TRAUMA & EMDR THERAPY | MINNESOTA
Life doesn’t have to feel this way forever.
When we have experienced trauma, it’s hard to imagine a life where it is not the first thing we think about in the morning and the last thing on our mind before we fall asleep.
We may feel like there’s something wrong with us -- like we’ve done everything we know to do to get “over” this, but it continues to impact day-to-day life. This may look like:
Struggling in relationships, jumping from partner to partner or fighting often
Being triggered by sex or intimacy
Experiencing challenges at work with focus or performance
Feeling on edge all the time
I specialize in trauma therapy for survivors of sexual violence or abuse, childhood chronic invalidation, violence, and similar experiences.
Sometimes we don’t recognize traumatic events right away; it’s only after we’ve lived through them that we realize the impact they’ve had on our sense of security & safety, our relationships, and the way we feel about the future.
Whatever form trauma may have taken in your life, I’m here to support you in processing its impacts, accessing your inner strength and resilience, and moving forward with a renewed sense of meaning and purpose.
EMDR Therapy for Trauma
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is an evidence-based method for healing from the symptoms and distress associated with trauma. We use tapping or eye movements to stimulate both sides of your brain to help you resolve or understand something differently.
The desensitization part of EMDR allows you to revisit painful experiences without the distress that’s been associated with them in the past, bringing the intense emotions of the memory down. After desensitization, reprocessing helps you understand the experience in a different way.
EMDR taps into your own body and mind’s ability to heal itself. It’s like when you’ve had a headache, and then it’s gone. You no longer have to avoid bright lights or take painkillers or stay in quiet -- you get to live how you want to live. The change is subtle, but powerful. It’s the absence of pain. It’s health.
How can trauma therapy help?
Reduce triggers and symptoms of PTSD
Improve sleep and/or reduce nightmares
Increase feelings of security and connection in relationships
Verbalize and process past experiences
Develop coping skills for triggering situations
...and more
What you’ve experienced is not your fault, and it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.
The scripts in your head telling you that you aren’t deserving of happiness or love can be rewritten. The intrusive reminders of your past can be slowed down and managed. The things you haven’t felt comfortable sharing with others can be safely expressed, processed, and worked through.
