“Trauma’s not what happens to us; trauma’s what happens inside us. ”
— Gabor Mate
nightmare, flashback

Trauma and PTSD

Many individuals can experience symptoms associated with painful and traumatic circumstances. Anxiety, fear, and hopelessness are a few emotions that can linger post traumatic events. I can help you overcome these symptoms and guide you through the process of grief and healing. I'm trained in EMDR therapy which has been proven to be effective for treating trauma and PTSD.

Many people don’t even know they’re suffering from trauma, but they do know they’re experiencing insomnia, flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, panic attacks, hypervigilance, shame, hopelessness, self-harm, irritability, health problems, and having relationship problems.

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, EMDR may be helpful for you. Through thorough assessments, we will determine if EMDR is for you.

ptsd questionnaire

EMDR Therapy

I am a certified EMDR therapist which means that I help you heal from old psychological wounds that are keeping you stuck today feeling overwhelmed, anxious and unfulfilled in your life and relationships. We get to the root of what’s troubling you.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables you to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences (yes, oftentimes old childhood ‘issues’).

Traumatic or distressing life experiences leave you stuck with emotionally charged negative memories, thoughts, emotions, and body sensations that can still greatly affect you today. Through EMDR therapy we reprocess these old experiences as well as current triggers (such as anxiety, depression, flashbacks, nightmares, etc.) to leave you feeling free and able to focus on creating the future you desire.

Learn about how EMDR therapy works, what it is like, and how widely it is recognized.
emdr research

EMDR helps with…

 

  • Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias

  • Chronic Illness and medical issues

  • Depression and bipolar disorders

  • Dissociative disorders

  • Eating disorders

  • Grief and loss

  • Pain

  • Performance anxiety

  • Personality disorders

  • PTSD and other trauma and stress-related issues

  • Sexual assault

  • Sleep disturbance

  • Substance abuse and addiction

  • Violence and abuse

Things to know before starting EMDR reprocessing:

You should be prepared to possibly re-experience emotionally intense and painful memories. It is my job to help you remember the trauma or adverse event cognitively, emotionally, and physically while also keeping you grounded in the present. In essence, one foot will be in the past with associated memories, emotions, negative beliefs, and body sensations, and the other foot will be grounded in the present where you know you are safe.

  • Forgotten and suppressed experiences may reemerge during EMDR therapy. For example, while processing a current trigger, an old memory may arise that is linked to the current problem that you may have forgotten.

  • After reprocessing traumatic memories and adverse life experiences, these memories are not forgotten, but are stored in the brain in an adaptive way - meaning they no longer have such intense emotions, negative beliefs, and body sensations attached to them. They’re now, “just an old memory.” 

  • This reprocessing may take several sessions to “clear” the negative emotional, physical, and cognitive intensity; therefore, reprocessing may continue between sessions. Make sure to use your weekly log report for us to discuss whatever arises during your following session.

  • Additionally, reprocessing negative memories makes way for positive memories to emerge that were forgotten. The dark cloud tends to dissipate making way for lighter, brighter, more positive memories and outlook for the future.