Empowered Trauma Therapy | Sarah Jones

"You don't have to control your thoughts. You just have to stop letting them control you."

In this episode, we are joined by Sarah Jones of Empowered Trauma Therapy as she discusses her approach to therapy and dispels many of the common misconceptions.

To find out more about Sarah and her business, visit www.empoweredtraumatherapy.com, and to find out more about 'Panic to Peace' on Monday 25th November, 2024, visit https://empoweredtraumatherapy.com/panictopeaceweb

If you would like to feature as guest on a future episode of This Place, Our Voices, submit your application via our form: https://bit.ly/podme

"This Place, Our Voices" Credits:

Host: Elyssa Germain
Produced By: OneZeroCreative https://www.onezerocreative.co.uk/

Transcript

In this episode, we're joined by Sarah from Empowered Trauma Therapy, a local Nantwich therapist who specialises in helping people with PTSD, chronic anxiety, and depression. Thank you so much for joining me today, Sarah. 

Great to be here. Thank you. 

Can you tell me what the story is behind empowered trauma therapy? Where did it all start? 

I started my counselling training ten years ago now, went to Keele University, and I've had a complete career change, and I did something very different. before I ever had a bit of a career break, when I had, my daughter and when I was, when she was about sort of 18 months old, I was starting to get healthy again and wanting to do something. I've always been interested in psychology, did the A-levels and personal development, self-help always love those types. But, always got reflected that. You know, I think, you know, you'd make a great counsellor. You were, you know, you've got this thing or the kind of the usual things. So, I was just enrolled on a course just to get my brain going again and, and then started on that certificate and loved it, really, really enjoyed it. Which then progressed on to the postgraduate diploma. And then, a couple of years later, I, topped that up to a masters. So yeah, it's been a really. Yeah. Really feel like I have found something that. Fits me and is really sort of without sounding very cliche. What, what I'm what I meant to do, you know, it was a person-centred course that I went on start with, which is sort of your traditional kind of talking therapy. And then it was when I was doing my training hours because as a trainee therapist, you do 100 training hours, with clients. And it was then that I discovered trauma therapy item. I've got a few clients who had been through some particular experiences in life. I was intrigued to find out, you know, what happens to you when you go through experiences like this? Because I was first they were presenting in a very similar way that was different, to my other clients. So that sort of really sparked a curiosity in me. so, then I found, yes, they found trauma therapy. And how what happens in the brain? Neuroscience, neuropsychology. And that just sparked a real a real interest in me, on top of what I'd already, learned about counselling and therapeutic relationships. So, yeah, that's sort of how Empowered trauma Therapy has, has evolved from there. 

What do you consider to be your biggest achievement so far?

I think it was achieved in my masters. That was a real big thing for me. I'd been brought up being told I wasn't very academic at all. I went in, you know, my previous career was very creative. I never thought I was one for writing essays, let alone 15,000 words. but I actually, I wrote my dissertation in a very creative way. I wrote it as a short story. but I was, I I'm incredibly proud of myself because it was the hardest thing that I've done. but, yes, incredibly proud that I have achieved that and, and got something out of it that I can use as well. So they do say, do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life. Absolutely, absolutely. And yeah, challenging so many, beliefs that I had about myself and realising that they were not true. So that was yeah, real personal growth as well as, business achievement. 

Has there been a particular challenge that's pushed you to grow or rethink your approach? 

This year, I think has been a particularly different, challenging one. so I think that has. Yeah. Given me a slightly different lens. Obviously, I'm, you know, still doing the things that I was doing before. but my, my dad became very unwell at the beginning of this year and then passed away at the end of April. And yeah, going through that experience and has really given me a different lens, certainly on what I want to achieve, and why I'm why they, I'm doing it what I'm doing it for reflecting back on his life and all the. Yeah. And now really redefining I think. Yes. What my why I think that's been a real sort of, refocused this year and realising that you can go through challenges and still carry on. I think, you know, you still big things will change you, but, you know, you're still you. I think and I think that's been sort of a big learning sort of curve for me. So I think that's so good. Yeah. This year has been particularly it has had its particular challenges. And then all the kind of legal stuff that happens afterwards as well. but it's really made me hone in and focus on what I want and what I want to achieve. 

People may presume that because of the training that you've had, that when you personally go through trauma, that you know exactly how to deal with it. I'm sure that's not the case because it's never going to be practice what you preach. It's a bit like a compartmentalising of it. 

Absolutely, absolutely. and obviously grief is very different, for everybody. And, you know, there's. And that everybody has a very particular, challenges with, with grief. So yeah, it has it has really homed in all those different, different feelings that get brought up and. Yeah. And it's yeah, it's certainly, certainly a lot of personal growth has happened this year and because of that experience. But yeah, I need my own support as well. I couldn't do what I did if I didn't have my own support structure around me. And, you know, just some family and friends. But my, you know, as, as therapists, we were required to have, supervision, regularly and also to be aware of our own thoughts and feelings and access any therapeutic support that we need for ourselves. So, I've done all of those this year, and because I want to be the best that I can for my clients, so I need, I know I need to look after myself. 

Would you say there's any common misconceptions about the type of work that you do? 

