WELCOME
SPECIALISING IN TRAUMA AND ANXIETY
TRAUMA COUNSELLING
Trauma can take many different shapes and forms. A car accident, divorce, the death of a loved one, an operation as a child, abusive or absent parents, or sexual assault are all examples of trauma. You might not remember what happened to you, but you experience panic attacks, anxiety, depression, addictive behaviours, eating disorders. They are all symptoms of trauma.
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You receive a shock in the past and your body reacts to triggers in the present as if facing the same danger now. The area of the brain that makes sense of things, giving meanings to your reality, is inactive during danger, directing all its energy to escaping dangers in order to survive. As a result, you may not remember what happened to you in the past, but you will remember thoughts, feelings or sensations (guilt, shame, anger, fear). Trauma counselling can help you become more aware of what is triggering you and differentiate what belongs to the present and the past. You will gain awareness of what is happening to you and work towards taking control over your reactions to your triggers.
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Trauma counselling can become an exercise of self-exploration and discovery, helping you to move forward in your life.
face to face counselling in Exeter from 14th July
also available for online counselling
From an overwhelming self
to clarity
If you feel overwhelmed by either your emotions, your behaviours or your thoughts, get into fights with your loved ones, feel a sense of isolation and not belonging, you just arrived to your starting point to change things.
My name is Alda. I hold a Master’s degree in counselling and psychotherapy obtained in one of the most prestigious centres in Ireland and I am an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), an accredited qualified EFT practitioner and an accredited qigong practitioner. I offer counselling in Exeter and Teignmouth.
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My background in languages makes it possible for me to work as a counsellor in English, Spanish and French.
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If you want to know more about me and my qualifications and experience, click the button.
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
Depression and anxiety are two faces of trauma. When your nervous system is stuck in the fight or flight response (fear mechanism) as if you were facing an imminent danger, you will experience anxiety. When your nervous system has shut down as if you were paralysed with fear, you will experience depression. Most people tend to experience both, with a prominent tendency towards one or the other.
EFT FOR TRAUMA
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) or Tapping have been extensively researched as beneficial to reduce symptoms of PTSD. They can be an effective way of processing unresolved trauma and irrational beliefs. EFT can also be used as a relaxation technique, as it can calm down the amygdala (part of your brain that "wakes up" your fear mechanism or fight or flight response.
