dr. Ryan Tompkins - Fair Winds Trauma & Psychotherapy Serv

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Often the predominant, most difficult experience of traumatic stress.

It is often experienced as a combined cognitive and physiological process.  Nervousness, agitation, gastrointestinal issues, sleep difficulties, racing thoughts, over and under eating, as well as   extreme fitness are some ways people manage in high levels of anxiety.

A deeply seated, often implicit element of traumatic stress, which leads to distorted, and at times, extreme thoughts.

When experiencing fear, clients often have thoughts of wanting to get out of the space they are in, dissociative processes, and at times, explosive rage.

Anxiety is closely linked to implicit fear.

In my experience, proven time and again, to be the most debilitating, and often, untreated aspect of trauma. 

The internal and external shame that almost all my clients are not aware of, significantly contributes to prolonged symptoms and a sense of being "stuck".

How we think about ourselves, others, and the world around us, based out of our traumatic events, is often implicit and highly problematic.

Based on the evidence based research of Dr. Patricia Resick, Dr. Katherine Chard, and Dr. Candace Monson, as well as it's demonstrated efficacy, Cognitive Processing Therapy is a specific trauma modality that address the often problematic thinking that accompanies a traumatic experience(s). 

CPT is trademarked by Dr. Resick, Dr. Chard, and Dr. Monson

Substances help reduce the symptoms of traumatic stress. 

Ingesting substances has an immediate affect on the physiological processes within the body, and has the tendency to calm clients.

However, when chemical dependency develops, it often does the opposite, and aggravates already problematic responses for the client

Clients often experience symptoms of traumatic stress within their bodies. However, often it becomes the new normal way of operating. What was previously a 1 or 2 in terms of anxiety, may now be a baseline of 4 or 6. The body adapts to this "new norm", and clients simply go through their day and lives.

However, prolonged exposure to this level of stress within the body can create long term health adversity, heightened levels of inappropriate responses and a sense of "living on the edge". 

This is about building our relationship together. 

I listen to your story, what your goals are, and what brought you into my office.

This process is essential.

The therapeutic relationship if the key to everything else that follows.

Gaining insight around your cognitive and physiological responses, gaining tolerance, and understanding are the tenets of early sessions.

Clients often feel significant relief from their stress during this process.

This period of treatment involves utilizing various treatment and therapeutic modalities to treat and process emotional responses to trauma. 

This isn't necessarily about "talking about the event(s)", however, again, in my experience, this is an important part of healing, especially when it comes to shame.

By accessing somatic resources, physiological responses, and cognitive distortions, a pattern of emotional congruency takes place.

This is the period about getting back to your life.

This is the process of taking all you have learned and processed, utilizing resources and strengths, and living a healthy life while maintaining the strengths you have gained.