You know, I always say I'm not in the business of retraumatising people. And I think there is a sort of common misconception that if you talk about these kinds of things, it's going to make you feel worse. And it's going it's going to, have a real negative impact. You know, people work so very hard to function in day-to-day life. They can be very feel very scary to be able to think about talking about it, you know, thinking like they've got to relive, those situations again and sort of the way that often sort of therapy and counselling is sort of portrayed in the wider media and can give a misconception that, you know, you have to sort of regress right back into traumatic childhood memories in order to heal, which isn't the case. That is not the case. You know, everybody's different. Everybody has a different way of processing what's happened to them. Sometimes it does involve a lot of talking, but, you know, a experienced therapist, will never let you get to a point where you are so distressed you can't function. That's not what therapy is. And we're here to help you feel better, not to feel better. So that's what I often find, you know, when people, you know, first, having those initial conversations with me about what? I don't want to talk about it, though, but I want to feel better, but I don't want to talk about it. It was completely up to you. Some people want to. Some people don't think we can still feel better without talking about it. If that's what if that's what helps you. So, there's never any right or wrong with therapy either. 

Can you explain what EMDR and body psychotherapy is? 

Yeah. So those are the two areas that I kind of I specialise, in, you know, as a counsellor, as a psychotherapist. so EMDR stands for Eye movement Desensitisation reprocessing. And it says specific that the tool and technique to use with, people who have very troubling, traditionally been with very troubling memories, like nightmares. Flashbacks is an excellent tool to be able to rewire, reprogram, process those troubling memories so they, they lose their intensity. and so there's a specific technique that you do to help rewire the brain. So if the brain doesn't feel like it needs to keep brushing it back at you all the time, and but it's also been developed, you know, it can be using a whole wide variety of emotional distress. So how are you? I very much integrate EMDR principles and tools, into my particular way of working. And then body psychotherapy is what goes on in the body. So there's a particular famous book called The Body Keeps Score by Bessel van der Kolk is a very, well known, psychiatrist, who's done a lot in the trauma therapy field. And a lot of research shows that the way that human beings stress response is wired up, we feel a lot of those emotions in our body from a purely evolutionary survival point of view. We need, you know, if somebody's running at us with a knife, we need to feel something in our bodies to do something to keep us alive. But if you go through lots of experience, you know, negative. Experiences stressful experiences in your life. Your body kind of remembers how it felt in that experience, and if it feels similar feelings in another situation, it will take you back to that feeling, even if it's not exactly the same. So that's what body psychotherapy is, is if there are lots of trauma memories stuck within the body, it's about reprocessing those and to give them different meaning, get a different understanding. So it doesn't have such an emotional impact on you when dealing with everyday stress. 

Does the reset method feed into that as well? 

Absolutely, absolutely severe, I know, because I think I have quite a sort of a different way, of working. And so I've to be able to convey what that difference is. I've called it my sort of my reset method. So what is an acronym for Relational Empowered Somatic EMDR therapy. So what it basically means is that all the elements of that and the modalities that I draw on bringing those all together, interweaving those, in my therapy practice. So the, you know, the, the core of who I am is a very relational therapist. And that one is important on that therapeutic relationship, helping somebody feel very safe, very secure, with it in their time with me and then, you know, using those specific techniques, depending on who the client is, what they've been, you know, it's always very individual. It's always very different. But they're, you know, there's a certain structure that every client goes through. So the somatic relates to the body. Psychotherapy. fabricate somatic means. What goes on in your body. 

What advice would you give somebody who may be listening to this now, who is undecided as to whether therapy is for them, but just wants to know what the next step would be? 

You know, me and other therapists, you know, we're always just having that first conversation. You know, there's never any pressure. there shouldn't be any way. And I never wrote any airs with me. Just picking up the phone. You know, I always offer what I call a three assessment to start with. you know, we have a 20-minute discussion, about sort of, what you're looking for, what's initiated, you, searching for help, and I then I explain what, my style of therapy is how I feel. I could help you, and then, you know, you can decide then whether this feels right for you. If it doesn't feel right for you, then that's absolutely fine. Even if you've been through lots of stuff in your life, doesn't necessarily mean that counselling and therapy you know, is right for you at this time. There's normally. Thing, you know, sort of deep innately within you that goes. Now is the time. Now is this time to look at what I've been through and to sort this out. I know in order to go forward, I need I need to do this and but that, you know, if that's not there for you, it doesn't, you know, doesn't mean even if you've been through lots of stuff, you don't you don't have to go through. 

Do you have any advice for someone who may have a friend or a relative who they think should go for therapy? 

