Specialties
We are passionate about helping children, teens and adults who are suffering from debilitating symptoms associated with traumatic experiences. We use a blend of therapeutic approaches (psychotherapy, EMDR, Brainspotting, art therapy, sandtray) to provide the most helpful therapy techniques for each client. Following is information about our specialties:
"Hope is the Light That Shines in the Darkness."
Trauma Recovery
Trauma is often thought of as an intense reaction to a single life-threatening event; like a car accident, assault, war, or natural disaster. However, trauma can be any disturbing experience that is too overwhelming for the brain and nervous system to process; like humiliation, shame, grief, bullying, or divorce. When the brain senses a threat, the ‘fight, flight or freeze” stress response is activated so that you are able to react much quicker. This also causes trauma memories to be processed differently; they are stored in a “raw” fragmented form (images, sounds, smells, sensations) that can be retriggered causing you to feel like you are re-experiencing the traumatic event over and over.
This can cause intense feelings of fear and distress including panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, and other symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Trauma can shatter your sense of security and leave you feeling helpless, vulnerable and overwhelmed.
Trauma Recovery therapy helps you to create safety and emotional stability, learn self-soothing and self-regulation skills, and reprocess the traumatic memories to release the distress and make sense of what happened. Ultimately experiencing a sense of well-being, connection with your authentic self and others, and rebuilding a life worth living that is that is peaceful, empowered, and meaningful.
Research has shown that EMDR and Art Therapy are effective treatments for trauma and are the therapies of choice we use providing Trauma Recovery therapy.
EMDR
EMDR is an powerful psychotherapy that can help you heal from emotional distress and live a more happy and abundant life. EMDR often produces more rapid and long term results than traditional talk therapy. It was developed over 35 years ago and has helped more than two million people of all ages worldwide.
EMDR uses the brain’s own ability to reprocess memories that are stuck allowing you to be released from disturbing memories and negative beliefs; providing you a new sense of confidence and well-being. To learn more about EMDR, please visit www.emdria.org.
-
Anxiety & Depression
-
Panic attacks
-
Complicated grief
-
Dissociative disorders
-
Disturbing Memories
-
Sexual/Physical Abuse
-
Phobias
-
Pain disorders
-
Eating disorders
-
Stress reduction
-
Performance Anxiety
-
Addictions
EMDR Documentary
“EMDR is about liberating the person from past stuff, so they can be happy in the present.”
- Francine Shapiro
Brainspotting
BRAINSPOTTING is a psychotherapy that connects spots in the client’s visual field that are associated with the unresolved trauma memories in the subcortical brain allowing for reprocessing and resolution of the trauma symptoms often without reliving the traumatic event. To learn more about Brainspotting, please visit https://brainspotting.com
Art Therapy
Art therapy promotes well-being at every age. Kids usually love to draw, color and paint; however many adults haven’t drawn for years and may be apprehensive about using art therapy. You don’t need to be an artist to experience the healing power of the art process.
Art is a language without words that provides a way to express difficult emotions and thoughts. It’s a helpful way for teenagers to communicate when they are not open to talking. It provides a non-verbal, healthy way to communicate, problem-solve, express yourself and deal with difficult experiences and life changes. Clients are often surprised by what they notice in their art and find it to be very powerful and helpful.
Art therapy is especially helpful in healing trauma. Brain research has shown that trauma is stored in the non-verbal part of our brain and is stored as imagery, body sensations, and emotions. Art therapy can provide a window into those areas where words alone cannot. Once accessed, the traumatic memories can be expressed in visual form; allowing for verbal interaction with the therapist. The memories can then be integrated as a coherent narrative resulting in a decrease of trauma symptoms. To learn more about Art Therapy, please visit http://arttherapy.org
Sandtray Therapy
Sandtray Therapy is an expressive non-verbal therapy that is often used with children, but can also be helpful for adults, teens, couples, and families. Clients express and explore their inner world, confusing emotions, and experiences in a small sandbox using miniature figurines, animals, buildings, objects from nature, vehicles and other symbolic figures. The figurines symbolize all of the parts of life; good, bad, nurturing, frightening, happy, sad. The process allows for the unconscious to be made visible, healed and integrated.
Many children are unable to verbalize their emotions and thoughts, especially trauma experiences. The sandtray provides a sense of comfort, safety, and a powerful way of expressing themselves. Adults who have been traumatized also find sandtray therapy to be very helpful.
Brain research shows that emotional memories and traumatic experiences are stored in the non-verbal, right hemisphere of the brain, and as images, body sensations, and emotions. Non-verbal therapies like sandtray are the most effective ways to access and release these “unconscious” experiences where they can healed providing a sense of well-being for the client.