At Lifestance Health we know that trauma is a life-changing event, and we aim to help you make sense of past life experiences and overcome hardships. Whether you have experienced childhood physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse or neglect, a sexual assault, a form of violence, combat or a natural disaster, therapy can help you regain your strength to meet the challenges ahead.
Symptoms of trauma can include:
-
Avoidance Symptoms
- Avoiding specific locations, sights, situations, and sounds that serve as reminders of the event
- Anxiety, depression, numbness, or guilt
-
Re-experiencing Symptoms
- Intrusive thoughts, nightmares, or flashbacks
-
Hyperarousal Symptoms
- Anger, irritability, and hypervigilance
- Aggressive, reckless behavior, including self-harm
- Sleep disturbances
-
Negative Mood and Cognition Symptoms
- Loss of interest in activities that were once considered enjoyable
- Difficulty remembering details of the distressing event
- Change in habits or behavior since the trauma
Some people recover from trauma as time passes and with the support of family and friends, even bouncing back with great resiliency. However for many, the effects of trauma are lasting, causing us to live with deep emotional pain, fear, confusion, or post-traumatic stress – far after the event has passed. Often, the support, guidance, and assistance of mental health professionals is crucial to healing from trauma.
Over time, therapy for trauma and abuse can help you:
- Regain your sense of self
- Feel better – relieving signs of depression and anxiety
- Resolve painful or disturbing memories
- Create a new story for your future and feel happy again
EMDR THERAPY
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a research-based technique that helps individuals resolve painful or disturbing memories. A relatively new development in psychology, EMDR was originally designed to help those suffering from PTSD, but is also effective for less traumatic memories that may be difficult to emotionally process. There are a number of phases in an EMDR treatment, but the focus is on the client thinking about a particular memory while moving his/her eyes in a side-to-side motion. This motion, called bilateral stimulation, appears to help facilitate communication between both hemispheres of the brain which unlocks its healing power.
The technique can help with the following types of trauma or issues:
- Childhood emotional, physical or sexual abuse
- Accidents
- Combat experiences
- Negative self-talk that frequently interferes with relationships, job functioning, etc.
- Substance abuse
- Obsessive/compulsive behaviors (OCD)
At Lifestance Health our team of experienced and licensed professionals are ready to help support you today. We accept many insurance plans and offer evening and weekend appointments for your convenience. Let us know how we can help you on your road to recovery. Contact us to make an appointment.
