PTSD

PTSD Written by Alicia Murray. Maybe you’ve had the search open in a browser tab for a while. “PTSD treatment Syracuse.” You’ve read a few therapist bios, closed them, and come back a week later to read them again. Part of you may know something has to change. Maybe sleep is hard, certain places or…

PTSD | TRAUMA You are sitting in a restaurant, and you have picked the chair that faces the door without thinking about it. A car backfires and your whole body jolts, your heart pounding for a full minute afterward. You get through the workday, then lie awake at night running through every conversation, bracing for…

written by Alicia Murray, LMHCD, Syracuse, NY Finding a therapist for PTSD or trauma can feel overwhelming. A quick search may bring up dozens of therapists, each describing themselves differently. If you’ve never worked with a trauma therapist before, you may be wondering: How do I know if they’re the right fit? What makes trauma…

TRAUMA You are in the middle of an ordinary afternoon when a smell, a tone of voice, or a song in a store sends your body somewhere else. Your heart speeds up, your chest tightens, and your mind goes blank or races. A moment later you might not be able to say what happened. You…

written by Alicia Murray. You may have heard it before: “Just move on.”“It’s in the past.”“You have to let it go.” But if it were that simple, you would have done it already. Trauma does not stay in the past just because time has passed. Trauma Is Not Just a Memory Trauma is stored in…

written by Alicia Murray. Many people expect trauma to look like intense emotion. But for some, it looks like the opposite. You may feel disconnected. Flat. Unmoved by things that used to matter. Unable to access your emotions in the way you once did. This is not a lack of feeling. It is protection. What…

written by Alicia Murray. You might find yourself reacting strongly to things that seem minor. A change in tone. A delayed text. A small conflict. A moment of uncertainty. And almost immediately, your body responds. Your chest tightens. Your thoughts race. You feel overwhelmed, defensive, or shut down. Then comes the second wave:“Why am I…

If you’ve experienced trauma, you may notice something confusing: even when someone seems kind, consistent, and safe, your body does not relax. You may want to trust them. You may logically know they are different from people who hurt you. But your chest tightens. Your stomach drops. Your thoughts race. You pull back. Trust does…

Written by Alicia Murray. When your childhood was full of unpredictability — emotionally volatile parents, frequent moves, neglect, or constant tension — your nervous system didn’t learn safety. It learned vigilance. It learned how to read the room instantly. It learned that calm never lasted, so you shouldn’t trust it. This kind of upbringing doesn’t…

written by Alicia Murray If you’ve been in therapy after a traumatic experience, you’ve likely heard your therapist say something like, “Remember, trauma recovery isn’t linear.” Maybe you nodded, but inside, it still felt frustrating when a difficult emotion or reaction resurfaced — especially after weeks of feeling “better.” Here’s what therapists really mean when…

If you’ve ever worked with a therapist on healing from trauma, there’s a good chance you’ve heard this phrase: “Trauma recovery isn’t linear.” And maybe you nodded — but inside, part of you was wondering what that actually means. Here’s the honest answer: It means healing won’t follow a straight, predictable path. It won’t always…