Trauma Treatment (EMDR)

Maybe you are having nightmares or difficulties sleeping at night. 

 

Maybe you find yourself looking at the world or yourself in a different way following a traumatic event. 

 

Maybe you are experiencing prolonged grief following the death of a loved one.

 

Maybe you are facing intense emotions and feel out of control.

 

If a past event is negatively affecting you currently, you deserve healing.

 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) can help relieve your pain.

 

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Trauma seems to be such a buzz-word these days, but what exactly is trauma?

 

Trauma can result from exposure to any single or series of adverse experiences that are emotionally distressing and can cause lasting adverse effects. These effects can manifest in a variety of ways and negatively affect one’s daily functioning and well-being.

 

Below are some experiences that may be traumatic:

 

• Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse

• Witnessing or experiencing a natural disaster 

• Childhood neglect (including emotional)

• Witnessing or experiencing domestic violence

• Witnessing or experiencing violence of any kind

• Sudden or prolonged separation from a loved one

• Learning that a traumatic experience occurred to a close friend or family member

 

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What happened to me wasn’t a major traumatic event, yet it still affects me. Is this still considered trauma?

 

When we think of the word ‘trauma,’ we often think of major traumatic experiences, such as abuse or an assault. However, there are also smaller adverse experiences that we are exposed to everyday (for example bullying during childhood) that can be considered traumatic. Studies have shown that these smaller, adverse experiences can accumulate to have just as great a negative impact as a major traumatic event.

 

Ultimately any adverse event or series of events, no matter the severity, can continue to have negative effects on your present functioning. Whether you have been through a more major experience, such as abuse or witnessing a violent event, or have experienced exposure to smaller traumatic experiences, you deserve to heal from these wounds.

 

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What is PTSD?

 

PTSD stands for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Some common symptoms of PTSD include…

 

• Flashbacks of the traumatic experience

• Nightmares (especially related to the traumatic experience) or difficulty sleeping

• Increased hypervigilance

• Negative view of self, others, or the world following the experience (for example “I am bad,” “I can’t trust anyone”)

• Avoidance of reminders of the traumatic event (for example the place it occurred, people you associate with the experience)

• Increased emotional distress

• Difficulties concentrating

 

These symptoms can develop following a traumatic event. The severity and length of the symptoms varies greatly depending on the situation and the person.

 

Why did an event affect me more than it affected other people with me?

 

The experience of an event being traumatic is highly subjective. Two people can experience the same event and one can be left with lasting negative effects and the other could go on unaffected. If this is the case, we want you to know that your experience and emotions are valid. You deserve healing.

 

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What if the traumatic event happened a long time ago?

 

While we often think that the past is in the past, this is not the case. The past can very much be causing challenges in the present. No matter how much time has passed since the traumatic experience occurred, it could continue to negatively impact your daily functioning and well-being in a variety of ways. Healing can be found no matter how much time has passed.

 

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What is EMDR?

 

“EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.  Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference. It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal.  EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.  When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound.  If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes.  The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health.  If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering.  Once the block is removed, healing resumes.  Using the detailed protocols and procedures learned in EMDR therapy training sessions, clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes.” (Excerpt taken from EMDR Institute, https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/)

 

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Do I need a diagnosis of PTSD to be treated with EMDR therapy?

 

No. Sometimes people go through a traumatic event and have some negative symptoms following the event, but these symptoms do not meet the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis. However, this does not mean that the event is not negatively impacting your functioning and well-being. Just because your symptoms do not meet criteria for a PTSD diagnosis, it does not mean that you don’t deserve healing. 

 

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What if trauma is untreated?

 

Ultimately if you simply try to bury and forget about your trauma, it won’t go away. Until you go back and heal from the traumatic experience, it will continue to affect you. It can negatively impact your relationships, decision-making, employment functioning, or emotional coping. 

 

Additionally, it has been shown that people who have experienced a traumatic experience have a higher likelihood of turning to unhealthy ways of coping, such as abusing substances or engaging in other risky behaviors. These unhealthy coping mechanisms can further negatively impact your well-being.

 

 

You are so resilient. You deserve to take the next step towards healing.

 

Ready to start?

 

You can call us at 804-203-2778 or email us at jenna@flourishcounselingservices.org at any time. We are happy to address any outstanding questions or concerns to get started in the counseling process. Give us a call today!