they may meet criteria for post‑traumatic stress disorder PTSD or related conditions such as complex PTSD, acute stress disorder, or trauma‑related depression/anxiety.
Having some of these signs does not by itself mean a trauma‑related condition. Only a qualified clinician can tell what they point to.
Trauma is not defined solely by the event itself; it is defined by the person's response and the lasting impact. Two people can experience the same event with very different outcomes depending on prior history, support systems, genetics, and meaning they assign to what happened.
Physical Trauma
In medicine, physical trauma usually refers to bodily injury from external force (car accidents, falls, violence, etc.). Emergency departments and trauma centers classify it by severity (e.g., major trauma involving multiple organ systems). Physical and psychological trauma frequently co‑occur—especially after accidents, assaults, or medical crises.
How Trauma Affects The Body And Brain
Trauma can dysregulate the nervous system. The amygdala (threat detection) becomes overactive, the prefrontal cortex (reasoning and regulation) can go offline under stress, and stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline) stay elevated or become blunted.
Over time this contributes to:
- Chronic anxiety or shutdown
- Relationship and trust difficulties
- Higher risk of depression, substance use, and certain physical health problems
- Changes in memory and sense of self
Treatment And Recovery
Evidence‑based approaches include:
- Trauma‑focused psychotherapies: Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and trauma‑focused CBT
- Stabilization and skills: grounding techniques, emotion regulation, and safety planning (especially useful early on)
- Medication: sometimes used for severe anxiety, depression, or sleep disruption that interferes with therapy
- Supportive factors: safe relationships, consistent routines, physical movement, and (when appropriate) peer or community support
Recovery is highly individual. Many people improve substantially with the right support; others manage long‑term effects. Early intervention and a sense of safety tend to improve outcomes.
Therapists trained in trauma work, psychiatrists, or specialized clinics can help distinguish trauma responses from other conditions and match treatment to the person.
The right treatment for each person is decided with their clinician.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.
This is general information gathered from public sources. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for professional care. Diagnosis and treatment are for a qualified clinician.
Who Do We Help?
Children, teenagers and adults living with the effects of an overwhelming event, or of harm that went on over time, and the families who support them.
How Can We Help?
Psychotherapy offers trauma‑focused therapy and skills for feeling steady, Psychiatry looks at the whole picture, and Medication Management helps when anxiety, depression or poor sleep stand in the way of therapy.
What Are My Options?
If you are wondering if we could be a good fit for you or have questions about how we can craft your own specialized treatment plan, please reach out to learn more.
For individuals with urgent needs we may be able to offer same-day or next-day appointments to ensure that you get the care you need as quickly as possible.
Accessible And Flexible Treatment Options
Conveniently located in West Lake Hills, we provide expert psychiatric care and psychological testing for patients in
Austin, Rollingwood, Tarrytown, Bee Cave, Lakeway and Surrounding Communities in Central Texas.
Our Mission is to Provide the Best Psychiatric Care and Psychological Testing in Austin. Contact Us today, we love to help!
How To Get Started
1. Fill Out Our Request Form
Submit your Request online
A member of our Patient Care Team will reach out at your convenience.
2. Call Us For Expedited Scheduling
Our team is happy to answer your questions and guide you through the process.