EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, NARM, INPB

For those struggling with trauma, finding relief and “feeling better” can seem like an overwhelming endeavor. However, I assure you, change can happen, you can become “unstuck.” As an experienced trauma therapist I offer a empathetic, non-judgemental approach and use modalities focused on trauma resolution and long-lasting healing.  You don’t have to be held hostage by the past.

 Trauma is the residue of the past in your nervous system.
Separating out the past from the present and creating new narratives are where we heal.

As you have probably discovered, trauma isn’t just stored in our memories, it’s stored in the body. This is why trying to logic yourself out of it or talking about it often doesn’t help you get “unstuck”. Trauma energy needs to be processed through an embodied approach – engaging and healing all parts: the physical, emotional, and thinking self. I utilize approaches developed specifically to work with releasing and reorganizing deep rooted trauma; NARM, Somatic Experiencing, IPNB, and EMDR. They create pathways to restore your body’s inherent capacity to recover and heal. You’ll find movement as you begin to track how your body harbors and regulates stress, explore your survival strategies, and form new pathways towards release and ease.

Too Much, Too Soon, Too Fast

All of us will experience traumatic events throughout our life, not every traumatic event becomes stored trauma. So why do some people get traumatized? PTSD can result from any incident where you perceived that you or someone else was in danger, AND your ability to protect or escape was limited or unavailable. Often these events are sudden and you had little or no power or influence. Dual impulses, such as running to save oneself and wanting to stay or fight to help another can result in trauma.

You are not holding on to your past. Your past is holding on to you.

Your nervous system and brain are responding to the past rather than to the present moment as it is unfolding. Often times, resulting in being either stuck on, or stuck off. It’s the stored survival energy and the inability to be present in life that plague us.

What makes healing trauma so difficult is that its stored in your body – you can’t “shake off” the event. I often hear clients say “I’m broken, I’m weak, why can’t I just get over it?”. It is important to remember, everyone responds to experiences differently. Events that may be traumatic to one person, may not be traumatic for another person. Witnessing or being the victim of violence, accidents or attacks, military service, adoption, abandonment, prolonged chaos or abuse, or a sudden life change, any of these, can push us into PTSD given the right conditions. 

Trauma can disrupt your life in a variety of ways.

  • fatigue, pain, stomach issue, sleep issues
  • inability to sit still or feeling on-edge all the time, easily startled
  • feeling drowned with sadness, grief, aggression, anxiety, or guilt
  • difficulty connecting deeply with others, poor boundaries
  • emotional outbursts or “irrational” behaviors
  • intrusive memories or flashbacks
  • increased alcohol or drug use, sometimes as a form of “self medication”
  • difficulty being in the present or concentrating
  • difficulty being touched, sensitivity to light, irritation with clutter or obsession to clean

If you’re ready to take that step in creating a new foundation of trust and support within your physiology, I’d love to support you. Reach out to me and lets talk about how you might be able to find movement and become unstuck.