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Trauma-Focused Psychotherapy

Nov 06, 2025 09:47AM ● By Jerome Bilaos

Healing the Nervous System and Reclaiming Wholeness

Trauma is pervasive in our culture, yet many of us grew up believing we should “pull ourselves up by the bootstraps.” Discussing painful emotions or “heavy topics” was often considered impolite, leaving many to silently wonder, “Why can’t I just get over it?” or “Why can’t I let go?”

Peter Levine, a leading trauma expert, defines trauma as “what was too much too fast, or not enough for too long.” Trauma is not only about what happened to us—it’s what happens inside us when our nervous system becomes stuck in a state of overwhelm. When experiences come too fast to process, or when essential needs for love, safety, and connection are not met, the body’s natural balance is disrupted.

Humans are hardwired for connection. From the moment we are born, we regulate through touch and attunement—our heartbeat syncing with our mother’s. This co-regulation is vital throughout life; we continue to need to feel seen, heard, and connected. When that bond is broken, we can become mistrustful and anticipate further hurt as adults.

Childhood trauma does not simply fade with time. When the adults we depended on betray our trust—through neglect, criticism, or abuse—the rupture leaves a lasting imprint. The inner child carries the pain forward, often showing up in adulthood as shame, anxiety, self-sabotage, relationship struggles, or difficulty feeling safe in our own bodies.

At Mind Body Spirit Psychotherapy, Trauma-Focused Psychotherapy offers a compassionate pathway toward healing. Through Internal Family Systems (IFS), clients reconnect with the younger parts of themselves, learning to listen to their needs with understanding rather than judgment. Somatic Experiencing (SE) helps re-establish safety and regulation in the body, allowing stored tension to release gently and naturally. Brainspotting, a brain-based modality, supports the processing of deeply rooted memories, while Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy offers profound insights and breakthroughs from a non-ordinary state of consciousness.

Healing from trauma is not about erasing the past—it’s about reclaiming presence, vitality, and connection. Each step in this therapeutic journey is a return home to oneself, where mind, body, and spirit can once again move in harmony.

Mind Body Spirit Psychotherapy is founded by Liz Flores Farrell, LCSW, and located at 1285 Broad St., in Bloomfield. For information, call 973-559-3646, email [email protected] and visit MindBodySpiritPsych.com. See directory listing on page 34.
In-Print, Healing Ways Therapy Spotlight NCNJ November 2025

 

 

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Tick Tackler

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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