What is Trauma? 

Trauma refers to an emotional response to a distressing event or series of events that exceeds a person's ability to cope. Trauma can result from a wide range of experiences, including but not limited to physical or sexual abuse, natural disasters, accidents, or witnessing violence.

Trauma can have profound effects on a person's mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It can disrupt the way a person views themselves, others, and the world, leading to symptoms such as anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, and difficulty trusting others. Trauma is not just about the event itself but also about how a person experienced and interpreted the event.

Trauma therapy aims to help individuals process and make sense of their traumatic experiences, reduce symptoms, and regain a sense of safety and control in their lives.

COMPLEX TRAUMA

Complex trauma is a term we use to describe experiences where a person has been exposed to multiple or prolonged traumatic events, especially during childhood. These events can include things like abuse, neglect, or violence. Complex trauma can have lasting effects on how you see yourself, how you relate to others, and how you experience the world around you. It can lead to difficulties in managing emotions, forming healthy relationships, and feeling safe.

Our work together will focus on helping you understand how these experiences have impacted you and develop strategies to heal from them. We'll explore how your past experiences are affecting your present life and work towards building a sense of safety, trust, and resilience.

“Trauma occurs from any experience in childhood that is dysfunctional or less than nurturing.”

-Pia Mellody, in Facing Codependence

Examples of Complex Trauma:

  • Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse that occurs repeatedly over an extended period of time.

  • Chronic neglect of a child's basic needs, such as food, shelter, and emotional nurturing.

  • Growing up in a household where one or both caregivers are abusive or violent towards each other or the children.

  • Living in a war zone or experiencing political violence over an extended period.

  • Growing up in a neighborhood with high levels of violence or crime.

  • Being the target of persistent bullying or harassment over a long period of time.

  • Being trafficked for labor, sex, or other purposes, often involving prolonged exploitation and abuse.

  • Abuse or neglect experienced in institutional settings such as orphanages, foster care, or residential treatment facilities.

Trauma-Informed Therapy

Trauma-informed therapy is an approach that emphasizes safety, trustworthiness, and empowerment for survivors of trauma. It integrates knowledge about the impact of trauma into all aspects of treatment, prioritizing the client's voice, choice, and autonomy in their healing journey. This approach aims to create a supportive and empowering environment that recognizes and builds on the resilience and strengths of the individual.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

EMDR bases it’s treatment approach around the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model. The AIP model is a theoretical framework that explains how memories are stored in the brain networks, and when a traumatic or distressing event occurs, the memory may become "stuck" and not processed adaptively. This can lead to the development of symptoms associated with trauma.

EMDR aims to reprocess these memories so that they can be integrated adaptively into the individual's overall memory network. The therapy involves accessing the targeted memory while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, taps, or sounds. This bilateral stimulation is believed to activate the brain's information processing system, allowing the memory to be reprocessed and integrated more effectively.

During EMDR sessions, we will first identify a specific memory or event that continues to cause distress. While you bring this memory to mind, I will guide you in a series of bilateral stimulation, such as following my finger with your eyes, using butterfly taps, or listening to alternating sounds. Throughout the process, you will remain in control, and we will work together to ensure you feel safe and supported.

EMDR is not about erasing memories, but rather about helping you process them in a way that reduces their hold on you and allows you to move forward in your healing journey.