Counselling and Mental Health Service

Entry to this course is via Practitioner referral only

This is a 4week course and attendance at each session is required.

This group is psychoeducational with an emphasis on understanding our responses to trauma with practical exercises to gain some control over them in healthy ways.

Course Aims and Objectives - To provide a safe and supportive environment in which to:

* Consider definitions and symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)

* Understand what can happen to our brains and our autonomic nervous system during and after traumatic events which helps explain ongoing symptomology

* Use concepts from Polyvagal Theory to enhance your ability to both understand and influence your ongoing trauma responses

* Learn and practice strategies to cope day to day and to start to reclaim your lives

* Provide information about where and how to access therapy for trauma

Trauma can occur when an event or series of events are experienced as highly threatening and involve feelings of fear and/or helplessness. These can be singular events or more enduring. This group is suitable for you if you are experiencing some or all of the below following trauma:

* Constantly thinking about and or images of the event/s coming into your mind

* Flashbacks / re-experiencing whereby you feel you are back in the trauma event

* Difficulty sleeping and or nightmares

* Problems in affect regulation such as marked irritability or anger, feeling emotionally numb

* Hypervigilance being on high alert

* Feeling numb and or detached from yourself and or your surroundings

* Avoiding situations that remind you of the event

* Denial that the event happened

* Beliefs about oneself as diminished, defeated or worthless, accompanied by feelings of shame, guilt or failure related to the traumatic event/s

* Difficulties in sustaining relationships and in feeling close to others

Below are some examples of traumatic events:

* Being involved in an accident

* Being raped or sexually assaulted or victim of another crime

* Being physically and or emotionally abused / neglected

* Domestic abuse (to self or witnessing to others)

* Being harassed or bullied - including racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia or transphobia, and other types of abuse targeting your identity

* War and conflict

* Terrorist attacks

* Surviving a natural disaster, such as flooding, earthquakes or pandemics

* Losing someone in particularly upsetting circumstances

* Being sectioned or getting treatment in a mental health ward

* Being diagnosed with a life-threatening / serious health condition.

After completion of this group, you will have the option of attending our peer-led Support MOG ( Moving on Group) that meets during term-term, here at the service.