Trauma Healing
Often times, people don’t think that they have had traumatic experiences because they haven’t suffered from a life-threatening event or severe long-term abuse. However, common everyday experiences such as being teased or bullied, the death of a loved one or pet, a car accident, or failed relationships can lead to ongoing and persistent trauma symptoms. These trauma symptoms can interrupt your ability to fully function at work or school, in intimate relationships, or with family and friends.
Do you -
Feel stuck reliving the past or a traumatic event?
Find yourself “on-edge” most of the time?
Have flashbacks or nightmares?
Feel stuck in patterns that do not serve you?
Feel distant or cut off from others?
Traumatic events, injuries, and chronic medical issues can rob us of many things, including our joy in life. Trauma symptoms can also resurface after a major change in your life. Sometimes we find it difficult to deal with these things by ourselves, understandably so, and need help.
Some examples of traumatic events I can support clients with include:
Cancer
Chronic and Long-Term Illness
Physical or Sexual Assault
Abusive Relationships
Car Accident
Sudden Loss
Complicated Grief
Birth or Death of a Child
Natural Disasters
YOU ARE NOT YOUR TRAUMA OR YOUR SYMPTOMS, BUT RATHER THE OUTCOME OF LIFE EXPERIENCES (POSITIVE AND CHALLENGING).
THERAPY CAN HELP YOU HEAL.
The first step we will take is to build your mental, emotional, and physical resources that will help you feel more empowered and confident about doing the work. I will then teach you practical and helpful tools to move past a traumatic event or period in your life, freeing you from the past to find more joy in the present and hope for the future. As always, I will tailor my specific approach to your unique situation, needs, and desires.
EMDR Therapy
A therapy modality used to heal from the emotional distress and alleviate the symptoms of trauma.
WHAT IS EMDR?
EMDR, short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a psychotherapy model that allows people to heal from the emotional distress and symptoms linked to an upsetting or traumatic life experience. It can be used for a variety of experiences that are unresolved and have developed into chronic anxiety, depression, and/or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
It is highly researched and established as an effective treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and utilized by many organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Department of Defense. Repeated studies show that EMDR can help expedite the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference.
SUCCESS HAS BEEN FOUND IN TREATING THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:
Disturbing Memories
Chronic Pain / Physical Pain, Tension, or Distress
Anxiety / Panic Attacks
Depression
Complicated Grief
Negative Behavior or Belief Patterns
Performance Anxiety
Phobias
Low Self-Esteem
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. However, sometimes when you’ve had a disturbing or traumatic experience where your sense of safety (physical or emotional) are threatened, the thoughts and emotions you experienced may get “stuck” and can be triggered by future events that resemble the trauma in some way. EMDR is the process that helps to decrease the intensity of these emotions and find a new way to view the experience. Once completed, the memory of the situation is left intact, but you’ll be able to manage the intensity of the experience and see it as an event that no longer controls your life.
EMDR therapy shows that the mind can heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. For example, when you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR training, we can help you activate your natural healing processes.
For more information, check out this video: INTRODUCTION TO EMDR THERAPY by the EMDR International Association
