Has A Traumatic Experience Changed Your Life?

Have you been involved in a major car accident, personal attack, or even a natural disaster? Or have you suffered a history of trauma, such as bullying, abuse, or neglect as a child and you are just now beginning to realize its full impact as an adult? Perhaps you are a creative professional whose optimal performance is blocked by traumatic experiences related to parents, teachers, or industry professionals. Conversely, it could be that your performances are enhanced by the intense emotions you feel, however, you don’t know how to turn them off after the spotlight goes dark.

Trauma comes in different forms, from a single violent incident to cumulative smaller traumatic events.  And trauma varies in intensity, from mild to full-blown PTSD. Where do you fall on the spectrum? Are you functioning well but having trouble in one area of life? Do you often feel so on edge, uneasy, or constantly watchful that you can’t ever seem to relax? On top of this, are you having trouble in your relationships?  Are you beset by shame, sadness, anger, and guilt? Perhaps you have lost interest in activities you once enjoyed or developed symptoms that are preventing you from fully engaging in life. Or it could be that you are reliving the event(s) all over again, whether in the form of recurring nightmares or vivid, lifelike flashbacks. 

Surviving a traumatic event or period in your life means that you are already stronger than you think.  And even though you may feel broken or damaged, I want you to know that you can be whole and at peace—and I want to help you get there.

Millions Of Individuals Experience Trauma And PTSD

Although we all encounter misfortune or obstacles in life, sometimes an event is so powerful or sudden that it can leave a lasting imprint that can be hard to erase. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that roughly half of the US adult population will experience some form of trauma in their lifetimes. Moreover, in any given year, 3.6 percent of US adults will have developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

And despite the common misperception, trauma isn’t always the result of a singular, violent incident. Sometimes unexpected life transitions, getting stuck in abusive relationships, or exposure to adverse conditions can have just as profound of an impact. Furthermore, a traumatic event doesn’t even have to happen directly to you. In fact, many health care professionals, first responders, and witnesses of catastrophic events can develop vicarious trauma, wherein the trauma is inherited via someone else’s experience. In many cases, the effects are not immediately evident; sometimes, they take years or decades to resurface.

Many people are afraid that, by confronting the past, they will be opening Pandora’s box and releasing untold horrors upon themselves. That’s why it often feels safer to deny the pain and keep it contained and isolated. Considering our culture’s over-reliance on self-sufficiency and its negative view of vulnerability, it’s no wonder why it can be difficult for anyone to reach out for help.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy (EMDR) has the power to offer relief without forcing you to relive the worst pain of your traumatic memories. This thoroughly researched and highly effective approach to treating trauma and PTSD allows you to reprocess the memories so you can stop the cycle of fear and begin living confidently.

EMDR Therapy Can Repair Your Life

I offer a safe space for you to bring your pain and to be heard and acknowledged. As a licensed psychologist, I utilize EMDR to offer you a deeper understanding of yourself, your personal history, and the traumatic event itself. Through EMDR, I serve as a trained facilitator to help free you of the symptoms of trauma/PTSD and empower you with the ability to be autonomous and make choices that are in your own best interest.

Research shows that the human brain has a malleable nature that allows us, over time, to change how it functions in a positive way. EMDR is a process that capitalizes on this quality and can actually change the way you think. Right now, memories of the traumatic event are the primary focus of your conscious and unconscious mind. All of your thoughts are being filtered—colored by the lens of those painful memories—so there is no separation from the past and the present.

EMDR can unlock those memories and rewire your brain, allowing you to process and let go of the trauma so that your thoughts and emotions are no longer bound by the experience. 

Trauma can be a complicated subject because it affects individuals in so many different ways. Together, we will assess your readiness for EMDR. You may want to start by just talking about your experience, and that is perfectly okay. My specialized training in insight-oriented therapy can give you greater self-awareness and an understanding of how past experiences may be unconsciously influencing your current emotions and behaviors. Depending on your level of comfort, we can also switch back and forth between talk therapy and EMDR as needed. When you are ready, we can tackle your trauma with EMDR therapy, our most powerful tool.

Early in my career, I trained with the EMDR Institute because I recognized this method’s potential to help individuals when talk therapy alone doesn’t work. Today, I continue to update my training, having worked alongside Laurel Parnell of the Parnell Institute. I have seen EMDR transform peoples’ lives. And although nobody can guarantee a cure, I believe you have it within you to make positive changes that will put you in control of your life.

Perhaps you are considering EMDR trauma therapy, but you still have some reservations…

EMDR sounds kind of far-fetched.

EMDR is a well-researched, highly-effective method of trauma and PTSD treatment that is fundamentally different from traditional approaches. Rather than providing management strategies, EDMR offers you the chance to physically change the way your mind works. It has a very real, measurable effect on the brain. But if you and I do not perceive noticeable changes and feel that this isn’t the approach for you, we can always try something different.

How long will trauma therapy take?

Because EMDR bypasses talk therapy, people often think EMDR offers a quick cure. Indeed, EMDR sometimes does act rapidly. However, EMDR works on traumatic memories. Therefore, the duration of the healing process is dependent upon how well you are able to process what comes up in our sessions. Deeper, more ingrained traumas, either from prolonged exposure or severity, may take more time to work through. EMDR treatment is not a silver bullet. However, once you begin to see the results, it becomes an incentive—a self-perpetuating desire to further your own healing regardless of the time frame.

I don’t have PTSD. Will I still benefit from EMDR therapy?

In the advent of EMDR’s success in treating PTSD, clinicians have developed successful protocols for treating a host of other mental health concerns, such as grief, phobias, and performance anxiety. I have utilized EMDR to treat these conditions. You don’t have to have PTSD, but you may find, through EMDR, that your underlying experiences were more traumatic than you realize.

Let Me Help You Find Peace With Your Past

If you would like to liberate yourself from the fear and doubt of a traumatic experience, please call 646-620-9940 for a free 15-minute consultation. I would be happy to answer any question or concerns you may have about my approach to trauma counseling.

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