TAKE BACK
YOUR LIFE.
Trauma wears many faces.
Unfortunately, bad things sometimes happen to good people. What's worse is that those bad things, which have threatened the safety of you or someone you care about, can lead to paralyzing and debilitating effects, like night terrors, reliving painful memories, intense anger and/or aggression, dissolving relationships, dissociation, depression and anxiety. In the therapy world, we call this experience trauma. You may just know it as a painful reality in which you feel stuck.
The good news is that these traumatic events no longer have to control your life. We are trained to help you reprocess your experiences to help you move forward with living your life. Whether you've experienced ABUSE, COMBAT, DEVELOPMENTAL TRAUMA, or other LIFE-ALTERING events, peace can be a part of your new reality, and you can learn to live in the PRESENT, navigating stress, rather than feeling oppressed by it.
Stress and Anxiety
Today's world is full of stress, and presents in many forms. Whether work, family, relationships, school, or unrealistic expectations, stress often creeps its way into your life, and leaves you feeling stuck. Have you tried "fixing" it, but had no consistent success? When we are conditioned to believe we don't have time for much of anything, we try fixing our problems with the most ready and available option at the time. The problem, here, is that we are seeking solutions from a state of stress. When we become fixated on unrealistic goals, we become anxious, judgmental, and shameful. Anything less than perfection, is failure. If that sounds/feels familiar to you, consider exploring this experience to learn more about it. We help you thorugh experiential processes that go beyond words and analytical thinking, getting to the root of your stress. The more awareness you have, the more space that gets created. Space softens the need to react.
E
Eye
M
Movement
D
Desensitization
R
Reprocessing
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is an evidenced-based and highly effective therapeutic method developed to help clients move beyond barriers to the brain's natural ability to heal, caused by traumatic experiences. When one experiences trauma, the brain is altered. The experience is not processed properly, therefore, the memory becomes directly associated with thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and physical sensations that took place during the traumatic experience. Rather than focusing on thoughts or feelings, the therapist guides the client in focusing directly on the memory causing painful experiences. By reprocessing or changing the way the memory is stored in the brain, clients are able to regain presence in their lives without the painful symptoms once associated with the traumatic memory. The memory becomes simply a memory, not an automatic trigger for reliving components of the event. This method requires specific training, and should only be performed by a licensed clinician who has completed the training and supervision.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Parts Work
IFS is a n evidenced-based therapeutic model based on the belief that we all have multiple parts. There are no bad parts. They simply use strategies to help us navigate our experiences. Sometimes, our parts are helpful. Other times, our parts may be well-intended, but their strategies are actually inhibiting us in some way. Whether attempting to manage us or react to perceived threat, our parts are simply trying to protect us. Consider our parts to be like a board room. Each member is valuable, and has specific strategies to help the organization thrive. However, the CEO or Chairperson represents the organization. If one of those board members hijacks the Chair's position, representing the entire organization, there is a skewed representation. IFS helps us regain access to Self, in order to be present, curious, compassionate, confident, etc., and navigate our lives with purpose and intention. In terms of healing from trauma, IFS has been shown to be powerfully effective in helping our protective parts release their grip enough to more accurately discern threat from discomfort, and respond accordingly.
