Trauma Therapy in Frederick, MD
One of the first obstacles that people face in seeking trauma therapy is that they minimize their experience and may not see what happened to them as trauma or as a traumatic event.
A simple and easy to understand definition of trauma is anything that happens to us that is:
Too fast
Too much
Not on our terms
If you’ve gone through something that happened to you before you were ready for it, it was too big, too scary or too confusing to understand, or it was something that you did not seek out or request, trauma therapy may be something to consider. If you’re curious to read more about examples of this basic definition of when trauma therapy might be needed, click here to read a blog post with some examples.
My approach to trauma therapy
My approach to trauma therapy combines somatic work (using your body to access your “felt sense” of an experience) to regulate your nervous system along with EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for those who may be interested in this specific modality for working with trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Both somatic therapy and EMDR therapy assume that the client (and her body!) knows what she needs and can move toward safety and calm when given proper training, guidance, and support.
By learning how to be comfortable in and build safety within your body, you will uncover how your body can be your greatest resource for healing and empowerment. Some somatic therapy techniques include techniques that are similar to mindfulness, such as guided imagery visualizations and anchoring and grounding techniques. Somatic work can also incorporate bilateral tapping/stimulation, engaging a variety of senses, and breathing techniques that move the body toward safety physiology and away from trauma physiology (fight, flight, freeze, fawn.) Nervous system regulation is a hallmark of a somatic approach to trauma therapy, and I will teach you how to recognize and regulate your body’s response to stressors in a way that is loving, kind, and always with a sense of humor.
EMDR Therapy is a highly specific set of protocols that involves recalling a traumatic memory while moving the eyes back and forth, making it so that the memory is ultimately less painful and less disturbing.
Contrary to typical talk therapy, using what are referred to as “bottom up” (body based) approaches to healing trauma rely on one’s description of their physiological responses and do not always mean that the trauma even needs to be fully disclosed or talked about, something that is often very frightening to people who have experienced trauma. While I would never as a therapist tell you to stop talking, I may encourage you to go slow or easy, paying attention to your internal experience more than just “getting the words out.”
Additionally, I now offer EMDR intensives for people who are seeking a consolidated and accelerated intensive therapy experience. Some people simply do not have the time to commit to weekly therapy, and especially for a focus on trauma recovery, EMDR intensives can be an excellent way to explore building one’s own resources and resilience in a limited window of time.
Why do people choose trauma therapy?
Trauma therapy has been helpful to my clients who:
Had a traumatic birth experience and may be experiencing postpartum ptsd
Have become aware of childhood trauma now that they’re parenting their own children
Parented in isolation for several years due to the pandemic and were without the support of family and friends
Witness trauma in their professions such as medical professionals, doctors, and nurses, and worry that they experience vicarious trauma or need a safe place to explore their emotions
Have gone through a sexual assault or a violation of their personal space or safety
Have experienced a medical trauma
Have felt disconnected from or disoriented from their own bodies since giving birth
I offer online trauma therapy in Frederick, MD and online trauma therapy in Maryland. Additionally, as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania, I provide online trauma therapy in Pennsylvania for women.