.png/:/cr=t:8.19%25,l:34.77%25,w:51.29%25,h:76.92%25/rs=w:1209,h:1209,cg:true,m)
Trauma
As a trauma specialist, I understand that 'trauma' is a confusing and overused word in today’s culture and can mean different things to different folks. The word literally means: wound, shock or injury. While not everyone who experiences trauma develops a stress disorder, trauma often leaves a lasting emotional response in its wake. It can leave you feeling overwhelmed, scared or disconnected from the world around you. It is a deeply personal response, whether from a single incident or something that’s happened over time. If you are struggling, you are not alone. Healing is possible. As a trauma specialist, I utilize multiple approaches to support you in exploring the impact of your distressing experiences and guide you through your healing. I help you process, create healthy resources and improve your overall well-being by reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression and PTSD. Recovery from trauma takes time and you don’t have to face it alone. Through compassionate guidance, you can begin to make sense of your trauma, reconnect with yourself and build a sense of safety and trust. You deserve a path to healing and to live the life you dream.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidenced-based psychotherapy technique used to heal trauma and other distressing experiences. It is not talk therapy, rather brain science. Through the use of bilateral stimulation, EMDR works by helping your brain process and release painful memories that are stuck and cause emotional reactivity and distress. Bilateral stimulation (BLS) helps your brain reprocess the memory in a way that reduces its emotional charge, allowing you to feel more grounded and at peace. It also allows for the creation of new, healthier associations with those memories. As you move through the EMDR process, you will begin to feel a sense of wholeness emerging, as the fragmented pieces of your past integrate into a more peaceful and balanced self.
Internal Family Systems (IFS), often referred to as “parts work,” is based on the premise that we all have various inner parts that we are born with and that develop to protect us from trauma and help us navigate life. It is an evidence-based practice that focuses on exploring, understanding and unburdening the different valuable "parts" with curiosity and compassion. In session, we will identify, explore, listen to and unburden these parts, and build a deeper connection with your naturally valuable state—the calm, centered core within you that holds wisdom and healing: your Self.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or Tapping, is an alternative approach for relieving emotional distress, promoting inner healing and restoring your body to its balanced state. EFT combines the principles of acupuncture and modern psychology by using gentle fingertip tapping to apply pressure on specific meridian points on the body while focusing on specific thoughts, feelings, or memories, helping to release emotional blockages and reduce the intensity of distressing emotions. This process can heal trauma, greatly reduce physical pain, calm the nervous system, shift limiting beliefs and create a greater sense of control, balance and resilience. Whether we are working through trauma or looking to reduce your daily stress, Tapping provides a gentle, easy and effective path toward wholeness that you can continue in the comfort of your own home.
Brainspotting is a powerful and gentle therapy that aids in trauma recovery by harnessing your brain’s inherent ability to heal itself. Similar to EMDR therapy, it works by identifying 'brainspots'—specific eye positions linked to unprocessed memories and emotional distress. During our session, I will guide you in locating these brainspots while ensuring you remain present and grounded. This therapeutic process allows your brain to release stored trauma and emotional blockages in a safe and manageable way, helping you feel more at ease and in control. Together, we will also explore elements of internal family systems to untangle difficult feelings, enabling you to find relief from emotional distress. Brainspotting empowers you to reconnect with your inner strength, fostering greater peace, clarity, and emotional balance in your life.
Understanding how your nervous system responds to stress, connection, and safety is essential for healing, particularly in the context of trauma recovery. Polyvagal theory helps explain how our autonomic nervous system influences emotions, behaviors, and relationships. By integrating this knowledge into my clinical practice, including techniques from EMDR therapy and internal family systems, I can help you recognize and regulate nervous system states, whether you're feeling anxious, shut down, or socially disengaged. This approach fosters greater self-awareness, emotional resilience, and a deeper sense of safety, allowing for more effective healing and personal growth within the therapy process. Through tailored techniques that support nervous system regulation, we can work together to create lasting change and well-being.