PORTRAITS James woke suddenly in the middle of the night.  His heart was pounding in his chest and his sheets were tangled around him.  His nightmare had seemed so real that at first he couldn’t figure out where he was.  His accident has occurred years ago, but lately he had been having frequent dreams about it. Ali had been in several bad relationships throughout college- usually with older men.  She is beginning to realize that her desperate need for affection from men comes from the time she watched her father walk out on her mother.  Her memory of that night and the pain she felt hasn’t faded a bit. DEFINITIONS & KEY THOUGHTS Trauma is considered to be any situation that shakes one to the core and is beyond their control.  Examples of trauma include childhood abuse, rape, abortion, a car accident, domestic violence, or many other types of events. Whatever the situation may be, a trauma could ultimately lead to mental disorders or even suicide.  Recovery from a trauma is … [Read more...]