Peggy J. Hogan, Licensed Professional Counselor

Well, we have been busy getting our State Certified DUI School #10381 up and running. Class is scheduled for this coming Friday, November 22nd from 8 to 5, Saturday the 23rd 8-5 and Sunday the 24th from 1 to 5. Cost $360, which includes $25 workbook and $100 assessment and other administrative fees. Very strict rules apply for being on time and attending every class for your certificate. Call 229-457-7416 for more information.

Trauma Victims Need to Process the Experience with a Therapist By Peggy J. Hogan, Licensed Professional Counselor (Fitzgerald) As a mental health therapist, I have victims of trauma come to me experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, problems sleeping, nightmares, audio and/or visual hallucinations, and other evidence of being stuck in the throes of various Adjustment Disorders or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Being told to just get over it just adds to the difficul...ties being experienced. Time and being able to process the event with a sympathetic, non-judgmental listener is what the victim is in most need. Trauma is experienced due to many different situations i.e. rape, automobile accidents, any life-threatening event, such as the tornado that devastated our community last weekend. Many years ago, when getting off work after dark, I was attacked by an attempted rapist. I was fortunate enough to defend myself adequately and he ran off saying, I’m sorry ma’am, forget it happened. Forget? It took years to even be able to drive up to my home after dark and muster the courage to get out of my car and put the key into my front door lock. The horrible fear of someone coming around my house out of the dark and grabbing me was overwhelming! My windows were shut tight and locked with wood stakes placed diagonally across them for more security. My peripheral vision was nearly to the back of my head!! I lived in a constant state of anxiety. I had nightmares of the attacker running up and grabbing me and my waking up from the nightmare was absolutely the most fear I had ever experienced. It took several years for me to overcome the trauma from this event. In therapy, the victim is able to tell and retell their story, exacting every ounce of blame to the point the anger and emotional pain begins to give way to forgiveness. Or, process the event to the point the victim is ready to begin writing their new life story rather than continue writing more chapters of the hurt and horror of their traumatic experience. It’s very important for the therapist to never hurry the process but allow the victim to set the pace. Family and friends may get tired of hearing it again and again, but a trained therapist never gets tired of hearing it and knows there will be a break-thru at some point and it is worth the wait to see the victim no longer a victim. As we realize the repercussions of what took place last weekend, we may experience vicarious trauma symptoms. I, for one, have already experienced such sadness to tears of what the experience must have been like for those killed in the tornado in Adel. My heart breaks for these families who lost their loved ones. As a therapist, I encourage anyone who needs to talk about their experience to call my office. We are available to assist you even if you cannot pay. See more

http://bookcoversplus.com/a_walk_in_the_woods.htm

Many woman have a history of sexual abuse when they were between the ages of 4 and 12. Unfortunately, some remember the abuse even as young as 2, when the abuser perpetrated inappropriate touch and other types of molestation, including oral sex. Unbelievable? Not for me. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor. Professionals like myself are mandated by law to report child sexual abuse. However, that doesn't always mean the situation is dealt with and the perpetrator is sometim...es allowed to continue the abuse, as horrible as it sounds! Many years ago, as a teenager, I accompanied my mother and little sister and her friend, age 8, who had confided in my little sister. She said that daddy (step-father) was molesting her. Sadly, when we reported what we had learned to the little girl's mother, the mother just sat emotionless, continuing to rock in her rocking chair, flat affect and then simply told us we could leave and she would take of it. The step-father was a policeman in our town, so my father reported the situation to the police chief. Well, overnight, the family disappeared. The police chief came to our house and said there wasn't anything to what the child had reported; she had caused the family problems in the past with her erroneous story. I ask you, what 8 year old little girl would know anything about oral sex, unless she had experienced it? I would like to recommend the book, A Walk in the Woods by Nan O'Connor. It is a very good read and a wonderful therapy intervention, especially for women who have experienced child sexual abuse. Healing is possible, but first we have to set boundaries to protect ourselves from further hurt. The author experienced sexual abuse by her biological father and documents her personal journey to psychological healing. Until the victim receives therapy, most times they are never able to be fully actualized and able to attain the full measure of what they could be if only their self-esteem had not been damaged at such an early stage of their life. It takes revisiting a very hurtful time in ones life and processing everything from blame to forgiveness. We do this together in therapy. Call my office today and schedule your appointment. Let's get on with healing the hurt and living life fully free of what happened many years ago.