Breaking Free from Trauma | A Path to Healing
Trauma can feel like a heavy weight, making life harder than it should be. It can affect your thoughts, relationships, and how you feel about yourself. But here’s the good news: you can heal. At Bay Area Counseling & Consultation, LLC (BACC) in Severna Park, Maryland, we offer caring, science-based help to guide you to a better, stronger life. This May, for Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re teaming up with Healthy Anne Arundel to spread the word about mental health and make sure everyone knows help is out there.
Trauma: What It Is and Who It Affects
Trauma is more than just a bad moment—it’s how it changes your life. Research shows trauma is common:
- About 60% of men and 50% of women in the U.S. face a traumatic event, like an accident or abuse.
- Around 6-8% of adults will have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at some point.
- Every year, 1 in 5 adults (over 50 million people) deals with a mental health issue, including trauma-related problems.
Trauma comes in different forms:
- One-Time Trauma: A single scary event, like a car crash or an attack.
- Ongoing Trauma: Repeated stress, like living in an unsafe home.
- Complex Trauma: Many tough experiences, often from childhood, like neglect or bullying, that shape how you see yourself.
How Trauma Feels: Symptoms from the DSM-5
Trauma can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which specialist describe in the DSM-5 (a guide for mental health). For PTSD, symptoms last over a month and make life harder. They include:
- Unwanted Memories: Bad dreams, flashbacks, or thoughts about the trauma that won’t go away.
- Avoiding Things: Staying away from people, places, or talks that remind you of the trauma.
- Negative Thoughts or Feelings: Feeling alone, ashamed, or like the world is unsafe.
- Feeling on Edge: Trouble sleeping, feeling jumpy, or getting angry easily.
Trauma can also cause worry, sadness, or body problems like headaches. These aren’t signs you’re weak—they show where healing can start. At BACC, we use this knowledge to create a plan just for you.
How Trauma Changes Everyday Life
Trauma can make daily life feel tough. You might:
- Find it hard to trust people.
- Feel worried or sad a lot.
- Struggle to focus at work or sleep well.
- Feel like you’re always waiting for something bad to happen.
These challenges are real, but they don’t have to last forever. Recognizing them is the first step to feeling better.
Healing with BACC: Simple, Science-Based Tools
At BACC, we work with you to heal using methods backed by research. Our caring team helps you feel safe and strong. Here’s what we offer:
1. Brainspotting: A Way to Let Go of Pain
Brainspotting uses your eyes to find and release trauma stored in your brain. It’s like unlocking a door to feel calmer. Studies show it helps with PTSD and works faster than some other therapies.
2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
CBT helps you change negative thoughts and feel less worried. DBT teaches you how to handle big emotions and stay calm. Our therapist, Ketty Augustin, LCSW-C, uses these tools to help you feel better step by step.
3. Equine-Assisted Therapy: Healing with Horses
Our program with horses like Tammy and Marley helps you feel calm and connected. Spending time with these gentle animals builds trust and lowers stress. Research shows it can reduce PTSD symptoms.
4. Trauma-Informed Mindfulness
Our mindfulness practices help you feel safe in your body. With simple breathing and grounding exercises, you can calm your mind. These methods are based on science and made to fit your comfort level.
Why BACC? Caring, Science-Based Support
In Severna Park, Maryland, BACC is a place where everyone feels welcome. We support the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities and create a safe space for all. Our team, led by Courtney Jones, LCPC, CCTP, a trauma specialist, uses proven methods to help you heal. We offer free 15-minute consultations to make sure you feel ready to start, and telehealth lets you get help from anywhere in Maryland.
We use science to guide our work and help you see progress. Outside of therapy, our resources page links you to hotlines, local help, and more, because we care about your whole well-being.
Mental Health Awareness Month: Teaming Up with Healthy Anne Arundel
This May, for Mental Health Awareness Month, BACC is proud to partner with Healthy Anne Arundel to promote mental health in our community. Together, we’re working to end stigma and make sure everyone can get help. Check out Healthy Anne Arundel’s Mental Health Awareness Month calendar for daily tips to boost your mental health, like mindfulness or community events.
At BACC, we believe mental health matters. Whether you’re dealing with trauma, stress, or just need support, our services are here for you. Our work with Healthy Anne Arundel helps us reach more people and show that no one has to face tough times alone.
Your Next Step: Start Healing Today
Healing from trauma takes courage, but you don’t have to do it by yourself. At Bay Area Counseling & Consultation, LLC, we’re here to help you move past pain and find hope. Ready to begin? Call us for a free consultation at (410) 553-4450 or visit our website.
As the poet Rumi said, “The wound is where the light comes in.” Let’s find that light together.