Counselor for PTSD and trauma in Englewood, Colorado
Gain Understanding. Experience Transformation.
Does trauma hold power over you?
You experienced something that the average person has not. The traumatic memory creeps in at the worst and most unexpected times. You find yourself getting startled easily and sometimes you even have flashbacks of what happened. It may feel like you aren’t always present in your body and are watching things happen to you from a 3rd person point of view. You don’t sleep well, and are always exhausted. You might try to avoid situations that remind you of what you experienced.
Maybe you are, or were, in an unhealthy or abusive relationship and are always on the lookout now for the red flags in your relationships because you don’t want to repeat that pattern. It has caused you to second guess everyone and their intentions. More importantly, it has caused you not to trust YOURSELF. As a result you are drained and don’t know what is real and what is not.
The trauma could have also happened when you were much younger- you were powerless in a home where there was alcohol or drug use- and now you try to control everything. People around you don’t understand why you are so controlling and become so mad and upset when unexpected things happen; and it hurts your relationships. Some relationships may have even ended abruptly because of it.
Physical, mental or sexual abuse is another type of trauma that impacts every part of a person’s life. You don’t let anyone come close to you out of fear of it happening again. However, the opposite could also be true. You don’t have any boundaries and people take advantage of you constantly. Saying no to someone is out of the question, you don’t stand up for yourself, and can’t fathom what it would feel like to be in a healthy space with another human.
Healing
and
Hope
after trauma is possible
You can be in control, have your needs met, set boundaries and be happy connecting with others. Knowing and feeling that what happened to you was truly not your fault is step number one. It will make it so that you can have better sleep, improve your self esteem, and set you up for fulfilling relationships. You will start smiling again, enjoying life and feel the freedom that comes with not having to look out for the triggers around every corner.
Discover Meaning
We will dive into what happened and process the whole experience. I’ll be checking in with you every step of the way to make sure that even though the work is hard, you feel safe. If there is something you are not ready to address that is completely fine - we work on your timeline! We will make meaning out of what happened and look for ways you can move forward feeling empowered by dealing with your trauma- NOT controlled by it.
EMDR can help heal trauma
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is used mainly for reprocessing trauma. When we experience a traumatic event the memory can get stuck in our brain. EMDR uses eye movements or tapping (bilateral stimulation) to allow your brain to do its own healing. While you will not forget what happened, the strong emotion that accompanies the memory will fade.
Most people find EMDR to be a helpful tool. We can determine if and when it is appropriate to use during our sessions together.
Have more questions? Check out the FAQ section below!
Trauma counseling can help you:
Explore and process what happened
Trust yourself and your intuition
Recognize patterns from the past that contribute to feelings of powerlessness in the present
Heal wounds in a safe supportive environment
Improve your mood and ability to live a fulfilled life
Become the YOU you know YOU are
Frequently Asked Questions
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Many times it is clear when we have experienced something traumatic. Sometimes it’s not. You might fit the bill for having gone through something traumatic if you experience an event that is out of the ordinary along with symptoms like:
-Sleeplessness
-Nightmares
-Depression
-Anxiety
-Feeling too attached to others or like you don’t want other people in your life
-Difficulty concentrating
-Flashbacks
-Body aches and pain (in some cases)
As we dive into working together we can talk about your experience and give space to exploring what might constitute trauma.
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I take a gentle validating position when engaging in trauma therapy with a client. It is up to you how much you feel comfortable sharing. We will dedicate space to looking at what your experience was, what meaning you assigned to it or what meaning was imposed on you during this event. You will gain insight and understanding around what occurred and feel heard and understood- allowing you to take back your power.
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Francine Shapiro developed EMDR when taking a walk and thinking about something that she had previously experienced.
EMDR works by allowing information that is stuck to move from one hemisphere of your brain to the other and back again. It is similar to what happens during REM sleep. This process allows for your brain to do the work of processing the emotion out of highly emotional memories.
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EMDR works relatively quickly compared to some other methods of therapy. There are multiple phases we will work through together that take us through addressing the past, present and future so that you can have the best results possible.