Be here,
and allow the past
to stay in the past.

PTSD Therapy in Milwaukee, WI

When the past becomes the present, you’re no longer here, but back there.

Does the past feel like a weight on your shoulder that you just can’t shake? Feeling reactive or overwhelmed on a moment’s notice can make it impossible to enjoy life, today. Now. Life is not meant to feel like a life sentence.

When the past becomes the present, you’re no longer here. But back there. Being fearful of the future or stuck in the past is no way to live. It can be difficult to feel normal or excited about anything. Losing connection with yourself and others takes the color out of life. Yet, you know something more is possible. Therapy can help.

Life is not meant to be mundane and monochrome.

There is so much beauty in life, when we have the time and space to process it. Your healing can begin with a choice to remember your importance and beauty. Trauma, when treated with respect, compassion, and deep presence, can restore us to wholeness. A sense of mastery about the future. Enjoyment in the potential of tomorrow.

You can process the past. Enjoy your life, today. Somatic experiencing, EMDR, Brainspotting are tried and true means of accessing and healing the past and creating a more present present, filled with a future of possibilities.

I take a “bottom up approach” and focus on what your body is feeling.

Tired, lonely, heavy, cold.. AND.. strong, relieved, content, relaxed. Changes in these states, by attending to them, will bring about better self regulation inside. And, a new state of mind for life moving forward.

In order to heal, we have to feel safe.

To move past the past, I focus from the “bottom up”. We integrate the *entire* brain in our work, for more effective processing, not only focusing on the deepest, bottom part of the brain. Because if we simply re-lived those experiences, how different would that be from dealing with PTSD?

The difference is that you and I will focus on safety in the nervous system. The goal is to explore those feelings, feel stabilized, and slowly move, with one foot in the feelings, and one foot in the present moment. It is this combination that keeps us from getting stuck in the past. Reach out today to learn more.

We all deserve to transform our pain into a life worth living.

Reach out today to learn how I can help.

Trauma is literally activation of the nervous system

This shows up uniquely for individuals and is a fact of life for all of us. We can’t stop it, but we can heal from it. We can do this work together, and then you will have the tools you need to continue to process what needs to be processed.

This activation can show up as racing thoughts, fears of certain places or smells, inability to feel or numbness, or changes in breathing or posture. We all get activated, but if it is holding you back from living life, it’s time to learn how to heal and move past long standing patterns.

Life can feel isolating when the past is never past.

Yes, the past isolates you from the present. From yourself. From others. You want that connection but are worried about what it might cost. There is only so much energy you have. And it doesn’t seem possible to stretch anymore. This other part nudges you that there is so much more to life than this.

You are not alone, although it may feel that way.

Finding a place to be yourself in this world is so important. A place to feel stable, relaxed, and understood can change so much. We are humans, meant to be connected with others. You are not wrong for wanting more. You deserve to remember joy and be in community with people you can trust.

It’s time to connect to your needs and learn how to get them met, in a safe space.

It’s time to connect to your needs and learn how to get them met, in a safe space. This work is not physically strenuous. It’s about going inward and learning what your body needs. We will find small places of goodness, and build upon those. Block by block, a place of respite for you to inhabit. To build something wonderful.

Take the first step towards healing.

Feeling misunderstood is painful.

It is painful and confusing to live in the past. Not feeling heard, not knowing how to get the message across, or even wanting to.

Not knowing what you feel until after an experience has happened, hours or days later, can be very confusing. And also frustrating. Which makes it harder to share your feelings with others. And even more important for your own healing.

To move from the past to the present, you need to learn to trust you again.

Learning to trust your gut, your internal experience, is a lifeboat in the storm of the unknown and unexpected. The storms will pass, but you need a place to rest and recuperate. Truly, the future is a mystery, and it can be enjoyable. You can step out of the past and feel the beauty of this day. You will learn to trust your intuition, your gut instinct.

Learning how to understand the earliest signs of a stressful experience, in your body, is learning to trust your gut.

So you can do what is best for you, in the present. We haven’t all had equal opportunity to do this. Maybe our parents didn’t know how, or didn’t know how to show us. Or maybe later in life something seemingly took that skill away. What is important is that you can do it. And you don’t have to do it alone. We will do the work together to create safety.

You deserve to have happiness.

You deserve to fully feel life.

Do you focus on the past or fear the future?

The future and the past are two places that are not now. Maybe the past continues to remind you of what could have or should have happened. That is not the way to live.

