Can EMDR Work For Complicated Trauma?
Many of us experience healing as a journey throughout our lives. We know where we are and where we want to end up, but we’re still looking for the right route to take us there. Especially for those of us suffering from Complicated Trauma, that process can be arduous, full of false starts, dead ends, and despair. The path is winding, treacherous, and often frustrating. It’s one more trial by fire in a life that seems full of them.
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) is one of the most reliable routes you can take as you look to put the past behind you. As an evidence-based, goal-oriented psychotherapy, it boasts a track record of success in treating people from all walks of life.
In this article, we’ll look at what Complicated Trauma is, and how EMDR can help treat it.
Defining Complicated Trauma
While most people will experience a traumatic event at some point in their life, Complicated Trauma is what we call the trauma that results from prolonged, layered traumatic experiences. Whether it’s a period of neglect or abuse by caretakers as a child, the result of bullying at school, or years of stress and trauma related to a high-pressure job, the results can be similar. Our bodies undergo tremendous stress during those traumatic events. As a result, Complicated Trauma leaves long-lasting wounds that must be treated with care.
Symptoms of Complicated Trauma
Because Complicated Trauma is tied to layered, repeated traumatic experiences, it may present with a wide variety of symptoms. Our natural instinct may be to use self-destructive behaviors to cover up the pain of those wounds. As a result, it’s not uncommon for people who suffer from Complicated Trauma to turn to drug or alcohol abuse, reckless sexual activity, or other unhealthy behaviors as a means of self-medication.
Some of the symptoms of Complicated Trauma include:
Addiction
Chronic Headaches
Desire to Isolate
Eating Disorders
Fear of Abandonment
Feeling Disconnected
Hypervigilance
Intrusive Thoughts
Irritability \ Anger
Low Self-Esteem
Nausea \ Stomach Issues
Memory \ Recall Issues
Sense of Shame or Guilt
Substance Abuse
EMDR & Complicated Trauma
You may look at that list of symptoms or your history and feel that your trauma means you’re broken inside. But people aren’t things; we can’t be broken. We may be in progress, we may be in need of a cocoon in which to heal, but our bodies and minds are capable of incredible healing.
EMDR can be used to kickstart that natural healing process by taking advantage of the link between bilateral stimulation and the areas of the brain where traumatic memories are stored. With the help of a trained therapist, traumatic memories can be accessed and reprocessed in a safe, supportive, judgment-free environment. Once that wound is healed, that need to self-medicate or turn to other unhealthy patterns serving as survival mechanisms, can be changed.
During EMDR Therapy, clients will:
Access & Reprocess Traumatic Memories
Challenge Negative Beliefs About Themselves
Develop Enhanced Coping Mechanisms
Learn to Live in the Present, Instead of the Past
EMDR’s Effectiveness
Numerous studies support the effectiveness of EMDR in treating various forms of trauma, including Complicated Trauma. In EMDR Therapy, the therapist and client collaborate in an action-oriented, results-driven approach to immediate problems. Additionally, EMDR can be leveraged alongside other therapeutic modalities. Because it does not rely upon pharmaceuticals, EMDR is non-invasive and doesn't interfere with other medications you may be taking.
Our traumas keep us living in the past or in fear of the future. EMDR Therapy empowers us to live in the present, free from the grip of old ghosts.
Schedule a Consultation
We offer both regular EMDR Therapy sessions and EMDR Intensives. EMDR Intensives are longer sessions that allow comprehensive treatment of layered traumatic experiences. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation to explore how EMDR Therapy can benefit you.
Sea Glass Counseling and Consultation is an EMDR therapy practice in Dublin, Ohio. Our compassionate, skilled therapists use evidence-based techniques grounded in the neurobiology of stress, trauma, and relationships to make sure your treatment is personalized and effective. Sea Glass therapists provide telehealth counseling in Ohio for individuals and couples. We’re best known for providing Intensive EMDR therapy, anxiety treatment, and sex therapy for Christians. Interested in working together? Contact us today to get started with a Certified EMDR therapist in Ohio.