LMFT
Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Trauma can be the root of many mental illnesses and thus needs to be treated in conjunction with other disorders. EMDR was designed to treat trauma and PTSD and is the most effective treatment for both. Additionally, through CBT and individual psychotherapy, we work on acceptance, self-esteem, and healing. It is important to remember that trauma is different for everyone and can be anything.
-
Reliving the event in thought or play
-
Nightmares and sleep disturbances
-
Becoming very upset when something causes memories of the event
-
Intense ongoing fear or sadness
-
Irritability and angry outbursts
-
Constantly looking for possible threats, being easily startled
-
Acting helpless, hopeless or withdrawn
-
Denying that the event happened or feeling numb
-
Avoiding places or people associated with the event
Teens have symptoms more similar to adult PTSD as well as;
-
Fear, worry, sadness, anger, feeling alone and isolated
-
feeling as if people are looking down on them
-
lack of self-worth
-
lack of trust for others
-
Aggression
-
Out-of-place sexual behavior
-
Self-harm
-
Abuse of drugs or alcohol
CBT Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or C.B.T., is a form of therapy that uses cognitive restructuring to identify and challenge negative and irrational thoughts; these thoughts are called cognitive distortions. An irregular amount of cognitive distortions can be linked to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. The CBT approach leverages the strong link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to treat depression and anxiety.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a proven method to aid in the recovery from trauma and benefiting those suffering from PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.
The American Psychiatric Association, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs/Dept. of Defense, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the World Health Organization among many other national and international organizations recognize EMDR therapy as an effective treatment.
EMDR allows for the brain to perform its natural healing process on the trauma. This natural process is a communication between the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex. To stimulate these areas, a patient can follow a light back and forth, hold buzzers in their hands, or listen to sounds; they are equally effective. Sometimes EMDR can accelerate treatment because there isn’t a need to collect an entire backstory, a multi-session event. The result of EMDR does not eliminate the memory of the traumatic event but removes the emotional response. Finally, EMDR can be useful in curing sleep disturbances and terrors.