Sometimes it’s just painful to remember. Seemingly small things can take you back easily – a place, a song, a smell even. At times the future looks like more of the same. Replaying like a loop in your brain.

To repeat - the future and the past are two places that are not now.

To be present is the way to a place of peace, even in the storms. When we are grounded in ourselves, we can do what needs to be done. Not just for survival, but also to find places of enjoyment. Places to savor. Even when life is not perfect, or far from it. To begin living in a way that feels right and consistent with your needs, let’s start to learn from your body.

Learning to be okay in the present leads to feeling present with yourself.

Taking yourself out of your head and into your body does not require a lot of fancy equipment. It does not ask of you to change your entire life. Or read any more books. In the world in which we live, we are taken away from the present moment too much.

This is an invitation to return to who you are. So you can return to listening to that small voice within yourself. And learn to keep in touch with the internal notifications. Without feeling jarred by them or having to ignore them to just keep going.

Learn to stay present with yourself and your needs.

To know yourself, you need to know your body.

I encourage my clients to do this short exercise twice daily, for a total of four minutes. It has helped many people learn how to self regulate … and it can help you too.

Research shows that the more we are aware of our body’s felt sense, the more we will be able to know when we are getting triggered, earlier in the process. This is about learning about how you feel, what you feel, in the container of your body. Four minutes a day, to a more grounded, healthy you

This will take two minutes of your time, two times daily, for optimal results.

For the first minute, just notice everything around you in your surroundings.

And, for the second minute, go inside of your body and notice as much as you can. What do you feel inside?

Here are some words that might describe the felt sense…

Sharp, intense, hard, dull, weak, soft, solid, cold, hot, warm, cool, numb, expansive, moving, flowing, radiating, flowing, relaxed, heavy, thick, full, light, calm, buzzing, stuck, constricted, open, fluttering.

The more we practice this self awareness, the easier it is to recognize where our body is experiencing what it is experiencing. That’s it, nothing more. This simple exercise will help you access what your body is really feeling, minute to minute, and offer you the capacity to ground when needed.

You, all of you, deserves to feel seen and heard.

I’m Bonnie, and I’ve learned how important it is to be with what’s going on inside, to feel more connected.

In my practice with you, we learn to pay attention to sensations within the body through mindfulness, grounding and body awareness. We will explore how to recognize what your body is experiencing through the felt sense.

This is done with the utmost respect for your needs by creating a safe space for you to feel seen and heard. For your body to feel seen and heard.

The body knows what it needs, it always will.

Together, we will heal your PTSD with a bottom-up mix of somatic experiencing, EMDR, Brainspotting, and trauma informed yoga

The goal of this work is to fully process past experiences so that you can move forward in life. Confidently working with your body. Trusting in yourself, trusting in your body. Love you again. This will lead to a greater understanding of your own needs and desires moving forward, as well as to a greater capacity for relationships with others.

These therapies are slightly different from each other, and yet all of them offer us the opportunity to be present while also experiencing, from the body’s perspective, what has been left unprocessed. Offering your body the means to a healthier process, so you can move past the past, and into the future.

Success story

Alexis* (name and specifics changed to protect confidentiality) was 32 when she reached out for help. She had been working in a successful company in a field that combined art and science and really loved her work. Everything was going well for her, and then she was dealt a tremendous blow – her mother was diagnosed with stage three cancer and required aggressive treatment, which was not guaranteed to save her life.

For much of her life, her mom had been her guiding force.

A single mom who went back to school when Alexis entered kindergarten, she was her primary caretaker and Alexis’ best friend throughout all the ups and downs of adolescence and early adulthood.

Alexis found herself in a reversed role much earlier than anyone would expect. She began to have nightmares about losing her mother as well as panic attacks when her mother did not respond to texts soon enough. She worried constantly, to the point that she felt guilty contacting her mother so many times a day, but also could not deal with the fear of the unknown.

In our work, we began with resourcing and accessing the strength of the relationship that Alexis and her mother shared.

Anticipatory grief came up, and we slowly processed that, as well as beginning to recognize what Alexis could do to take care of herself, right now.

In each session, Alexis gained more understanding, from the inside out, how she could take care of herself and then, and only then, take care of her mom, her best friend. We healed deep wounds Alexis hadn’t remembered from early childhood, when mom worked late and Alexis was with her aunt but concerned about mom’s whereabouts.

