For most people who ever experience trauma, the incidents themselves happen very quickly. A car accident is over in a flash, a life ends in a second… even traumatic incidents that happen over time can feel like they are stuck in a time warp. One of the most interesting therapeutic challenges is that even when a traumatic incident happens very rapidly, the body takes time to process the incident. And your body can seem to take forever to really integrate what happened to you. Whether it’s the shock or the details surrounding the incident itself, the body needs time and space to assist with healing and integration.
When you begin therapy, adding time at coffee shops and other calm settings can support healing from trauma because they give your body and mind a safe, calm space to integrate what happened in your sessions.
Why Environment Matters During Trauma Recovery
The world outside of a therapy session moves fast. Because of this, your body specifically needs calm and peace so that it can continue settling after a trauma therapy session. This allows your body to continue in its parasympathetic response, also known as rest and digest. Consistent spaces matter because your body builds familiarity around routine and safety by going to places that you frequent often. In Milwaukee there are many such locations that offer respite after your sessions. Here are a few that come highly recommended.
The Spaces — Milwaukee’s Best Calm Environments for Men in Trauma Recovery
Colectivo Coffee — Lakefront
Colectivo Coffee on the Milwaukee lakefront is very distinct and therapeutic. It provides a valuable space for you to take time, absorb the scenery, and appreciate the beauty around you. You can sit indoors or outdoors, which allows you to rest without having to run to new tasks or put out other fires in your life. The natural light throughout the day can be very regulating to your system, as well as watching the waves come in. Best times to visit tend to be the early morning hours or right after the afternoon rush.
Anodyne Coffee – Historic Third Ward
Anodyne Coffee in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward is another great coffee shop to utilize after a trauma therapy session. This space offers high ceilings, an enormous amount of space, and amber lighting that can slow not only your mind but also your body’s restlessness. This coffee shop is located near the Milwaukee Riverwalk, which means after or during your coffee experience you can stroll out for a comfortable walk near the water. The best times to visit tend to be weekday afternoons after 2 PM and early Saturday mornings.
Stone Creek Coffee – Bay View
Stone Creek Coffee in Bay View, Wisconsin offers plenty of beauty, authenticity, and close proximity to Lake Michigan. This is a smaller, more intimate setting than Anodyne or Collectivo’s establishments, which may be more stimulating. This is a great location for men who enjoy more solitude and smaller gathering spaces (my preference too). While at Bay View’s Stone Creek Coffee, you can easily take a walk to the lakefront bluffs or South Shore Park. Moving the body consistently after a therapy session can help with settling and nervous system regulation. Best times to visit tend to be weekday mornings or weekday afternoons around 3 to 5 PM.
The Reading Room – Milwaukee Central Library, Wisconsin Avenue
Another great resource in the Milwaukee area for post-trauma integration is the Reading Room, located off of Wisconsin Avenue. This community resource offers high ceilings, natural lighting from tall windows, and silence, even though there are other people around you. This facility creates a lot of curiosity and awe due to its architecture, which can help with nervous system regulation and expansion as the body moves into a more curious state. Reading books can help engage the prefrontal cortex and occupy the mind and body without moving into avoidant tendencies.
Once you’ve settled on a few coffee shops to visit after your trauma healing sessions, the goal is to create a plan for using this time intentionally. Here’s what I suggest to my clients to make the most of this important time.
How to Use These Calming Spaces Intentionally
First, Notice the Difference Between Using a Space and Escaping to One
It is very important to distinguish between using a space intentionally and avoidance. When utilizing these spaces, or taking walks in nature parks or community parks, it’s important to not be stuck on your phone or a screen. You want to have time to just “be” which can feel strange at first, but gets easier with practice. Avoid distracting yourself from the thoughts and signals from your body that honor the important work you’re doing in therapy. Here’s the protocol I advise practicing…
A Simple Post-Session Protocol
Here is a simple post-trauma therapy session protocol that you can utilize to assist with integration.
1 – Arrive and Settle In (0–5 minutes)
Wherever you go, take time to settle in. If you’re at a coffee shop, you can order something to drink and take a few moments to settle in. Orient to the environment you are in, that is without a screen, without your phone, or without a computer in front of you.
2 – Check in With Your Body (5 minutes)
Notice how your body is feeling. Trauma therapy sessions can often stir up deep, visceral emotions and sensations. These can take time to settle.
3 – Engage Gently (5–10 minutes)
You can do many different things here. It could be spending some reflective time on what was covered in the therapy session, reading a book that interests you, or journaling. The important thing here is that when these emotions and sensations are settling afterwards, they are not avoided; you allow them to be in the body, in your system, so that they can settle naturally. We do not want to try to suppress or compartmentalize them, because then different defense mechanisms arise, which can prolong trauma symptoms.
4 – Transition Back Into Your Regular Life Intentionally
When working with a trauma therapist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it is important to know that trauma recovery can be very slow and subtle. It takes time for your body to adjust to a new way of living after it has been holding onto stress and trauma for years or decades. Some things to bring back to your next trauma therapy session are continued muscle tension, lingering emotions throughout the next few days, and different thought patterns that may be shifting into a healthier perspective.
Building Your Personal Calm Space Repertoire
Every man will need a different space to help calm and regulate his system after a trauma therapy session. Some men may prefer to be closer to the lake, whereas other men may prefer to be walking on a trail in nature, and some men may also prefer a more built environment, such as a newly remodeled coffee shop. What is important here is that you find two or three places you can connect with that feel calming to your body.
A Note on Screens
Screens of any type can be highly distracting during this process. This includes Apple Watches, cell phones, tablets, TV screens, or computer monitors in the library. We want distance from these things so that the body has time to engage in reflection and integration.
Finding a Trauma Therapist for Men in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Men’s trauma therapy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin can be the crucial next step into living the life you desire. Many men that I have worked with have tried wellness podcasts, journaling, and even talk therapy in the past. These things have not worked for them. At Revitalize Mental Health, I utilize somatic experiencing therapy to not only help you regulate your nervous system, but also integrate past overwhelming and traumatic experiences so that you can get back to the life you desire.
In-person trauma therapy sessions are provided at the Kenosha, Wisconsin office for men living in or near Milwaukee, Waukesha, Brookfield, Franklin, Oak Creek, Muskego, Racine, Burlington, Union Grove, Salem Lakes, and Waterford, Wisconsin. If in-person therapy sessions are too far to drive, virtual trauma therapy in Wisconsin is also available for men. It is important that you find spaces that can help regulate your nervous system, whether you are in trauma therapy or need better nervous system regulation.
If you’re ready for trauma therapy or want to explore working together, reach out by clicking here or calling 720.295.6703 to schedule a free consultation today.
