Years ago, I spent countless hours delving into the topic of trauma. I worked intensively with some trauma survivors, talked to specialists in the field and read many, many books. Back then two things really stood out to me about trauma. The first is that when people do not properly deal with trauma it can manifest in their bodies. Things like heart issues, headaches, insomnia and a plethora of other physical ailments can arise when people do not identify and process their feelings about their traumatic experiences and implement positive coping skills. Second, I was struck by how long people can relive their trauma through intrusive memories (flashbacks) and nightmares—sometimes even decades after the event occurred. 

Today, I continue to be amazed by the impact trauma has on peoples’ lives; however, I am more amazed by the healing and transformation that takes place when people address their trauma and work through it. People that once saw themselves as “survivors” discover new skills and inner strength they never knew existed and emerge from therapy (after a lot of hard work) as “thrivers.” I don’t want to make the process sound easier than it is because addressing trauma involves hard emotional work and powerful emotions. However, an empathetic, trained, certified and engaging therapist can provide the environment a trauma survivor needs to heal and grow.

I am a certified EMDR therapist which means I am specially trained to treat people affected by trauma using specific, effective techniques unique to the EMDR therapy model of treatment.  I will elaborate more on EMDR therapy in the personal blog on this topic. But for now, I think it is important to list some symptoms people who have been affected by trauma—directly or indirectly–may experience. Some trauma symptoms include:

–flashbacks

–nightmares

–hypervigilance (always feeling worried something bad will happen or “on edge”)

–feeling distressed after exposure to traumatic reminders

If you are a trauma survivor and are experiencing one or more of the symptoms above and it is interfering with your daily life, please don’t wait another day to make an appointment. If there is one thing I have learned about trauma it’s that it doesn’t go away. Whether trauma manifests in your mind or body it will affect your health over time if it is not dealt with. I am certified and specialize in EMDR therapy and am experienced in treating trauma of all kinds. Please call Life Enhancement Counseling Services today at 407-443-8862 to schedule an appointment.