"Trauma is hell on earth. Trauma resolved is a gift from the gods." -Peter Levine
Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
I consider myself to be a trauma therapist and have always worked with clients who have undergone some of the most difficult challenges in life. I work extensively with:
I assist clients to understand that trauma and PTSD, or posttraumatic stress disorder, is an injury to the body. It is an injury to the nervous system. I don’t mean like a concussion or a traumatic brain injury, but it does cause physiological changes in the brain and body that are in need of healing, physically.
It is also important for clients to understand that trauma often is, but doesn’t have to be huge, overwhelming, catastrophic, or devastating life events. Trauma can also be repetitious, less severe, but nonetheless painful and disturbing situations. These can be experiences that make us feel powerless, helpless, hopeless, angry, shameful, etc., that occur over a period time. So often people say, “others have gone through so much worse” and feel they don’t deserve to have the symptoms of trauma they are having. These are often experiences that happened during childhood such as witnessing domestic violence, experiencing abuse or neglect, living in a chaotic home or neighborhood, or being bullied or alienated by peers. Vicarious trauma, seeing others that we care about going through awful situations, can severely effect one as well. These types of events can impact and hurt our nervous system and cause long lasting effects on a person. And they cause real, physiological harm to our brains and bodies.
The good news is one can heal from all this! Through understanding of how posttraumatic stress reactions occur from a mind-body, or nervous system perspective, one can recognize where and how the natural healing process has failed to occur after traumatic experiences. And through this understanding, treatment methods can be used to strategically re-activate this natural healing process in organized and ordered ways.
To do so, I am certified in and most often use a technique called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) which is a very effective, efficient and evidence-based method to not just reduce trauma symptoms, but to resolve the trauma distress and disturbance. However, I am trained in and incorporate many different methods and modalities when treating clients in order to meet each's unique needs.
Being able to facilitate the gift of trauma resolution has and continues to be an honor and a gift to me.
About EMDR Therapy - EMDR International Association (emdria.org)
- Those living with chronic illness and/or chronic pain.
- Survivors of physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
- Survivors of violent crimes.
- Survivors of natural disasters and serious accidents or injuries.
- Relationship and attachment trauma.
- Those who have experienced traumatic loss and complicated grief reactions.
- Military personnel and veterans.
- Firefighters, EMS and other first responders.
- Healthcare Workers and Medical Personnel
- Law enforcement officers.
- Correctional officers.
I assist clients to understand that trauma and PTSD, or posttraumatic stress disorder, is an injury to the body. It is an injury to the nervous system. I don’t mean like a concussion or a traumatic brain injury, but it does cause physiological changes in the brain and body that are in need of healing, physically.
It is also important for clients to understand that trauma often is, but doesn’t have to be huge, overwhelming, catastrophic, or devastating life events. Trauma can also be repetitious, less severe, but nonetheless painful and disturbing situations. These can be experiences that make us feel powerless, helpless, hopeless, angry, shameful, etc., that occur over a period time. So often people say, “others have gone through so much worse” and feel they don’t deserve to have the symptoms of trauma they are having. These are often experiences that happened during childhood such as witnessing domestic violence, experiencing abuse or neglect, living in a chaotic home or neighborhood, or being bullied or alienated by peers. Vicarious trauma, seeing others that we care about going through awful situations, can severely effect one as well. These types of events can impact and hurt our nervous system and cause long lasting effects on a person. And they cause real, physiological harm to our brains and bodies.
The good news is one can heal from all this! Through understanding of how posttraumatic stress reactions occur from a mind-body, or nervous system perspective, one can recognize where and how the natural healing process has failed to occur after traumatic experiences. And through this understanding, treatment methods can be used to strategically re-activate this natural healing process in organized and ordered ways.
To do so, I am certified in and most often use a technique called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) which is a very effective, efficient and evidence-based method to not just reduce trauma symptoms, but to resolve the trauma distress and disturbance. However, I am trained in and incorporate many different methods and modalities when treating clients in order to meet each's unique needs.
Being able to facilitate the gift of trauma resolution has and continues to be an honor and a gift to me.
About EMDR Therapy - EMDR International Association (emdria.org)
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