Trauma
Compassionate care for the heavy shadows of the past. Let’s step back into the light together.
Signs of Acute Trauma
- Intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or replaying the event
- Trouble sleeping, nightmares, or waking up startled
- Feeling numb, disconnected, or “not like yourself”
- Difficulty concentrating or staying present
- Avoiding reminders of what happened
- Physical symptoms like tension, headaches, nausea, or fatigue
- Heightened startle response or hypervigilance
Signs of Complex Trauma
Trauma doesn’t always look like a single event; often, it is the lingering weight of chronic or repeated past experiences that refuse to stay in the past. In addition to the signs of acute trauma, it can manifest in the mind and body in unique ways.
- Emotion regulation difficulties (intense emotions, shutting down, emotional overwhelm)
- Persistent shame, guilt, self‑blame, or sense of worthlessness
- Negative self-concept or a sense of being “broken,” “too much,” “not good enough,” “bad,” or “unlovable”
- Chronic self-criticism, perfectionism, or imposter syndrome
- Difficulty trusting others or feeling disconnected
- Relationship challenges, including fear of closeness or conflict
- Difficulty setting boundaries or recognizing your own needs
- A sense of emptiness, numbness, or feeling “shut down”
- Identity disturbances – feeling unsure of who you are and what you want
- Dissociation or feeling detached from yourself or your surroundings
How Trauma Affects You
Trauma is not just in your head—it is in your nervous system. When we experience something overwhelming, our “survival brain” (the amygdala) takes over. For survivors, this switch can get stuck in the “on” position.
This leads to the “Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn” response being activated by everyday stressors. Over time, this chronic stress can cloud your perspective, disrupt your relationships, and make you feel as though you are living in a body that doesn’t belong to you.
Why EMDR is Effective
EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is effective because it directly targets the neurobiological mechanisms that keep traumatic memories stored in a reactive, dysregulated state. During trauma, the amygdala becomes hyperactivated, the hippocampus struggles to encode the experience coherently, and the prefrontal cortex loses regulatory influence. This disruption leaves the memory “stuck” in the nervous system, continuing to trigger emotional, cognitive, and somatic distress.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to engage the brain’s Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) system, facilitating the reconsolidation of traumatic memories. Research shows that bilateral stimulation reduces amygdala activation, increases hippocampal integration, and enhances prefrontal regulation — allowing the memory to shift from a fragmented, threat‑based imprint into a fully processed narrative. This process also supports improvements in autonomic regulation, including reductions in sympathetic arousal and improved vagal tone.
As the memory becomes integrated, clients experience measurable decreases in emotional intensity, negative self‑beliefs, and body‑based activation. These physiological and cognitive shifts make EMDR therapy a highly effective, evidence‑based treatment for trauma, complex trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and chronic nervous system dysregulation
My Approach to Safety and Pacing
Effective trauma therapy requires careful pacing. Entering traumatic material too quickly can overwhelm the nervous system, so my first priority is creating a stable, regulated environment for our work.
We begin by strengthening grounding skills, containment strategies, and overall nervous system regulation. Before starting trauma processing, you’ll have the stabilization needed to stay within your window of tolerance.
You set the pace. My role is to monitor safety, track your regulation, and guide the process so each step remains manageable, attuned, and clinically appropriate for trauma and complex trauma treatment.
When DBT Supports Trauma Work
Sometimes, the nervous system is too overwhelmed to begin EMDR therapy immediately. This is where Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) becomes essential. DBT skills provide the foundation and stability needed for trauma reprocessing.