TRAUMA & POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS

Do you sometimes feel as though you remain constantly on edge?

 

As though certain experiences continue to weigh on you long after the events themselves — in the form of anxiety, emotional hypersensitivity, reactions that are difficult to understand or control, relational difficulties, fragile sleep, or a diffuse sense of insecurity that has settled in over time?

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Trauma does not concern only brutal or exceptional events. It can also develop gradually, when certain difficult situations repeat over a long period, in contexts where one no longer truly feels safe — neither protected nor supported.

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What trauma does to the brain

 

The neuroscience of trauma shows today that certain experiences can exceed the brain's and nervous system's usual capacity for integration. When this occurs, the event does not simply become a difficult memory: part of the nervous system sometimes continues to function as though the danger were still present, even when the threat belongs to the past.

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The networks involved in vigilance, emotional memory, stress regulation, and the perception of danger can then remain durably mobilized. Gradually, the nervous system learns to function in a state of permanent alert. This state can take the form of hypervigilance, persistent inner tension, difficulty releasing pressure, or a diffuse sense of insecurity.

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Over time, this state can come to feel normal. Yet it remains costly. It continuously mobilizes the resources of the brain and body, contributing to emotional exhaustion, relational difficulties, sleep disturbances, or emotional reactions that seem disproportionate or difficult to understand.

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Trauma is therefore not simply a painful memory. It is often a particular way in which the nervous system continues to organize the perception of the world long after the initial danger has disappeared.

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Trauma as a rupture of presence

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One dimension of trauma frequently goes underestimated: its impact on our capacity to be present — present to ourselves, but also present to others.

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Many traumatic experiences occur in situations where the protective presence of another person was absent. In other cases, more complex still, it is the very presence of a close person that becomes a source of fear, confusion, or danger. The nervous system then registers a deep experience: others do not necessarily constitute a source of safety.

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This imprint does not always disappear when the events are over. It can continue to influence relationships, trust, the capacity to ask for help, or to feel truly safe with another person. Some people describe the sensation of having to remain constantly on guard. Others find it difficult to allow themselves to be supported, even when surrounded by caring people.

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From this perspective, trauma can be understood as a lasting disruption of one's relationship to presence. The nervous system has learned that the proximity of others is not necessarily synonymous with safety.

This is also why healing so often passes through the repeated experience of a different presence: sufficiently stable, predictable, and respectful to allow the brain to gradually learn that the other can once again become a resource rather than a threat.

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How I work

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Trauma psychotherapy does not consist in erasing the past. It aims to gradually allow the brain and nervous system to move out of certain survival states that have become overwhelming, so as to recover greater inner safety, emotional flexibility, and freedom in daily life.

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My approach integrates EMDR, therapies focused on complex trauma, schema therapy, emotion regulation approaches, and insights from contemporary neuroscience — in particular, polyvagal theory. It also draws on particular attention to the therapeutic relationship itself, which often constitutes an important element of the healing process.

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The pace is always yours. The work is built progressively, in respect of your history, your resources, and what you are ready to move through at each stage of the process.

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In-person and via teleconsultation

 

Sessions can take place in person in Marseille or via secure teleconsultation, for people both in France and internationally.

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Related resources​​

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Depending on your situation, you may wish to consult the following pages:

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• EMDR – Understanding how the reprocessing of difficult memories can support psychological healing.

• Trauma – Better understanding the consequences of simple or complex psychological trauma.

• Attachment – Understanding how the brain gradually learns whether it can rely on the presence of others.

• Borderline Personality Disorder – Understanding the difficulties of emotional and relational regulation.

• Anxiety – Understanding the mechanisms of worry, hypervigilance, and panic attacks.

• Depression – Exploring the link between psychological exhaustion, loss of momentum, and a sense of disconnection.

• Couples Therapy – Understanding relational dynamics and attachment difficulties within the couple.

• Consultations – Practical information on consultations in Marseille or via teleconsultation.

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Contact and appointment booking →

 

For a deeper exploration of the neuroscience of presence, you can also visit The Brain of Presence section.

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