Trauma Therapy
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), trauma is “an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster.” Symptoms of psychological trauma impacting your life can include, anxiety, fear, hopeless feelings, feeling numb or disconnected, moodswings, disbelief, depression, self blame, and many others. Our approach is that if it is distressing to you and your life, it doesn’t matter how it is defined. The traumas in our life often shape how we are and how we react to events in our current lives. It creates the view of how we see the world. Trauma therapy can help to widen the perspective and help lessen the impact of the symptoms felt every day.
A trauma therapist or a trauma informed therapist is someone who can help you assess where you are struggling, help you develop coping mechanisms, and to address the negative thoughts and behavior that typically are associated with trauma. Trauma therapy may take place once a week for a length of time, or two times a week for a shortened period of time. This depends on the type of trauma, client availability, client and therapist fit, client resiliency, time, your perceptions, and outside support.
Some trauma therapy may include more intensive modalities such as EMDR.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies. After the therapist and client agree that EMDR therapy is a good fit, the client will work through the eight phases of EMDR therapy with their therapist. Attention will be given to a negative image, belief, emotion, and body sensation related to this event, and then to a positive belief that would indicate the issue was resolved. A typical EMDR therapy session lasts from 60-90 minutes. EMDR therapy may be used within a standard talking therapy, as an adjunctive therapy with a separate therapist, or as a treatment all by itself. Clients are encouraged to research EMDR prior to their visit but will also have a thorough explanation of the process during their first session. Crane Counseling has experience with clients who have experienced both physical and emotional abuse, house fires, work related trauma, death, car accidents, gun violence, and medical related traumas.Crane Counseling has experience with clients who have experienced both physical and emotional abuse, house fires, work related trauma, death, car accidents, gun violence, and medical related traumas.
Source: EMDR International Association. October 5, 2021. www.emdria.org.