What is trauma?

Trauma encompasses the lasting impacts of deeply overwhelming or disturbing experiences. 

Some people come to therapy because they have experienced a specific traumatic incident such as a car accident, natural disaster, or assault. These experiences may lead to intrusive memories of the event, difficulty sleeping, or constantly feeling “on edge.” Often, trauma survivors find themselves avoiding the memory of what happened, and yet the memory continues to cause distress and negative thoughts.

Fortunately, there is an evidence-based treatment to help reprocess and significantly reduce these trauma-related symptoms, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). See below for more details about EMDR. 

What is complex trauma?

For many, the roots of trauma stem beyond a single or limited number of incidents. Complex trauma refers to the impact of chronic, repeated experiences that are deeply distressing or overwhelming. These experiences typically take place during childhood and occur in relationships. This may include growing up in a home where there was abuse, physical or emotional neglect, domestic violence, or a caregiver struggling with a mental illness or substance abuse. Experiencing systemic oppression, such as systemic racism or homophobia, can also be traumatic and have similar impacts.

People who have been impacted by complex trauma often find interpersonal relationships to be disappointing or frustrating, experience difficulty navigating intense emotions, feel ashamed or guilty, and have negative beliefs about themselves. Although complex trauma can be deeply painful, there are tools available to help. 

What is EMDR?

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR is a psychotherapy that has been extensively researched and shown to be highly effective in helping people reduce trauma-related symptoms.

In an EMDR session, one is asked to focus on the distressing memory while experiencing bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements or tapping). This helps to reduce distress related to the memory and reprocess the trauma memory, allowing it to be stored more adaptively in the brain. While everyone is unique, many people begin to see progress within a few EMDR sessions.

For more information about EMDR and research regarding the effectiveness of EMDR, please visit the EMDR International Association Website