Trauma

Experiences in our lives become traumatic when they overwhelm our ability to cope. Traumatic events can range from a single incident event, experiences that are chronic, or even learning about a relative or close friend’s trauma. Some common symptoms of trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) include:

• hypervigilance

• anger or irritability

• difficulty concentrating

• decreased interest in activities and isolation

• nightmares and flashbacks

• insomnia

• avoidance of feelings or external reminders related to the trauma

For individuals suffering with symptoms of trauma or PTSD, exposure work is tailored to your specific trauma using one of the following techniques:

Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy - PE helps clients to gradually approach their trauma-related memories and the associated feelings through clinician-guided exposure. The goal is for the client to decrease their PTSD symptoms and to learn that trauma-related memories and cues are not dangerous and do not need to be avoided, as doing so reinforces their fear. This treatment is provided via weekly sessions, with most people requiring 8-15 sessions. Additionally, these sessions are generally 60-90 minutes in length due to the exposure element.

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) operates on the basis that trauma is stored not only in the brain, but also in the body. During a traumatic event, our brains sometimes process and store memories incorrectly, causing us to feel like painful past memories are very present. Our brain can feel like the past traumatic event is happening currently. EMDR employs a body-based technique called bilateral simulation, during which a therapist will guide a client through eye movements while the client attends to emotionally disturbing material in brief sequential doses. After successful EMDR treatment, clients can notice reduced physiological arousal and distress, and the reformulation of previous negative beliefs.