“Someone who has experienced trauma also has gifts to offer all of us – in their depth, their knowledge of our universal vulnerability and their experience of the power of compassion.” – Sharon Salzberg
Have you experienced an assault, a car accident, the sudden loss of a loved one, or a serious illness? As a child, did you endure chronic abuse, neglect, or bullying? Do seemingly “normal” stresses cause you to experience disturbing memories, intrusive thoughts and images, or physical sensations that fill you with intense feelings of fear, rage, and shame? Do you sometimes become so numb and disconnected that you stop feeling anything at all?
These responses are common symptoms of trauma, which is clinically defined as a deeply disturbing or distressing experience that makes us feel powerless and out of control. You might be surprised to learn that events like these don’t have to affect us directly to be traumatizing. We can become infected with “secondary trauma" when a loved one experiences a traumatic event. Regardless, the long-term effects are the same. Traumatized people often feel isolated, overwhelmed, and unable to trust anyone, even themselves. Without treatment, they can suffer serious and permanent threats to their health, ability to form and maintain relationships, and capacity to live a productive and satisfying life.
Trauma is much more common than you might expect. Roughly 70% of American adults will experience some form of trauma during their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Nearly half of our nation’s children will have their lives disrupted by experiences of severe childhood trauma.
Knowing that trauma can play a central role in many diseases and disorders, I chose a concentration in treating trauma, abuse, and neglect when I earned my MA in Professional Counseling. I subsequently secured training as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), and Brainspotting clinician. In our work together, I’ll draw on these and other highly effective approaches to help you resolve the symptoms of trauma and traumatic stress.
EMDR is particularly effective for those who have experienced a single traumatic incident, with 84-90% of those treated reporting they become symptom-free. More than 50% of those contending with complex trauma also reported similar results. Both the American Psychiatric Association and the Department of Veterans Affairs recommend EMDR therapy to treat complex and single-incident types of trauma.
Trauma Therapy Can Help You Heal From the Past
If you or a loved one have experienced one or more traumatic events, then I urge you to call at (602) 399-7871 or contact me here to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation. For those with busy schedules, I offer flexible appointment times that include some night and weekend hours.