One of the joys of leaving an abusive relationship is getting to a place where you can begin to hope again. You can think to the future and dream and be excited about what’s to come. But some women find that they’ve been to a support group or talk therapy for some time and they still feel stuck in fear and old trauma responses. Don’t ignore this.
Our feelings are important. They give us information about ourselves. Sometimes we have trouble feeling hope or peace because of trauma or complex trauma. Your brain may still be stuck in old fears even if your circumstances have changed. Even if you’ve been in talk therapy, coaching, or other kinds of support, you may need something more like EMDR or another experiential therapy to help the trauma get unstuck. Talk therapy is so valuable for things like understanding abuse and safety, setting boundaries, unlearning old patterns, self-regulation, and much more. But some of us need more to heal those deep trauma wounds. Consider an option like Internal Family Systems (IFS), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), or Somatic Experiencing (SE) that engages our body and emotions in a deeper way.
Here is a snippet of information from leaders of each of these modalities-
Internal Family Systems. “Internal Family Systems is a powerfully transformative, evidence-based model of psychotherapy. We believe the mind is naturally multiple and that is a good thing. Our inner parts contain valuable qualities and our core Self knows how to heal, allowing us to become integrated and whole. In IFS all parts are welcome.” IFS Institute
Somatic Experiencing. “Somatic Experiencing (SE™) is a body-oriented therapeutic model applied in multiple professions and professional settings—psychotherapy, medicine, coaching, teaching, and physical therapy—for healing trauma and other stress disorders. It is based on a multidisciplinary intersection of physiology, psychology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices, and medical biophysics and has been clinically applied for more than four decades. It is the life’s work of Dr. Peter A. Levine.
The SE approach releases traumatic shock, which is key to transforming PTSD and the wounds of emotional and early developmental attachment trauma. It offers a framework to assess where a person is “stuck” in the fight, flight or freeze responses and provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated physiological states. SE provides effective skills appropriate to a variety of healing professions including mental health, medicine, physical and occupational therapies, bodywork, addiction treatment, first response, education, and others.” Somatic Experiencing International
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions. EMDR therapy, rather than focusing on changing the emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the distressing issue, allows the brain to resume its natural healing process. EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies.” EMDR International Association
If this sounds like you and any of these types of therapy sound like a good fit, check out the links and their find a therapist tool or reach out to us and we can help get you connected with someone.
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