How to manage a setback in healing your trauma
How to manage a setback in healing trauma
Many of our therapists are trauma treatment specialists, and one thing that is often seen are set backs in the healing process. These moments can stem from a recent personal crisis or upheaval of one’s life routine. In short, when this occurs it can feel like your entire world is falling apart again. What is critical is to remember that setbacks are normal and can actually be a part of the healing experience. Give yourself a little grace and continued hopeful effort, you will see yourself finding yourself on the healing journey again. As Brene Brown has stated, allowing ourselves to experience vulnerability is not only brave but also allows space for deeper authenticity with ourselves.
Steps to Start Healing Again
Allow yourself to feel it.
In any setback of life, it is important to feel and acknowledge the emotions that come with it. Thus, disappointment, shame, anger, and confusion are common emotions to have when you find yourself falling backwards from progress. In fact, while some of the emotional experiences you may be having are similar to what you went through in the past, they may provide you with useful information on what areas of yourself may need further attention. Give yourself some grace in having these emotions, and share your observations with your therapist.
Reflect & Begin Again
Spending time reflecting to understanding how the circumstances of this event may help you to recognize patterns or poor boundaries that you may need to examine and reset your life. First, try being curious and open to observing the situation without preexisting assumptions. Second, build new insights with this information. This new level of self awareness can be powerful and jumpstart your again on a healthy, healing path.
Connect with Supports
Healing from a trauma requires support in all forms. Friends, family, or professional counselors give you the opportunity to receive comfort and validation in your healing journey. Sharing your struggles and seeking support is a strength, not a weakness. Ultimately, speaking with these confidants can provide you with new awareness, compassion, and encouragement during a difficult time.
Decide on changes for a better future
In this setback, you may find out learning new coping skills is just what you need to manage similar situations in the future. Perhaps being more consistent in your mindfulness practices is exactly what you need, or letting go of unhealthy, toxic people in your life will give you future safety. This setback can reinvigorate your commitment
to your wellness practices, and boundaries in your life!
A time for Self-Compassion & Recognition
In this moment, it is important to practice self compassion and frame your inner voice in a compassionate, encouraging way. It is normal to struggle at times in life and your inner voice should not be shaming or criticizing yourself right now. Recognize the gains you have made in your life up to this point. This will help you to foster a positive growth mindset and continue to acknowledge to yourself that healing is an ongoing process with its own sets of ups and down.
The healing journey can be a winding road of ups and downs. With supportive outlets and commitment to healing you will find your way beyond the past and into your future. Continue the journey with one of our skilled clinicians, you can find a well matching therapist for you by visiting our clinicians page.
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What to know about EMDR Therapy
All you need to know about EMDR therapy
EMDR…Have you heard that acronym yet? Maybe a friend is using it with their therapist. Or maybe you have seen TV show therapists (Grey’s Anatomy or Criminal Minds) talk about its use and perform EMDR. Don’t forget, what you see on TV rarely is done in reality! For counseling professionals, this tool is becoming preferred due to ground breaking research on the intersection of neuroscience and psychology. Have I peaked your curiosity yet? Read on to learn more and see if EMDR could be for you.
Can EMDR help with my symptoms?
Yes! Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy tool developed in 1987 by Francine Shapiro, PhD. EMDR has quickly become the preferred treatment approach for individuals struggling issues that stem from traumatic life events. Importantly, understand that the term ‘trauma’ can be used, and there is a common misunderstanding that has to mean something exceedingly terrible. We all experience life uniquely. A traumatic impact is to be personally defined by the individual’s experience. What makes EMDR so beneficial is that it focuses on the person’s individual experience. This is important, because this is how the brain assimilated that experience internally. This internalization of the experience is where trauma is formed.
Who is EMDR effective for?
Because of this, EMDR is a exceptional tool for many issues beyond post traumatic symptoms. EMDR is used to support treatment of addictions, depressive disorders, anxiety and panic disorders, phobias, complex grief reactions, individuals with chronic physical health issues, and much more. In fact, EMDR can also be used in treating these same issues in children. All people can experience great gains from working with a therapist who uses EMDR!
Science behind EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an interactive psychotherapy technique. It is a very focused approach for treating trauma and other symptoms. EMDR reconnects the client in a safe and measured way to the images, self-thoughts, emotions, and body sensations associated with the trauma, and allows the natural healing powers of the brain to move toward adaptive resolution. It is based on the idea that traumatic experiences have overwhelmed the brain’s natural coping capacity, and that the healing process can be facilitated through eye movements. These eye movements are called bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation helps the brain to reassimilate an understanding of those past events in the context of the present, safe environment of the therapist’s office. Therefore, simultaneously allowing the strengths the client now possesses to help support the mind’s understanding of the current stance of the self.
EMDR is used in conjunction with typical talk therapy modalities, and so you will still have an opportunity to develop a relationship and explore additional aspects of your life as needed.
How will I benefit from EMDR?
Can this help me? Absolutely! EMDR has been the most studied psychological treatment tool in the last 30 years. Study after study show the majority of people who initially present with symptoms of depression or anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and dissociative issues all demonstrate improvement through their work using EMDR. For a comprehensive list of clinical trials and meta analysis studies on the efficacy of EMDR, follow this link. https://www.emdr.com/research-overview/
The length of time for an individual to experience positive results depends on the presenting issue and the complexity of the trauma. What’s. more, therapists can adapt treatment focus if it is necessary for you to keep your services brief. For complex trauma issues this is not advisable and you may want to engage into a different therapeutic modality. It would be important for you to address this issue with your therapist. Lastly, EMDR can still be used within the standard clinical hour.
Who can provide EMDR therapy?
In conclusion, now that you know more you might be intrigued enough to want to explore EMDR further with a therapist. Ensuring you are matching yourself with a therapist who has the training and experience in correctly using this modality is important. Here are a few things that you can ask to fully understand your therapist’s competence in providing EMDR therapy:
–What organization sponsored your training in EMDR?
*EMDR clinicians who receive training from EMDRIA are taught comprehensively in the EMDR protocol.
–Are you certified in EMDR?
*Certified EMDR therapists have spent additional supervision hours post initial training under the consultation with a Certified Consultant to enhance their knowledge and skill base.
-How often and when do you use EMDR in your clinical practice?
*This will help you to inform you of their experience and application in using EMDR with clients.
There is much information to absorb here. Do you want to learn more? Take a moment and watch this youtube video created by EMDRIA for additional information. Many of our therapists are trained in EMDR and will work with you in your journey towards wellness. Please visit our clinician’s page to find a provider that can serve you!
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