EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprossesing is a well renown and highly effective modality for treating trauma. When we sleep, our brains process what happens to us during the day. Sometimes the trauma is too big, however, and gets stuck in the primal part of our brain. Emdr helps the brain heal itself in allowing the trauma to move to the frontal lobe where it has access to new perception, good decision making, and ultimately diffuses any disturbance around the event at the root.

IFS/Ego State

Internal Family Systems (IFS) addresses “parts” or aspects of the self that are created when we are young to help protect us. Everyone has parts but sometimes these parts can dissociate from one another in order to protect from pain. The goal of treatment is to understand and encourage parts to work together as a whole system, allowing the client to be in alignment with their truest and best self.

Mindfulness

Because we are hard wired to turn away from pain, however, the avoidance perpetuates the pain. The judgement we place on our thoughts and feelings often exacerbates them. Mindfulness turns toward the pain in allowing ALL emotions, not judging them, observing them pass through so they can them move on. I encourage all of my clients to practice meditation and compassion which research shows helps to regulate the nervous system.

Experiential

Experiential therapy utilizes expressive tools and activities to re-enact, re-experience, explore and release emotions. This can include guided imagery, role playing, music, arts and crafts, etc.

CBT

Trauma shapes our beliefs about ourselves, others and the world in negative ways. Negative beliefs produce unpleasant emotions and amplifies our pain. Changing our beliefs to more positive realistic beliefs then changes our emotions to reflect these. Additionally, increasing behaviors that are healthy and promote self care also increase our positive emotions and sense of self.

CRM

Comprehensive Resource Model® (CRM) is a trauma-processing modality that includes a sophisticated scaffolding of resourcing. This helps allow us to explore material that is the most painful while providing enough brain-body safety to make it seem manageable and tolerable.

The overall goal of this model is to increase the connection to self, to our highest selves, parts of ourselves we may not understand, and to self in the presence of others.