Trauma Therapy
Trauma is an experience that overwhelms our capacity to regulate our emotions. It can leave you struggling with painful feelings, memories, and anxiety that won’t seem to go away. Perhaps you avoid certain people, events, or situations leaving you feeling disconnected and isolated. Perhaps you engage in alternative coping mechanisms in an attempt to numb the thoughts and pain associated with past experiences.
By definition, trauma is unbearable and intolerable. It takes tremendous energy to keep functioning while attempting to push unwanted memories from the mind or act as if nothing has happened. If not processed correctly, traumatic events can lead to distortions in your sense of self, your outlook on the future, and your ability to function at your highest potential.
Carrying trauma can feel extremely isolating. You no longer need to carry this burden alone. We are equipped to help you move forward into the life you want.
“I am not what happened to me, I am who I choose to become.” -Carl Jung
There is no universal scale for judging someone else’s pain.
It is a common misconception that trauma is only experienced after a life-threatening event. Trauma comes in many forms. Trauma is defined not so much by the event itself, but the emotional and psychological effects an event or series of events has on a person. Two individuals may experience the same event, yet one may develop a trauma response and the other may not.
It is important to remember that developing symptoms of trauma is by no means an indication of psychological weakness. While the pain may feel overwhelming, you are not alone. The word trauma is derived from the Greek word that literally means “wound.” Wounds heal from the inside out.
“Healing doesn’t mean the pain never existed, It means the damage no longer controls our lives.”
EMDR THERAPY
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. This form of trauma therapy was developed by Francine Shapiro in 1987 and incorporates elements from various therapeutic modalities. EMDR is used within a comprehensive treatment approach to accelerate the treatment of a range of clinical issues.
With 30 years of empirically validated research, EMDR has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma or other life distressing experiences. In fact, EMDR is the most researched form of psychotherapy to date for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and it’s effects have been proven to be effective and long-lasting. EMDR has also been successfully utilized to help those with:
Anxiety, fears, and phobias
Depression
Adult and childhood trauma
Eating Disorders
Sexual, physical, and emotional abuse
Grief and loss
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Addiction
Those who have experienced: Divorce, Negative Body Image, Bullying, Abandonment, Disturbing memories
So, How Does it work?
Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. This process involves communication between different parts of the brain:
The amygdala - our alarm signal for stressful events
The hippocampus - assists with learning, including memories about safety and danger
The prefrontal cortex - analyzes and controls behavior and emotion
In most instances, the brain reprocesses painful information over time so that it is stored in our normal memory system. In optimal circumstances, an individual can access memories without being unduly stressed. Sometimes when a highly distressing event is experienced, it interferes with the brains natural process of storing information. The brain’s alarm signal goes off and danger is interpreted, however, the part of the brain that analyzes and controls emotion is unable to fully activate. The brain becomes overwhelmed and normal processes of problem resolution fail to achieve the desired end.
Problems seem to become "frozen" in the mind, and the painful images, thoughts and feelings associated with the event seem to be "locked" in the nervous system, often out of conscious awareness. These memories then have a lasting negative effect on the individual’s emotional and interpersonal functioning in the world.
EMDR helps to unlock painful and negative memories, and helps the brain to more effectively reprocess old information so that it becomes less debilitating. The use of bilateral stimulation of the brain via eye movements, sound, or stimulation allows for a resumption of the normal reprocessing so that images, sounds, thoughts, and feelings can be experienced without undue upset and disorganization. EMDR can work in conjunction with standard psychotherapy, or it can be used as a treatment all by itself.
Ready to take the next step?
A typical EMDR session lasts for 60 minutes; however, in some circumstances, 90 minutes may be more appropriate depending upon your individualized needs. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies. EMDR sessions must occur at least 1x weekly, however, clients have found sessions twice weekly to be most effective.
While EMDR is highly effective, other approaches for trauma counseling can be utilized as well such as cognitive behavioral therapy, behavior therapy utilizing systematic desensitization and various forms of exposure therapy.
Please contact us to schedule an appointment or to set up a complimentary phone consultation to discuss your needs.