Abuse & Trauma Recovery

The very fact that you have found this page is confirmation that you acknowledge a wound that isn’t easily identified or even understood.  

The steps to move beyond the abuse and trauma you’ve experienced may seem overwhelming,  it may make you feel vulnerable, but if you persist, you will see and experience change.  (Isaiah 9:2)  Time doesn’t heal all wounds, it can actually conceal (hide) them.  

Emotional pain and physical pain are connected, and your brain responds to both types of pain similarly.  Beneath the pain that you have experienced may be emotions of shame, guilt, and/or fear, all of which are understandable.  This type of pain, the hidden beneath the surface pain, affects your inner-most identity and can therefore create multiple struggles within.

Physical wounds, when persistent enough, can be traumatizing and often need medical attention or a trip to the emergency room for care. 

When emotional or psychological wounds are persistent, we also call this trauma.  However, these wounds are most often hidden, buried, deep within our memories and begin to spread more invasively into your mind, your emotions, and even into your spirit.

Dismantling the toxic and negative patterns of thought and behavior (emotional, mental, physical, sexual, and spiritual abuse) are critical to the recovery process. 

Change takes work, patience and hope. This is a healing journey, not a quick fix.

Trauma does not discriminate, it presents in many lives, many individuals, in many forms, and masks in many ways making it difficult for friends and family to fully recognize.

Some goals of Christian counseling for trauma are:

  • Establish safety & trust within the therapeutic relationship.
  • Create a plan for you to take care of yourself while on your healing journey.
  • Processing thinking patterns and breaking mental strongholds.
  • Identify coping mechanisms that have been destructive to your healing.
  • Learn to manage the emotions most likely affected by abuse.
  • Dismantle the lies you have been told about who or what you are and reconnect you with the truth: Jesus created you with love and purpose.
  • Reframe. Rebuild. Restore.

Learning to manage trust in relationships is a difficult, but not impossible, task.

“Humanly speaking, it is impossible.  But with God everything is possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NLT)

Please call 678) 658-3966 for consultation surrounding your specific needs or email: [email protected] 

Appointments in the Marietta office will be made with every effort to maintain your confidentiality and safety of your specific needs.  If you are aware of specific “triggers”, please make those known when you are scheduling your appointment.  Dr. McCollum will make every effort to minimize the potential “trigger” within the office setting.  Please be aware, many suites are located within this office community making it difficult to guarantee the confidentiality of your arrival and/or departure.