Trauma can be described as a singular incident or ongoing event that we experience as stressful, distressing, or even frightening. Trauma often impacts us long after the event is over, and is more often about an individual’s specific reaction to the event rather than the event itself. Despite potentially having similar experiences as someone else, this does not necessarily mean that each person will perceive the experience as traumatic.
Examples of potentially traumatic experiences:
- Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse
- Childhood neglect
- Having a family member with mental health or addiction concerns
- Sudden or unexplained separation from a loved one
- Poverty
- Racism, discrimination, and oppression
- Physical symptoms like dizziness, hot flashes, or nausea
- Violence in your community, war, or terrorism
- Natural disasters
EMDR Therapy for Trauma
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing and is an evidenced-based method for treating symptoms related to trauma. The idea behind EMDR is that traumatic memories, when unprocessed, can become “stuck” in the brain, which often leads to a wide array of emotional and psychological difficulties and discomfort. EMDR therapy focuses directly on the memory, and is intended to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, which then reduces these discomforts.
For more information on EMDR check out these resources:
https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/
https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr-therapy-layperson/
Resilience Counseling Services 