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Together We Can: Surviving and Thriving after Physical Trauma
Have you experienced a traumatic injury like a motor vehicle accident or a fall and now find it difficult to return to normal life? Dr. Kathryn Maher discusses symptoms that may be a sign that you're experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, coping strategies that may help, and more.
Featured Speaker:
Kathryn Maher, PhD, LCP
The current focus of Dr. Maher's clinical work is providing intervention to pediatric and adult patients who have been admitted to the Level I trauma center. As part of her clinical work, Dr. Maher has been providing screening for the risk of development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression following admission. Transcription:
Together We Can: Surviving and Thriving after Physical Trauma
Cheryl Martin: This is Healthy with VCU Health. I'm Cheryl Martin. Dr. Katy Maher, clinical psychologist in VCU Health's Level One Trauma Center is here to identify symptoms you may be experiencing after a traumatic event. She'll also share some coping strategies you can use today. Dr. Maher, thank you so much for your time.
What does it mean to have a traumatic injury? And what types of patients are treated in VCUs Level One Trauma Center?
Dr. Katy Maher: Typical injuries we see at our trauma center are from motor vehicle collisions, falls, intentional injuries such as those from a gunshot wound and burn injuries among others. And the patients we see in our level one trauma center have much more complex traumatic injuries, so they require a fast response time and a huge interdisciplinary team, including surgeons, physical and occupational therapists and nurses that help care for the whole patient.
Cheryl Martin: So what's your role in VCU Health's Trauma Center?
Dr. Katy Maher: Well, in addition to treating the physical injuries, we know that traumatic injury is consistently linked with high rates of PTSD and depression following a trauma center admission. And because of this, the American College of Surgeons has recommended that trauma center screen patients for PTSD and depression.
So I was hired as a clinical health psychologist to identify and treat trauma patients post-injury. So, I currently work in the inpatient setting, seeing patients during their hospitalization, as well as have a small outpatient clinic and supervised trainees.
Cheryl Martin: That's great. And again, PTSD stands for?
Dr. Katy Maher: Post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cheryl Martin: Okay. So how do our bodies typically react to a traumatic event?
Dr. Katy Maher: Well, in response to a trauma, our body experiences, what is a fight flight or free stress response. So, in the face of something frightening or dangerous, our bodies tend to prepare to take action. So, this can set off an alarm of sorts and send a huge surge of energy to respond to that threat.
So most of the time the alarm goes off when the danger is over and symptoms start to decrease. But for some people, the alarm doesn't turn off and it continues to tell your brain there is an ongoing threat. And this can sometimes lead to PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. So, individuals with PTSD often have symptoms such as nightmares, difficulty sleeping, avoidance of trauma related events, and just generally increased arousal.
Cheryl Martin: And do you find this to be the case? Let's say if it was an intentional injury?
Dr. Katy Maher: Yes, we know that in addition, just to the regular trauma that occurs after an intentional injury, knowing that someone did it intentionally can have significant stress on a person. So many of the patients that we see with intentional injuries such as gunshot wounds will be experiencing significant trauma and nightmares in the hospital.
Cheryl Martin: So since it can be hard to get back into normal life after experiencing a physically traumatic event, what types of resources are available to help patients who aren't feeling better, whether they're in the hospital or not? Plus, is there any assistance for their families?
Dr. Katy Maher: Yes, we consider the mental health and wellness of patients as just as important as treating their physical injuries.
So at VCU’s Trauma Center, we have our psychology service that treats acute trauma symptoms and mental health concerns. We also have a really robust injury and violence prevention program, so this supports survivors of interpersonal violence and intentional injuries, and includes case management and counseling.
We have a wide variety of other support services in the hospital that patients can see when they're here, including our dogs on call, art therapy, spiritual care, music therapy, and for our pediatric patients, we have child life specialists and we also have our trauma survivors network. This is a community of patients and families who are looking to connect with one another after an injury.
Aspects of this program include peer visitors. So, this can actually give trauma patients the opportunity to talk with a previous trauma survivor during their hospital stay and get support. We also have our monthly peer support group that we just started two months back, and this can offer survivors an opportunity to connect with other survivors and receive and give support.
Patients can also participate in the next steps program that provides online classes to support coping post injury.
Cheryl Martin: What are some differences between everyday stress and stress where a person may benefit from professional help?
