Cathy Alexander
Are you anxious or feel triggered easily. Traumatic experiences in life can lead to a nervous system that just won't calm down. It doesn't have to have been big T trauma to result in easily triggered reactions. Anything happens that your brain thinks is a threat or brings back old pain can cause triggers that set you nervous system off. It can also be the reason for that anxious feeling you have that is difficult to relieve. The ability to calm your nerves is one of the most valuable skills for good mental health. I use mindfulness practices and breath work to help you retrain your nerves. Nervous system regulation is key to healing from trauma. A very useful tool to actually release trauma is ImTT or Image Transformation Therapy. ImTT uses imagery and the breath to release triggers and heal the nervous system. It does so in a safe and gentle way. Once triggers are released you can make choices based on what's happening now not a threat from the past. Your nervous system can calm down. Anxiety decreases. Mindfulness, somatic practices and other self-care tools are valuable additions to support the work. Together these things can gently and safely heal and reset the nervous system. I would love to share them with you to help you on your healing journey.
Releasing triggers allows you to make choices based on what's happening now not what you body has decided is a threat because of the past.
If this speaks to you reach out and schedule a time to meet. I would love to work with you.
First session
After brief introductions we'll look at the most pressing challenge you’re facing. You may need to talk things out to start. Or, we can jump right in to whatever is most pressing. I'll share with you how my methods might help. And, we'll identify tools you can use immediately and ways to maximize their effectiveness. We can also talk about new ways to cope and function through the healing process. By the end we'll have some confidence about being a good fit and you'll leave with a plan to move forward and a few tools to use specific to your needs.
Strengths
Symptoms of ADHD and trauma history can look a lot alike. There are many similarities in how to maximize your functioning with either or a combination of both. I’ve worked extensively and successfully with both using the above mentioned therapeutic tools, as well as coaching and alternative modalities (meditation, mindfulness and self-care). We will work together to ensure what will work best for you. Schedule an initial session and discover how we can work to meet your needs.
Ideal clients
Most of my clients are women in their 40’s and better who want to transform their fear and increase their capacity for more. More love, more joy, more peace, more pleasure. I also work with professional women with ADHD. It’s not uncommon to have the symptoms of ADHD with a history of trauma. There are a lot of similarities. The tools I work with are extremely effective for ADHD symptoms with trauma history. Fight, flight and freeze or fawn are reactions that occur when a person feels they are in danger. These reactions are automatic and repeated when events occur that feel similar to past traumatic events but may not pose actual danger. Most often clients are unaware that they are reacting. Typically, awareness is limited to feelings of anxiety or depression and not knowing what needs to happen to relieve it. I help women navigate and change their reactions and their behavior to be in alignment with their values and goals. Understanding clearly what’s happening, knowing your strengths and best ways to use them, learning and developing more are all things we’ll address. We’ll go at your pace so you feel safe making the progress you want to make in your time.
Treatment methods
Trauma Informed Care
ImTT stands for Image Transformation Therapy. It is a method for releasing traumatic memories from the body to reduce triggering. It is a gentle method that does not require re-experiencing the original event. I've been working with it successfully for over 4 years. Clients are able to be present and respond to their current experience rather than react from a place of fear their brain and body remember and is no longer necessary to stay safe. Clients develop interpersonal skills that allow them to experience and develop healthy relationships.
Strength-Based
Coming to life from your strengths is incredibly empowering. You’ve come this far some how. What has brought you this far in your life? We will explore just what those things you've learned and used over the years. When you can name the things you’ve used to achieve the level of success you have they become easier to access. Recognizing you aren’t broken and do have strengths you can build on can be very empowering.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
It’s helpful to stay grounded to make choices that are in alignment with our beliefs and values. Traumatic experiences can sometimes teach us to check out and not be present. Dissociation is a tool that might have helped us feel safer and manage threatening events we’ve been exposed. It can be useful even now. Getting to choose our state of being at a given time can help us to keep in that alignment of who we are and want to be. Mindfulness practices can build our capacity to stay in the moment where we can meet life fully.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Serves
Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 95316
- New MexicoLicense C-3033