ONLINE THERAPY FOR TRAUMA AND EMDR IN FL, CA, & TN.
IN PERSON THERAPY IN TAMPA BAY, FL
Heal your past, Live in the present, & Create hope for your future.
Trauma may not be what you think it is…
Trauma affects most of us to one degree or another. We have come to understand that trauma is any experience or series of events that cause one to feel fear, overwhelm, or feelings of helplessness. The emotional distress experienced during this event is unable to be processed effectively by the mind and gets “stuck” in the body. This invisible wound often affects our emotional, physical, mental, and social well-being.
Maybe you know that some of your past experiences have been traumatic or maybe you have begun to notice some symptoms, behaviors or reactions that you can’t make sense of. You may think “that was in the past, I’m over that now.” But you also feel like all your efforts to feel better or break free of the patterns you feel stuck in just doesn’t seem to help or the relief doesn’t seem to last very long.
Some signs that you may be struggling with unprocessed trauma include:
physical symptoms such as high blood pressure/ increased heart rate when at rest, chronic fatigue, digestive issues i.e. IBS, reoccurring headaches/migraines, sleep disturbance or difficulty relaxing, persistent physical tension or pain.
emotional symptoms such as feeling anxious and overwhelmed, panic attacks, irritability, anger outbursts, depressed mood, crying easily, mood swings, experiencing guilt or shame, struggling to feel happy or joyful.
mental symptoms such as difficulty focusing, memory issues, intrusive memories of past events, running all possible “what if” scenarios in your mind, difficulty staying present i.e. daydreaming, spacing out.
social symptoms such as withdrawal, avoidance of social settings, people-pleasing behaviors, putting everyone else’s needs above yours then feeling resentful, feeling disconnected.
behavioral symptoms such as substance abuse, perfectionism, numbing, avoidance, engaging in risky behaviors.
Unprocessed trauma blocks the flow of inner resources and the ability to return to a state of well-being. Addressing the trauma and the internalized thoughts, feelings, and body sensations associated with it allows for the natural flow to return.
“Trauma is not what happens to you. Trauma is what happens inside of you as a result of what happens to you.” - Gabor Mate
I’m here to help you process the past so you can enjoy your life again.
EMDR therapy can help you get unstuck from the past.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a psychotherapy approach used to treat traumatic experiences, whether they be major traumatic events or upsetting life experiences. EMDR is well researched and has been proven highly effective in treating people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Many have also found it helpful in addressing other emotional and physical conditions such as depression, anxiety, phobias, addiction, and chronic pain.
When we are extremely distressed, it overwhelms our usual ability to cope and the brain does not process information as it would normally. Instead, the disturbing event and our stress response to it is stored in a network of associated memories and experiences. The experience becomes “stuck” because the brain is not able to process the images, sounds, smells, emotions, and body sensations that were part of the original event. When this memory network is later triggered, all or part of the traumatic reaction can occur again and again, often with the same degree of intensity. Over time this kind of traumatic stress can have a lasting effect that interferes with the way we see the world and others in it. This type of stress can also impair our body’s ability to maintain physical health. Headaches, digestive problems, insomnia, pain, fatigue, lowered immunity, and other health problems often accompany unresolved trauma and loss.
In an EMDR session, the eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation such as tapping or listening to alternating sounds with headphones support adaptive processing in the memory network so that we no longer “relive” the event when we bring it to mind. We still remember what happened, but it disturbs us less in the present, and we stay more connected to our inner strengths and resources.
What we’ll work on:
Co-creating a safe space and trusting therapeutic relationship that allows this deep and meaningful work to take place
Make connections between what you are experiencing in present to experiences in the past
Developing coping skills and internal and external resources for managing stress, anxiety and challenging situations
Utilize EMDR along with other trauma interventions to process the past and experience relief from the physical, mental and emotional distress related to it
Gain new insight and internalize new ways of thinking and feeling about the past to create lasting change
FAQS
What others have wondered about therapy for trauma…
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More questions? Check out my FAQs page.