Alexis was able to re-member (in her body) that mom *did* come home all those nights, and although she could not control the outcome of the treatments, both Alexis and mom could rest a little easier in their own bodies as Alexis learned to heal past fears and realize that her mother was doing all she could to take care of herself. Alexis needed to do the same, for herself and her mom. Healing was possible, on many levels, because of the work Alexis did for both of them.

Hope, healing and resilience are possible.

FAQs

What is unprocessed trauma?

Unprocessed trauma refers to a psychological state where an individual has experienced a traumatic event or series of events but has not effectively addressed or integrated the associated emotions, thoughts, and memories.

Where does trauma come from?

Trauma can result from a wide range of experiences, including but not limited to:

Physical or sexual abuse: This can include violence, assault, or any form of unwanted physical contact.
Emotional or psychological abuse: This can include manipulation, gaslighting, or any form of emotional manipulation that causes harm.
Natural disasters or accidents: These can include events like earthquakes, floods, or car accidents that cause significant harm or loss.
Witnessing violence or death: This can include witnessing a violent act or the death of someone close.
Loss of a loved one: This can include the death of a family member, friend, or pet.
Military combat: This can include experiences in war zones or other high-stress military environments.
Serious illness or injury: This can include experiences like a serious illness or injury that requires hospitalization or long-term treatment.
Other traumatic events: This can include any other event that causes significant harm or distress.

How can unprocessed trauma impact me?

Flashbacks: These are sudden and intense memories of the traumatic event that can be triggered by anything that reminds the person of the event.
Nightmares: These are distressing dreams that can be related to the traumatic event.
Avoidance: This is a tendency to avoid anything that reminds the person of the traumatic event, including people, places, or activities.
Hypervigilance: This is a state of heightened alertness that can make it difficult to relax or concentrate.
Emotional numbing: This is a feeling of being emotionally disconnected from others or from one’s own emotions.
Difficulty with relationships: This can include difficulty forming or maintaining relationships, or difficulty trusting others.
Difficulty with self-regulation: This can include difficulty controlling one’s emotions or behavior.
Physical symptoms: These can include headaches, stomachaches, or other physical symptoms that are not explained by a medical condition.
Substance abuse: This can include using drugs or alcohol to cope with the trauma.
Suicidal thoughts or behaviors: This can include thoughts of suicide or attempts to harm oneself.

Does everyone get PTSD after a traumatic event?

Everyone responds to trauma differently, and what is traumatic for one person may not be traumatic for another. Additionally, not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD or other mental health conditions. However, for those who do, it’s important to seek help from a mental health professional who can provide support and treatment.

Why are bottom up approaches helpful for PTSD?

Bottom-up approaches, such as mindfulness and body-based therapies, can be beneficial for individuals with PTSD because they focus on regulating the body’s physiological responses to stress and trauma. Here are several reasons why these approaches can be effective:

Safety and Stability: Trauma often disrupts the body’s natural sense of safety and stability. Bottom-up approaches help individuals re-establish a sense of safety by focusing on bodily sensations and grounding techniques. This can be especially helpful for individuals who have difficulty verbalizing their experiences or who struggle with intrusive thoughts and memories.
Reducing Hyperarousal: PTSD is often characterized by hyperarousal, which can manifest as hypervigilance, irritability, and difficulty sleeping. Bottom-up approaches, such as deep breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation, can help reduce physiological arousal and promote relaxation.
Addressing Dissociation: Dissociation is a common coping mechanism for trauma survivors and can lead to a disconnection from one’s body and emotions. Body-based therapies, such as yoga and somatic experiencing, can help individuals reconnect with their bodies and increase their awareness of bodily sensations.
Empowerment: Bottom-up approaches empower individuals to take an active role in their healing process. By learning to regulate their own physiological responses, individuals with PTSD can gain a greater sense of control over their symptoms.
Complementing Top-down Approaches: While traditional talk therapies (top-down approaches) are important for processing traumatic experiences and changing cognitive patterns, they may not always be sufficient on their own. Bottom-up approaches can complement these therapies by addressing the physiological aspects of trauma.
Long-term Benefits: Bottom-up approaches can provide individuals with tools that they can continue to use outside of therapy sessions. This can lead to long-term benefits and a greater sense of self-efficacy.

What is Somatic Experiencing (SE)?

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a therapeutic approach that focuses on the body’s physical sensations and responses to trauma. Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, SE is based on the idea that trauma is stored in the body and can be released through physical sensations and movements.

What is the felt sense that Somatic Experiencing works with?

