Once upon a time, therapists told clients to go over all of the gory details of the horrific things they had been through because it would be therapeutic. They were wrong. Sometimes this can deepen the neural pathways to the trauma and even re-traumatize. The moment I learned this, I decided to get trained in EMDR. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based treatment for trauma that is incredibly effective at treating and addressing symptoms of trauma without re-traumatizing. I have been using EMDR for years now and I’m fully certified — I have seen how much it helps people firsthand.
This week, I’m taking a couple days off from my practice to learn EMDR protocols for crisis intervention that can be used immediately after a trauma -- evidence shows that this protocol drastically decreases the painful symptoms that occur after trauma and the risk of developing PTSD. I'm excited to be able to offer this to my clients and in my community.
Helping people work through trauma is incredibly rewarding. Often people don't realize how much trauma has impacted them but when we untangle and work though traumatic incidents using EMDR, the breakthroughs that happen are incredible.
Letting go of the pain in the past has a way of removing obstacles in the present.