Dr. Katy Maher: Well, it is normal to have stress, especially after a hospitalization and traumatic event where it becomes concerning as if it is causing significant distress, or it really begins to impact big areas of your life, such as work, sleep, or relationships. If so, I would encourage you to reach out for help from a counselor.
Cheryl Martin: Now we've heard that there is a shortage of mental healthcare providers, so how can a person reach out for help if they see a need, and this is a concern of theirs.
Dr. Katy Maher: It is very difficult to find mental health support right now. I would recommend reaching out to your insurance provider or your local community service board in your specific county in Virginia, and when you reach out for help, you really want to make sure you're seeking a therapist that has the training for what you are going through.
So, for example, if you're seeking a therapist out post-trauma, when you register, you would want to ask to see someone who specializes in trauma. I would also encourage when you meet with your therapist to ask if they use what we call in psychology an evidence-based treatment, meaning there's research that this treatment is gonna make you feel better, and really just be open with discussing your treatment plan with your therapist before you start.
There's also a lot of physical resources for coping, such as relaxation apps on your phone. If you don't use apps, you can go to YouTube and type in relaxation strategies such as meditation, guided imagery, or breathing exercise. And there's also a lot of really good websites where you can access information about trauma. In PTSD, these can include the National Center for PTSD, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and for Children, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
Cheryl Martin: That's great. I'm glad to know that we have those resources available. So where can people connect with other trauma survivors?
Dr. Katy Maher: If you are interested in the Trauma Survivors Network, as I had discussed previously, you can go to www.traumasurvivorsnetwork.org and get more information. And if you're here at VCU specifically, you can search for Virginia Commonwealth University and find our site as well as information about some of our peer support groups.
Cheryl Martin: Anything else you wanted to add on this topic that we didn't cover?
Dr. Katy Maher: I really appreciate you letting us share today. We were happy to talk about.
Cheryl Martin: Great. Glad to get all this information as well. That was Dr. Katy Maher. Thanks again for being with us. For more information, please visit vcuhealth.org/trauma.
That's VCU health.org/trauma. To learn more and to connect with other trauma survivors, email TSN @vcuhealth.org. That's This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit traumasurvivorsnetwork.org. Create an account to receive updates on support groups and other resources. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels.
Explore our entire podcast library at vcuhealth.org/podcast for more health topics of interest to you. This is Healthy with VCU Health. I'm Cheryl Martin. Thanks for listening.
Together We Can: Surviving and Thriving after Physical Trauma
Cheryl Martin: This is Healthy with VCU Health. I'm Cheryl Martin. Dr. Katy Maher, clinical psychologist in VCU Health's Level One Trauma Center is here to identify symptoms you may be experiencing after a traumatic event. She'll also share some coping strategies you can use today. Dr. Maher, thank you so much for your time.
What does it mean to have a traumatic injury? And what types of patients are treated in VCUs Level One Trauma Center?
Dr. Katy Maher: Typical injuries we see at our trauma center are from motor vehicle collisions, falls, intentional injuries such as those from a gunshot wound and burn injuries among others. And the patients we see in our level one trauma center have much more complex traumatic injuries, so they require a fast response time and a huge interdisciplinary team, including surgeons, physical and occupational therapists and nurses that help care for the whole patient.
Cheryl Martin: So what's your role in VCU Health's Trauma Center?
Dr. Katy Maher: Well, in addition to treating the physical injuries, we know that traumatic injury is consistently linked with high rates of PTSD and depression following a trauma center admission. And because of this, the American College of Surgeons has recommended that trauma center screen patients for PTSD and depression.
So I was hired as a clinical health psychologist to identify and treat trauma patients post-injury. So, I currently work in the inpatient setting, seeing patients during their hospitalization, as well as have a small outpatient clinic and supervised trainees.
Cheryl Martin: That's great. And again, PTSD stands for?
Dr. Katy Maher: Post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cheryl Martin: Okay. So how do our bodies typically react to a traumatic event?
Dr. Katy Maher: Well, in response to a trauma, our body experiences, what is a fight flight or free stress response. So, in the face of something frightening or dangerous, our bodies tend to prepare to take action. So, this can set off an alarm of sorts and send a huge surge of energy to respond to that threat.