In Somatic Experiencing (SE), the term “felt sense” refers to the bodily sensations and feelings that arise in response to an experience or situation. Developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine, SE is a therapeutic approach that focuses on releasing the physical tension and traumatic energy stored in the body as a result of overwhelming experiences.

The felt sense is considered an essential aspect of SE because it helps individuals access and process their experiences on a somatic (bodily) level rather than just through cognitive understanding. By tuning into the felt sense, individuals can become more aware of the sensations, emotions, and physical responses associated with past traumas or stressors.

Through the guidance of a trained SE therapist, individuals learn to pay attention to their bodily sensations without judgment or avoidance. By staying present with the felt sense and allowing it to unfold naturally, they can gradually release stored tension and integrate fragmented aspects of their experiences, leading to healing and increased resilience.

How does SE work?

Building Awareness: The first step in SE is to help the client become aware of their physical sensations and responses. This can involve focusing on the breath, noticing tension in the body, or paying attention to any physical discomfort.
Tracking Sensations: The therapist helps the client track their physical sensations and responses as they talk about their trauma. This can involve noticing changes in heart rate, breathing, muscle tension, or other physical sensations.
Resourcing: Before delving into the trauma itself, the therapist helps the client develop a sense of safety and stability. This can involve using relaxation techniques, grounding exercises, or other resources to help the client feel more secure.
Pendulation: This is a key concept in SE. It involves moving back and forth between the traumatic memory and a safe, neutral state. This helps prevent the client from becoming overwhelmed by the trauma and allows them to process it more effectively.
Titration: This involves breaking the trauma down into smaller, more manageable pieces. The therapist helps the client focus on one small aspect of the trauma at a time, allowing them to process it without becoming overwhelmed.
Completing the Cycle: Once the client has processed the trauma, the therapist helps them complete the cycle by releasing any remaining physical tension or energy. This can involve using movement, sound, or other techniques to help the client discharge the trauma from their body.
Overall, SE is a gentle and non-invasive approach to trauma therapy that focuses on the body’s natural healing abilities. It can be particularly helpful for clients who have experienced physical or sexual trauma, as it allows them to process their trauma without having to talk about it in detail.

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a
psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that has been shown to be effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related disorders.

What does EMDR look like in a session?

The therapy involves a structured approach to processing traumatic memories, which includes a series of bilateral eye movements, taps, or sounds that are used to stimulate both sides of the brain. This is thought to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories in a way that reduces their emotional intensity and allows the individual to integrate the memories into their overall life experience.
EMDR is typically conducted in eight phases, which include history-taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation. The treatment is usually done in weekly sessions and can last anywhere from one to three months, depending on the individual’s needs.

What is Brainspotting?

Brainspotting is a therapeutic technique that was developed by Dr. David Grand in 2003. It’s based on the idea that our gaze, or where we look, can have a significant impact on our emotions, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

In brainspotting, therapists help clients identify and process traumatic or emotionally charged experiences by guiding their gaze to specific points in their visual field, known as “brainspots.” These brainspots are believed to be related to the neurological processing of trauma or emotional issues.

What does Brainspotting look like in a session?

During a brainspotting session, the therapist assists the client in locating these brainspots, which may manifest as areas of intense emotion, physical sensation, or eye twitching. By focusing on these spots while accessing the associated emotions or memories, clients can often process and release unresolved trauma or distress.

Brainspotting is often used as a complementary therapy alongside traditional talk therapy and has been found to be effective in treating various conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and performance anxiety.

What is trauma informed yoga?

Trauma-informed yoga is an approach to yoga teaching that is sensitive to the
needs of individuals who have experienced trauma. This approach recognizes that trauma can have a profound impact on the body and mind, and aims to create a safe and supportive environment for healing and growth.

What do trauma informed yoga teachers do?

Trauma-informed yoga teachers are trained to understand the effects of trauma on the nervous system, and to modify traditional yoga practices to make them more accessible and beneficial for trauma survivors. This might involve using gentle, slow movements, providing options for students to choose their level of physical intensity, and offering opportunities for students to connect with their breath and body in a way that feels safe and empowering.

Besides physical movement, what does trauma informed yoga offer?

In addition to physical practices, trauma-informed yoga often incorporates mindfulness and meditation techniques to help students develop greater self-awareness and self-regulation. The goal is to create a space where students can feel empowered to make choices that support their healing journey, and to provide tools that they can use both on and off the mat to manage stress and cultivate resilience.