trauma therapy

Trauma is any event that causes psychological or physical harm to you or to others. People are often mistaken in that they believe something has to happen to you directly in order for it to be considered a traumatic experience but watching someone else go through a bad experience can be just as damaging to your mental wellbeing. Trauma, in short, is an event that exceeds your ability to cope and has a negative effect on your ability to function psychologically. These events don’t have to be life-threatening, instead they can leave you feeling lost, hopeless, and overwhelmed.

The Two Traumas

There are two recognised forms of trauma, and each is distinct with a unique set of criteria. These traumas include ‘Big T’ and ‘Small t’ trauma.
  • Big T Trauma – most commonly associated with PTSD, Big T trauma is usually caused by life-threatening injury, sexual violence, and serious injury. Witnessing these things happen to others, as well as living and working in close proximity to those that struggle with PTSD, can also cause Big T trauma.
  • Small t Traumas – those that occur in an individual’s personal life. These deeply distressing events may be as a result of anything from a relationship breakdown to the death of a pet or bullying and harassment. Treatment for Small t trauma revolve around how the situation is affecting you, and how to tackle it from that angle.

Treatment

Luckily there are therapies available for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a particularly useful tool for the treatment of PSTD, as it doesn’t typically involve going into as much depth as traditional talking therapies such as CBT. Dr Kaur will be able to provide expert advice about your treatment and be able to suggest the best route for you. She is also very familiar with incorporating elements of a variety of evidence-based therapies to achieve the best results.

Dr Gurpreet Kaur

To book a session with Dr Gurpreet Kaur, simply fill out our online booking form. As an experienced Chartered Clinical Psychologist based in Epsom, Dr Kaur is experienced in treating a whole host of mental health problems, such as trauma, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Find the full list online here. For a trauma psychologist in Surrey, think Surrey Psychology.
Dr Gurpreet Kaur, Chartered Clinical Psychologist & EMDR Practitioner

Break your imposter cycle - free guide