The objective for today’s blog entry is to make an unusual comparison between two concepts

that are familiar to most people: ice cream and trauma.

The purpose of this comparison is to demonstrate that types of trauma, symptoms related to

trauma, and methods of healing for trauma are unique to every person and situation.

Type of ice cream vs. types of trauma:

Ice cream comes in a variety of forms: soft serve, hard serve, on a cone, in a dish, in a sundae

and more. Similarly, trauma comes in many different forms. Below are two broad categories of

trauma and specific examples of each:

Big “T”: A singular event that occurs at a fixed time and produces significant distress with

impaired functioning

Examples:

Death of a loved one

Natural disaster (earthquake, flood, etc.)

Act of community violence (shooting, vandalism, etc.)

Little ’t’: Multiple or continuous experiences that occur over extended time and result in

significant distress with impaired functioning

Examples:

Repeated abuse (physical, sexual, emotional)

Chronic mental illness/addiction of a loved one

Ongoing exposure to domestic violence



Flavor of ice cream vs. symptoms of trauma:

Ice cream comes in a mix of flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and many more. Likewise,

symptoms of trauma appear in a multitude of types, times, and intensities. Symptoms can occur

in the form of: nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive memories, changes in mood state, impulsive

risk taking, social isolation, increased startle response, hyper-vigilance (always on high alert),

avoidance, zoning out (dissociation), and more. Symptoms can occur immediately after, shortly

after, or many years after a traumatic experience. Symptoms may interfere minimally with one

area of life (ex: psychological functioning) or dramatically in multiple areas of life (ex: family

functioning, academic/work functioning, etc.).

Ice cream toppings vs. trauma-focused treatments:

Ice cream can come with an assortment of toppings: whipped cream, chocolate sauce, hot

fudge, sprinkles, fruit topping, nuts, and more. Meanwhile, people can experience healing in

relation to trauma through diverse, trauma-focused treatments: Trauma-Focused Cognitive

Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR),

Narrative therapy, and more. Stay tuned for a deeper dive into these forms of treatment in future

blog entries!

Today’s discussion questions:

• What are some types of trauma you have experienced or witnessed others experience?
• What are some symptoms of trauma you have experienced or are currently experiencing?
• When was the onset of these symptoms? How did/do these symptoms impact your functioning?
• What are some trauma-focused treatments you have tried?
• What worked and did not work for you?
• Which of these treatments are you interested to learn more about?

Please post your responses in the below comments section. I look forward to connecting with

you!