Trauma

How can boundaries and EMDR psychotherapy work together? Well, first let's think about what you do to cope or manage your feelings? How do you feel safe? What makes you feel more powerful or less alone? Perhaps you cope with the discomfort and pain of the past by bending over backward for others? Or maybe saying yes when you are already exhausted is a problem for you. Do you people-please and overindulge people you know don't have your best interest at heart? Or find you are routinely beating yourself up for winding up in situations that are unfulfilling, painful, or even [...]

Performance anxiety is nothing new. But, EMDR psychotherapy treatment may help if you can relate to the following: The big game is about to start. You’ve been practicing and training for this moment for a long time. Everyone tells you how good you are and an asset to the team. However, just before you step onto the field, you freeze. You suddenly are filled with self-doubt. What if you aren’t as good as everyone says you are? Are you a fraud? There was that time a year ago when you made a big mistake that cost your team the match. What [...]

It’s been a great week. Things have been better than usual. You’ve been able to go to work and get your projects completed. At home, you played with your toddler and enjoy the moment, stress-free. Then, just when you let your guard down, you experience a PTSD trigger. Instantly, those memories come flashing back.  Emotionally, you skid out as you wonder how to deal with PTSD triggers once and for all. It can be difficult coping with PTSD triggers. They are not just reminders of a painful time in your life. They keep you feeling threatened and on edge. What’s the [...]

Unresolved trauma can be hard to spot. It can be confusing to undertrained therapist, physicians and patients alike. You may recognize it as a common meme idea: “Why am I like this?” But beneath the humor might lie something you need to explore. We all have those times when we do something that surprises us. For some folks, this may actually sound like your default setting. It’s as if something unknown is motivating you. If your behavior puzzles you, it only makes sense to figure out what’s going on. The Importance of Understanding Trauma Most people have a very specific idea about [...]

You may have even resigned yourself to the idea that recovering from sexual assault isn't possible. Are you reminded daily about the trauma related to your sexual assault? In the morning you might arise after a restless night of trying to sleep. Occasionally, a new reminder or memory may intrude on your thoughts. Memories that you didn’t realize were related to that terrible time may be triggered when you least suspect it. It feels terrible.  In fact, you’ve may have already been to therapy, but feel that experience just made things worse. Don't give up. Sexual abuse recovery is possible thanks [...]

In a financial climate that includes record unemployment and massive changes in industries across the board, many people are experiencing challenges in their careers. In some cases, their career paths have disappeared! This may feel impossible to accept. It may be even harder to move on. Regardless, it’s time to seek help. But where do you look for the healing you need? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) may just be the answer to your questions. It’s a unique form of psychotherapy that often begins to get results for patients in just a few sessions. EMDR: Proven Support with Fast Results [...]

EMDR and your brain, act as a powerful healing team. Together, they can help you survive and thrive despite trauma. EMDR therapy can help improve or change old perceptions, soothe past hurts, and make the future bright again. Does this seem doubtful? That's fair. When you're hurting and traumatized, healing can feel far away. The distress, emotions, and memories connected to your trauma may even feel insurmountable. Yet, the beauty of EMDR is that it uses your brain's amazing capacity to challenge and reorient the negativity of the past with the positivity and insight of the present. Let's explore this further: [...]

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder, or CPTSD, doesn't spring up overnight.  That means that recovering from complex PTSD requires commitment. It’s terrible to acknowledge, but often, there are years of abuse and trauma involved. Emotional and physical scars probably make up a significant part of your history. Still, you are a survivor and there are solutions available for CPTSD recovery. These stages of trauma recovery are a kind of healing roadmap. And clients tell me that just having such a plan can provide reassurance and clarity that makes a big difference. Where once you experienced nightmares, flashbacks, and constant anxiety, there is [...]

Chronic pain, by definition, persists and lingers in the body. Suffering continues well after your injury heals or fades away. In fact, your brain and body register pain for months or even years after damage occurs. It is no huge leap then to conceive that complex PTSD and chronic pain go hand-in-hand. After all, the emotional pain that comes from suffering years or even decades of trauma also becomes stuck in the body. If it is not processed, the tension takes up residence in the nervous system. Over time, your unresolved past can become very present, debilitating physical pain. If you [...]

Resilience for trauma and PTSD treatment, as well as your own commitment to recovery, will serve you well as you look towards the future. Instead of feeling trapped in the past,  promoting resilience allows you to develop confidence and calm. In time, you can know for certain that if you do experience a trigger or distressing event, you have the tools to handle it. Consider how these three major benefits of resilience for trauma and PTSD treatment can help you. 1. Confidence in Your Capabilities One of the debilitating effects of trauma and PTSD is that you feel powerless. You were [...]