Trauma and PTSD

“Trauma” – a heavy and fear-inducing word. For some, it is tied to a specific event that transformed their life, shattering their sense of safety and control. In such cases, life becomes distinctly divided into two phases: “before” and “after” the traumatic event. For others, trauma is not linked to a single moment but rather to a more general experience of feeling stuck, emotionally overwhelmed, or powerless to cope. This form of trauma, often less visible, tends to remain unconscious or undervalued because individuals compare their experience to "worse" events they have heard about or read, believing their experience is not worthy of being addressed.

"Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness." – Bessel van der Kolk.

To experience trauma, it is not necessary to directly witness a life-threatening or harmful event. From our experience, we have observed that many individuals seek help for other mental health issues, such as addiction, eating disorders, depression, or anxiety, without realizing that these are often symptoms of unresolved trauma.

Therapy Session

How Does Trauma Manifest?

When individuals experience trauma, the protective mechanisms of the body and mind may fail to function effectively, leaving them feeling trapped in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that are fundamentally different from those they exhibited before the traumatic event. This emotional and psychological blockage can manifest in various ways, including the following symptoms.

Symptoms of Trauma:

  • - Intrusive Memories: Unwanted memories, reliving the event as if it were happening again, frightening dreams or nightmares about the event, and physiological reactions to anything that symbolizes an aspect of the traumatic event(s), such as sweating, rapid breathing, fast heartbeat, or trembling.
  • - Avoidance: Efforts to avoid thinking, talking about, or experiencing situations that remind them of the traumatic event.
  • - Negative Thoughts and Feelings: Guilt, shame, anger, or negative thoughts about oneself and the world, detachment from others, reduced interest in meaningful activities, difficulty experiencing positive emotions, or emotional numbness.
  • - Marked Changes in Arousal and Reactivity: Irritability, anger outbursts, aggressive behavior, destructive or self-destructive behaviors such as excessive alcohol use or reckless driving, hypervigilance to potential threats, and difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
  • - Physical Health Issues: Autoimmune syndromes or other health problems linked to chronic stress.

Ways That We
Treat Trauma

Trauma treatment involves evidence-based approaches, such as: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) that helps process traumatic events and develop coping strategies; Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) that utilizes eye movements to activate both brain hemispheres, facilitating communication between them and reducing the impact of aversive/traumatic memories, and Gestalt Therapy that focuses on enhancing the client’s present-moment awareness and integrating emotions, body, and mind. These approaches assist individuals in processing traumatic experiences, integrating fragmented parts of the self, creating new perspectives, and accepting experiences without judgment. They also support the development of healthy boundaries and help individuals regain a sense of control and personal empowerment after trauma.

A Traumatic Experience Can Often Appear As (But Is Not Limited To):

  • • The sudden death of a loved one
  • • A near-death experience
  • • Violence (witnessed or experienced)
  • • Sexual harassment or assault
  • • Birth trauma, infertility, miscarriage
  • • In-utero exposure to trauma, stress, or substances
  • • (Surgical) medical interventions
  • • Accidents
  • • Natural disasters
  • • Imprisonment
  • • Divorce, infidelity, the ending of relationships
  • • Accidents
  • • Growing up with emotionally dysregulated, unstable, neglectful, or unavailable parents
  • • Having family members with mental illness or substance abuse issues
  • • Living within oppressive systems (e.g., racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, antisemitism, generational or intergenerational conflicts, etc.)
  • • Experiencing mental health challenges
  • • Frequent relocation/moving
  • • Historical and intergenerational challenges

Trauma can significantly influence how we feel, think, and act. Recognizing and addressing these symptoms requires a careful and comprehensive approach to help individuals regain balance and a sense of safety.

Meet Our Team

Team That Treats:
Trauma and PTSD

Lulëjete Prekazi

Xhevahire Balaj

Vjollca Pllana

Tringa Lajqi

Melis Bilibani

Albina Koliqi Musliu

Tenire Krasniqi