Yeah, absolutely. Because, you know, it's a British society, but Western society as a whole is still quite rubbish at talking about feelings and, but certainly and, you know, just it's not something that we, you know, it's getting all talked about these days. But you know, there's still a lot of us that were brought up. And I'm not having those conversations around thoughts and feelings. And so first of all, it's very understandable that you find it difficult. You know, you can see a friend or a loved one who's in distress and. But you're not quite sure what to do. First of all, giving yourself that understanding that that's completely normal. But what can be helpful if it feels difficult to broach it head on, is to have is sort of to use the wider world as an example. So, you know, like, you know, you can talk, you know, about some like TV program you've watched or did you watch the latest episode of EastEnders, Coronation Street or whatever it may, all the latest Netflix kind of thing. They went through that and they felt really better. What do you think about it and kind of gauging where they're at with it, you know, all day at that place of like, yeah, I need some, some help or is that not in their awareness yet that actually this is what I need, you know, and I'll see depending on what kind of relationship you have. But using sort of like a third party. To have that in road can be helpful to take away that kind of emotional intensity, which can feel awkward sort of in everyday kind of conversation. But yeah, like, you know, there's those podcasts now that people listen to an audiobook or, you know, see you on Netflix. latest thing that's on Sky or whatever, you know, what has been sort of talked about in, in the wider society that you can that doesn't feel sort of quite so dire, where if they have a positive or open-minded reaction to those sorts of conversations, it can lead to discussing next steps. Yeah. And they say, you know, have you thought about going to the doctors or, you know, I've seen this person, she said that she, you know, she does all of this. What do you think about that. Yeah. Although, you know, there are lots if it's sort of a specific type of experience that they've been through, any kind of abuse. then, you know, they. Most charities out there always alcohol or substance misuse them. There are lots of charity support out there as well that you can sort of direct people to. Is it appropriate for someone to make an appointment on behalf of somebody else, as long as the other person had agreed to it, but maybe the appointment maker joined them on their first appointment to hold the hand. It is a very common scenario. Certainly, you know more and more now as people are becoming more aware of the benefits of counselling and therapy and that the so called, you know, whether it's sort of as a couple together or their partners, like, you know, you need to go and see somebody, you've been through all of this and you're horrible to me, you know. And it's because of that, you need to go and see somebody. So I have had quite a few pints who've come in that kind of circumstances of what my wife sent me or my PA, and they sent me here, or my partner thinks it's a good idea that I should be here, and sometimes it is beneficial and sometimes they're not in that right play. The person needs to have choice. They need to feel like they have. They're in control of them and have that autonomy. Well, no matter what age they are, you know, obviously with a younger person. And that's a more common scenario that parent brings up and makes an appointment. And but if a young person comes to me, I'd always, you know, make sure they understand this is their choice. They don't have to be here if they don't want to. And that, you know, matter no matter what age you are. I always make that clear. This is your choice to be here. This is your time. this is about what you want, not about what you know. You think expectations of other people are. What's the age range of the people that you work with tend to specialize more in adults. But I am qualified to work with children, and I work with a lot of teenagers so that young people say I can do after younger children tends to be sort of more play based. which, you know, I can, I can do, but I, I'm not I haven't got a big setup for that. And I, you know, if it's, I do tend to be direct younger children to other therapists who I know who are in a much better set up for, for helping younger ones work through that difficult emotion. 

How do people find you, whether that be online or social media, if they'd like to talk about making an appointment? 

I have my own website which is empowered trauma therapy.com. you can contact me through there. I've got a booking link to my diary if you want to book in a free assessment. You can book it directly through there. I'm on social media, so I'm on Facebook in Power Trauma Therapy by Sarah Jones. You can find me there. Instagram. my handle is at Sarah Jones, counsellor. I have a I've had a dabble with TikTok. I'm not. I'm feel very middle aged. my. 12-year-old daughter tries to keep getting me to do all these videos. I might get what I am on there, but I don't do a lot on there. So Facebook and Instagram are my main ones, sort of on social media. And then I'm also launching a brand-new five-day course on the 25th of November. So this is great for people who have sort of long term anxiety and or depression, you know, know that you've been through, you know, some stuff, but not really ever been in that place to really want 1 to 1 therapy. Or maybe you've had one to therapy before and it's still there, or you've tried lots of other things. This course is sort of brings my reset method, in a group format, because I work with a lot with groups as well. I'm also a counselling tutor, so I'm bringing all of my group experience into an online format so I can help more people in a more cost-effective way as well. so each day we'll just go and look at different aspects of why anxiety and depression manifests, what goes on in the brain, what goes on in the body, and then simple ways to be able to start that reprocessing, that rewiring system. But all done in a very easy, accessible way. This isn't it will be hard work and there won't be lots of stuff to do. I'll. I'll be coming live. There'll be all be done in their private Facebook group, and I'll be going live for sort of an hour and hour and a half every day, and, and going through over my structure. So by the end of the week, you'll have a framework to know what to do with these, anxiety and low mood feelings. So then you can start. It's called panic to peaks. So it's about going moving through that very panicked, very fearful state into a more calm, peaceful state. And I'll give you that framework, give you that structure of what you need to go through there. Because every human being's survival system, stress system is exactly the same. Everybody has a different way of processing the world, but we all have exactly the same process that we go through when we're feeling troubled about something. So it's about having working with that system. And when you really understand how that system works, that's what can give you, that power for change. So that's, you know, that's when the empowerment comes in. That's what can really empower somebody, a great opportunity. 

Well, thank you so much for your time today, Sarah. It's been extremely interesting talking to you. 

Oh thank you. And it's been a really good to talk to you. Thank you.