Trauma Therapy
A gentle process tailored to you
Many of us carry significant wounds from the past. Trauma is a distressing or disturbing experience that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope and leaves a lasting impact on their mental and emotional well-being. It can result from a single event or a series of events that are perceived as threatening, dangerous, or harmful.
Trauma therapy is used to help people cope with distressing memories of traumatic events. It always starts with establishing safety and rapport between the client and the therapist. Different therapeutic approaches may be used based on the specific needs and preferences of the individual.
There are many different ways to treat trauma and together we can explore what approach works best. Before starting any sort of trauma treatment, we will explore the common reactions to trauma and practical coping skills to manage anxiety and distress.
Each therapeutic approach is tailored to you and can be offered online or in person.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an effective way to treat various forms of trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), by helping individuals reprocess traumatic memories and reduce associated symptoms.
EMDR involves a specific type of therapeutic technique known as bilateral stimulation. This typically includes the therapist guiding the individual to move their eyes back and forth horizontally, following the therapist's fingers or a visual stimulus, while recalling traumatic memories or distressing thoughts.
Written Exposure Therapy
Written Exposure Therapy is a brief (5-session) therapy designed to help people work through distressing memories using writing. The core of Written Exposure Treatment involves writing about the traumatic event.
The person is asked to express their thoughts and feelings related to the trauma in a structured way. This may include details of the event, emotions experienced, and their beliefs about the trauma. The person is guided to explore their thoughts and feelings about the trauma in a systematic manner. This can involve breaking down the traumatic memory into smaller parts and addressing each part in a step-by-step fashion. The writing exercises are often repeated over several sessions, allowing the person to become more comfortable and less distressed as they confront and express their thoughts and feelings about the traumatic event.
Throughout this process, I will provide support and feedback before and after the writing exercises to help you navigate any challenges that may arise or make sense of your experiences.
What Therapy Can Feel Like
Clients often describe their therapeutic experience as:
A relief
An opportunity to finally slow down
Making sense of their experience
Letting go of painful memories and emotions
Trauma therapy can sometimes bring up difficult emotions and have us revisit difficult memories. It is always approached from a place of safety, softness and care.
You are always in control of:
What we talk about
How quickly we move
When you feel ready to pause or end therapy
Confidentiality & Safety
Everything shared in therapy is confidential, with a few legal and safety exceptions that will be clearly explained at the start of our work together.