So most of the time the alarm goes off when the danger is over and symptoms start to decrease. But for some people, the alarm doesn't turn off and it continues to tell your brain there is an ongoing threat. And this can sometimes lead to PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. So, individuals with PTSD often have symptoms such as nightmares, difficulty sleeping, avoidance of trauma related events, and just generally increased arousal.
Cheryl Martin: And do you find this to be the case? Let's say if it was an intentional injury?
Dr. Katy Maher: Yes, we know that in addition, just to the regular trauma that occurs after an intentional injury, knowing that someone did it intentionally can have significant stress on a person. So many of the patients that we see with intentional injuries such as gunshot wounds will be experiencing significant trauma and nightmares in the hospital.
Cheryl Martin: So since it can be hard to get back into normal life after experiencing a physically traumatic event, what types of resources are available to help patients who aren't feeling better, whether they're in the hospital or not? Plus, is there any assistance for their families?
Dr. Katy Maher: Yes, we consider the mental health and wellness of patients as just as important as treating their physical injuries.
So at VCU’s Trauma Center, we have our psychology service that treats acute trauma symptoms and mental health concerns. We also have a really robust injury and violence prevention program, so this supports survivors of interpersonal violence and intentional injuries, and includes case management and counseling.
We have a wide variety of other support services in the hospital that patients can see when they're here, including our dogs on call, art therapy, spiritual care, music therapy, and for our pediatric patients, we have child life specialists and we also have our trauma survivors network. This is a community of patients and families who are looking to connect with one another after an injury.
Aspects of this program include peer visitors. So, this can actually give trauma patients the opportunity to talk with a previous trauma survivor during their hospital stay and get support. We also have our monthly peer support group that we just started two months back, and this can offer survivors an opportunity to connect with other survivors and receive and give support.
Patients can also participate in the next steps program that provides online classes to support coping post injury.
Cheryl Martin: What are some differences between everyday stress and stress where a person may benefit from professional help?
Dr. Katy Maher: Well, it is normal to have stress, especially after a hospitalization and traumatic event where it becomes concerning as if it is causing significant distress, or it really begins to impact big areas of your life, such as work, sleep, or relationships. If so, I would encourage you to reach out for help from a counselor.
Cheryl Martin: Now we've heard that there is a shortage of mental healthcare providers, so how can a person reach out for help if they see a need, and this is a concern of theirs.
Dr. Katy Maher: It is very difficult to find mental health support right now. I would recommend reaching out to your insurance provider or your local community service board in your specific county in Virginia, and when you reach out for help, you really want to make sure you're seeking a therapist that has the training for what you are going through.
So, for example, if you're seeking a therapist out post-trauma, when you register, you would want to ask to see someone who specializes in trauma. I would also encourage when you meet with your therapist to ask if they use what we call in psychology an evidence-based treatment, meaning there's research that this treatment is gonna make you feel better, and really just be open with discussing your treatment plan with your therapist before you start.
There's also a lot of physical resources for coping, such as relaxation apps on your phone. If you don't use apps, you can go to YouTube and type in relaxation strategies such as meditation, guided imagery, or breathing exercise. And there's also a lot of really good websites where you can access information about trauma. In PTSD, these can include the National Center for PTSD, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and for Children, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.
Cheryl Martin: That's great. I'm glad to know that we have those resources available. So where can people connect with other trauma survivors?
Dr. Katy Maher: If you are interested in the Trauma Survivors Network, as I had discussed previously, you can go to www.traumasurvivorsnetwork.org and get more information. And if you're here at VCU specifically, you can search for Virginia Commonwealth University and find our site as well as information about some of our peer support groups.
Cheryl Martin: Anything else you wanted to add on this topic that we didn't cover?
Dr. Katy Maher: I really appreciate you letting us share today. We were happy to talk about.
Cheryl Martin: Great. Glad to get all this information as well. That was Dr. Katy Maher. Thanks again for being with us. For more information, please visit vcuhealth.org/trauma.
That's VCU health.org/trauma. To learn more and to connect with other trauma survivors, email TSN @vcuhealth.org. That's This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also visit traumasurvivorsnetwork.org. Create an account to receive updates on support groups and other resources. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels.
Explore our entire podcast library at vcuhealth.org/podcast for more health topics of interest to you. This is Healthy with VCU Health. I'm Cheryl Martin. Thanks for listening.