Trauma

Scars: What Lies Beneath Physical Abuse

A child that’s being abused doesn’t stop loving its parents, it stops loving itself. As young people come into the Claudia Black Young Adult Center with addictions, mental health and trauma issues we often find that beneath those are the scars of physical abuse. Read More

Scars: What Lies Beneath; Emotional Abandonment

When we think of trauma we most often think of incidents that are blatant and acute, visible and sudden, such as a natural disaster or a car wreck, mass shootings, or acts of terrorism. But some people experience trauma as more subtle and chronic that present in the form… Read More

Scars: What Lies Beneath Sexual Trauma

Leah, 21, presents herself as shy and pleasant, yet has a history of multiple relationships with abusive men, a history of cutting and most recently made a suicide attempt. Alexis, 24, seeks treatment after a heroin overdose. Jon, 22, comes to treatment for depression. He has dropped out… Read More

Scars: What Lies Beneath

Losing a loved one is one of the most distressing experiences one can face. At the Claudia Black Young Adult Center we often treat young adults who have experienced a loss that is not a natural part of growing up. Most people experiencing normal grief and bereavement have a period of sorrow, numbness, and even guilt and anger but gradually these feelings ease, and it's possible to accept the loss and move forward. Read More

Bullying and the Internet: A Synergistic Impact

By Dr. Claudia Black Today’s young adults, 18 to 26 years of age, are facing an escalating mental health crisis. One in five is suffering from a diagnosable mental, emotional, and behavioral disorder. Depression, substance abuse, social anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation are experienced at alarming rates for those of this young age. Read More

Experiential Exploration of Trauma via Timeline

At the Claudia Black Young Adult Center, trauma is described as anything less than nurturing. This definition allows for all traumas, big or small, to be acknowledged and honored. In doing so, the client’s protective defense mechanisms such as denial, rationalization or minimization are explored and challenged so that… Read More

The Trauma/Addiction Cycle

Addiction encourages trauma, and trauma can encourage addiction. This process becomes a vicious circle or negative feedback loop, with trauma contributing to addiction, which in turn fuels more trauma, encourages still more addiction, and so on. The Claudia Black Young Adult Center treats substance and process addictions, recognizing them as… Read More

30 Things You Need to Know about Trauma and PTSD: PTSD Awareness Month

My therapist prescribed me to drink more alcohol. I had described symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet once again, the diagnosis was completely missed. Even worse, this uniformed therapist suggested that I drink wine “medicinally,” beginning in the morning, to help cope with what he said was high anxiety. Read More

Frozen Tears: Processing Hidden Losses

Grief is normal, it is a direct result of attachment and love. There is really no one-size-fits-all approach to grief. Still, normal grief tends to follow a pattern, whereas complicated or what psychologists refer to as disenfranchised losses can go underground and truthfully never get processed at all. This is… Read More