EMDR therapy & trauma recovery
There can be many hidden traumas when the path to building a family doesn’t happen the way you planned. After experiencing the pain of infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, birth trauma, termination, high risk pregnancy, or a NICU stay, these traumas can linger unhealed, deeply affecting your mind and body. And it is my hope to give these traumas more attention, compassion, and care.
how EMDR therapy can help with trauma
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a widely researched therapeutic approach for treating trauma. Traumatic memories can contain thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and physical/body memories that occurred at the time of the traumatic experience, which are then stored in the brain and body. When this happens, your brain and body can be responding and reacting as if the trauma is happening all over again on a day to day basis. You might experience symptoms such as anxiety, self-blame, difficulty sleeping, depression, irritability, or severe flashbacks, where you are suddenly re-experiencing the trauma all over again. Trauma can also impact how you see yourself, your family, your relationships, your parenting, and the world.
EMDR therapy can’t (and won’t try to) erase these memories or painful experiences from your life. However, EMDR can help guide you towards a place of trauma recovery. Even with the most painful experiences, meaningful healing and post-traumatic growth is possible. In this type of therapy, you will be shifting the way your brain stores and processes memories, feelings, and beliefs. So these earlier traumas can feel less here and now - and more firmly grounded in your past experiences. In turn, you may experience relief of painful symptoms and more compassion for yourself. EMDR can help send the important message to your brain that you survived the trauma and now you are ready for healing. (Read more about it here: https://www.emdria.org).
what can emdr help with?
EMDR can be helpful with healing the pain of infertility, miscarriage and infant loss, medical trauma, birth trauma, childhood abuse and neglect, sexual trauma, panic attacks and phobias, complicated grief, perfectionism and performance anxiety, pain disorders, and difficulties in relationships.
I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about how EMDR therapy might be helpful to you and answer any questions you might have. My EMDR training was specifically focused on maternal mental health, and it is my hope to offer more trauma focused support to women who have experienced loss, isolation, fear, and grief in their family building experiences.