In order to believe clients' accounts of trauma, you need to suspend any pre-conceived notions that you have about what is possible and impossible in human experience. As simple as they may sound, it may be difficult to do so.

~ Aphrodite Matsakis

Aphrodite Matsakis Abuse Survivors Denial Disbelief Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Society Denial Trauma Traumatic Experiences Traumatized

TRAUMA STEALS YOUR VOICE People get so tired of asking you what's wrong and you've run out of nothings to tell them. You've tried and they've tried, but the words just turn to ashes every time they try to leave your mouth. They start as fire in the pit of your stomach, but come out in a puff of smoke. You are not you anymore. And you don't know how to fix this. The worst part is...you don't even know how to try.

~ Nikitta Gill

Nikitta Gill Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Ptsd Survivors Trauma Trauma Survivors Traumatized Voiceless

July 15, 1991Nita: My mother was a paragon of our neighborhood, People always come up to us with hugs, saying You have the most wonderful mother. l'd think. “Don't you see what's going on in this house?” To this day, if somehow even in jest raises their hand to me, I will do this (raises hands to protect face and cowers) I cringe. Then they look at me like, what's your probem? You don't get that from a great childhood.

~ Sarah E. Olson

Sarah E. Olson Defensive Hypervigilance Jumpy Overreact Overreaction Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Ptsd Trauma Trauma Survivor Traumatic Stress Traumatized

Trauma is any stressor that occurs in a sudden and forceful way and is experienced as overwhelming.

~ Stephanie S. Covington

Stephanie S. Covington Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Psychological Trauma Ptsd Stressors Trauma Traumatic Stress Traumatized

Traumas produce their disintegrating effects in proportion to their intensity, duration and repetition. (1909)

~ Pierre Janet

Pierre Janet Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Ptsd Ptss Trauma Traumatic Experiences Traumatic Stress

Our work calls on us to confront, with our patients and within ourselves, extraordinary human experiences. This confrontation is profoundly humbling in that at all times these experiences challenge the limits of our humanity and our view of the world...

~ John P. Wilson

John P. Wilson Countertransgerence Humbling Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Ptsd Therapists Trauma Traumatic Traumatic Experiences World View World Views