TRAUMA & EMDR

WHAT IS TRAUMA?

The word “trauma” is covers any deeply distressing or disturbing experience.   Many therapists look at trauma as either Big T Trauma and little t trauma.  Big T Trauma is what many would undeniably assume as traumatic such as car accidents, active duty military experiences in wartime, being physically assaulted or being involved in a natural disaster. Little t traumas aren't always as easy to identify but are just as harmful.  They can be everyday issues such as having a difficult boss, being criticized by parents or peers, bullying or having a relationship end.  These traumas can build layer upon layer and if they are not processed effectively they can cause symptoms that are just as impactful as Big T traumas.  They can plant that tiny voice in your head that says "You are broken.  It's all my fault.  You are helpless."  You might find random things trigger these feeling like sounds, places and even smells.  This might make you feel like you are different or like no one understands what you are going through in situations everyone else appears to be OK in.

Trauma overwhelms our brain and traumatic experiences can make our bodies feel on constant alert for the next bad thing to happen. However there is hope, and healing is possible.  I would be honored to help guide you to the other side of trauma.

A SIMPLE EXPLANATION OF EMDR

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a type of therapy that enables you to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Many assume that they are stuck with this, or that it will take a very long time to heal. When you cut your hand, your body knows how to heal the wound. If a foreign object constantly irritates that wound, your body will continue to struggle to heal that until the object is removed. In a similar way, our brains need assistance in removing blocks that are not allowing the brain to heal itself. EMDR will help you remove mental blocks to engage your natural healing process.

Our brain works hard to protect us and grow us. When disturbing things happen to us, our brain tries to organize the event and understand it. Sometimes, things get stored in a way that feels "stuck" - much like a foreign object in a wound. This can cause us to feel that we are not functioning the way we would like.

HOW DOES EMDR WORK?

EMDR therapy occurs through an 8-step process. We start with learning a little about what is bothering you and a lot about the rest of your history. One of the things I see clients appreciate most about EMDR is that they don’t have to relive their trauma, they don’t have to tell me all the details. After history taking, we will work on “resourcing” to ensure you feel confident in your ability to regulate your emotions and keep yourself safe when the emotions and memories become distressing. For most people, this takes longer than they want–usually a month or two, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer.  I go at a pace that is comfortable for each client.

The next portion of therapy is about “reprocessing” traumatic memories. Disclaimer: It’s a little complicated, so this is the very basic description. I will ask you to think of the memory and notice what you are thinking and feeling while you follow my fingers back and forth across the room with your eyes. This is “bilateral stimulation” of the brain–getting both sides of the brain to work together–and it can happen with the eye movements or with a buzzing device you hold in each hand, tapping your legs, and other ways. The goal is to get both sides of the brain activated so they can clear up the stuck points the trauma has created.

WHY WOULD I NEED EMDR THERAPY?

Often when trauma occurs, information can get stuck or stored in the brain in unhelpful ways and continue to negatively effect you–think: flashbacks, nightmares, high anxiety, depression, difficulty in relationships, and on and on. The old stored information can be triggered in the present and can cause you to have thoughts, feelings or sensations that transport you right back to the time the trauma occurred. This affects the way we see the world and how we relate with others.

For most, negative beliefs like “I am worthless,” “I am bad,” “It’s all my fault,” or “I am not good enough,” which are born out of many types of big or small traumas, can drive reactions, relationships and feelings about ourselves in our present day lives. EMDR uses eye movements (similar to what occurs during REM sleep) to help facilitate information processing, and relieve the negative effects of trauma in your life and the negative beliefs that go with it. You will still remember what happened but it will become less upsetting so that you are no longer reliving the feelings, images and sounds related to the traumatic event that occurred.  It will feel like looking at an old, faded photograph instead of being transported right in front of the camera again.

HOW FAST DOES EMDR WORK?

The length of treatment is going to be vastly different for each person depending on the extent of their trauma, emotion regulation skills, feeling of safety in the world, ability to trust the therapist, beliefs that block access to the trauma, etc. The literature will tell you about cases in which it took less than 2 months and for some people, that can be realistic, but those folks typically have one traumatic experience they’re working on, great support systems, and are ready to jump in on day one. For most folks I’ve worked with, the length of treatment looks pretty similar to other forms of therapy…but with far better results. In six months to a year, I’ve seen clients’ lives change dramatically. When we start EMDR, I ask you commit to six months so neither of us get stuck in the “it’s not better yet” thought pattern.

CAN THE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA GET BETTER?

Absolutely. That’s what I’m here to help with.