POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)

Trauma is an emotional response to a distressing event or series of events that can have lasting effects on an individual’s mental and physical health. Trauma symptoms present in many ways including, eating disorders, painful emotions, chronic pain, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues. Mood disorders such as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation may also be caused by trauma. It is essential to address both the physical and psychological symptoms of trauma to promote comprehensive healing.

PTSD can present after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. Symptoms may include nightmares, flashbacks, extreme anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Our PTSD therapists are skilled in treating complex PTSD, helping clients manage their symptoms and reclaim their old way of life.

ACUTE STRESS DISORDER

EMDR is a therapeutic approach that facilitates the body’s natural ability to process and heal traumatic memories. Francine Shapiro pioneered this therapeutic approach originally to treat Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but it is also used to effectively reduce symptoms for a range of mental health problems. EMDR is based on the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model which posits that when we experience trauma, our brains store the memories incorrectly.

These memory networks affect how we experience the world in the present and form the basis of perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs about the traumatic event. When traumatic memories are stored incorrectly, present-day triggers can make us feel as though the traumatic event is happening in the here-and-now. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (BLS) to replicate the processing that occurs in the brain during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. In this way, clients are able to reprocess the traumatic memories and eliminate dysfunctional responses in the present.