Staging Treatment in Complex Trauma

We have all seen a movie in which the protagonist experiences a life-changing epiphany and their course is suddenly changed for the better. Sometimes it’s a moment of disclosure, finally getting it “all out”. And while I think moments of insight and disclosure can be powerful, they represent only one aspect of the therapeutic experience. … Continue reading Staging Treatment in Complex Trauma

Trauma Related Grief

Trauma therapy is difficult and complex. Generally, trauma therapy takes place in 3 stages—stabilization and resourcing, memory work, and grief work coupled with the practice of new behaviors. Each stage likely involves multiple interventions and approaches. It is not fast work. When I talk to people about trauma work, they often have some awareness of … Continue reading Trauma Related Grief

Understanding EMDR Therapy

What is EMDR? Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is “an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from many different treatment approaches” (www.emdria.org). EMDR essentially makes traumatic material less powerful. For example, if you … Continue reading Understanding EMDR Therapy