When you think of a trigger, you probably think of a gun. In my business, a trigger is something that happens that sets off a chain reaction of thoughts, feelings and actions. Donna is a good example. She went to her OB/GYN for her annual exam. She started getting anxious when she took off her clothes. That was her trigger. It reminded her of being sexually abused as a child. She began to hyperventilate and cry. The doctor referred her to me.
First, I helped her learn ways she could calm herself. When she could do that effectively, I helped her identify her other triggers, manage her anxiety, and develop a life worth living.
Donna is not alone. One in four women has been sexually abused by the age of 18. My history of working with both sexually and physically abused women, in a psychiatric clinic, a rape crisis center, a women’s prison and, now, in my private practice, helped me guide her to a life worth living.