Trauma Informed Practice (EMDR & Somatic Therapy)
EMDR is one of the most powerful therapies for eliminating strong emotional reactions to people we love and situations that remind us of past traumas that we may or may not remember.
If you find that you or a loved one become extremely hurt, afraid, or angry it may be because you have been "triggered" by the current situation and are actually re-experiencing a powerful echo from a past experience of abuse, neglect, violence, or abandonment.
EMDR works by using bilateral stimulation, such as your own Rapid Eye Movement, to facilitate processing of the past issue so you no longer have these responses. When you sleep, REM is thought to help you process emotions from the day. Sometimes events are so intense that they are not properly processed. EMDR helps to re-activate your own healing mechanisms to complete this healing.
EMDR also helps you to change negative beliefs about yourself, that started with the original wound, to positive ones that better serve you. This change can help you to live more fully, respond by choice rather than reaction, and feel better about yourself.
In fact, the World Health Organization has recommended EMDR as a gold standard treatment for trauma for the past ten years. You can read here and here for more about that.
EMDR can also help with:
- Panic Attacks
- Complicated Grief
- Dissociative Orders
- Disturbing Memories
- Phobias
- Pain Disorders
- Performance Anxiety
- Addictions
- Stress Reduction
- Sexual and/or Physical Abuse
- Body Dysmorphic Disorders
- Personality Disorders
Somatic Experiencing is a highly effective form of therapy where you gently but effectively reconnect with sources of both trauma and strengths within your own body. You remain in control, and yet, this connection is guided by your therapist as you learn to process, hold, and express old issues that have been holding you back. It is quite intensive, and best for those who feel very stuck yet determined to move forward with their healing.
Feel free to contact me for a free consult to see whether EMDR or Somatic Experiencing are the best approaches for you.