PTSD

Have you experienced a traumatic event? Are you suffering from lingering fear and anxiety? Do you feel like you no longer have any control over how you think, feel, and behave?

Posttraumatic stress disorder - also known as PTSD - is a mental health challenge that may occur in individuals who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a terrorist act, an act of war, a serious accident, rape, or any other violent personal assault.

It is believed that PTSD affects nearly four percent of the U.S. adult population. While it is usually linked with veterans who’ve experienced combat, PTSD occurs in all people regardless of age, race, nationality, or culture. In fact, women are twice as likely to experience PTSD than men.

What are the Symptoms of PTSD?

People with PTSD often experience intense thoughts and feelings related to their traumatic experiences. These can last for a long time after the initial event. Many people with PTSD also relive the event through flashbacks and nightmares.

People with PTSD often feel intense emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, and detachment from friends, family, and community members. They often avoid people and situations that remind them of the traumatic event. Ordinary sounds or incidents such as a door banging or accidental touch in a crowd may cause a strong and uncontrollable reaction.

How Can Treatment Help?

There are a variety of treatments available for PTSD, but three specific techniques have gained significant research-based evidence for their effectiveness in promoting healing:

Attachment-Based Therapy: This approach focuses on understanding how early attachment experiences shape a person’s emotional responses and relationships. By exploring these dynamics, a therapist can help clients develop healthier patterns of attachment, fostering deeper emotional connections and improving overall well-being.

Brainspotting: This innovative technique utilizes the connection between where a person is looking and their emotional state to process trauma. By focusing on specific eye positions, clients can access and release unprocessed trauma held in the body and mind, promoting profound emotional healing and resolution.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): EMDR is a well-established therapy that uses bilateral sensory input, such as side-to-side eye movements, to help the brain process difficult thoughts, memories, and emotions. This technique facilitates the integration of traumatic experiences, reducing their emotional charge and helping clients find peace.

If you or a loved one are struggling with PTSD and wish to explore these treatment options, please reach out to me. I have witnessed incredible transformations through therapy and am dedicated to helping you reclaim your life and find joy again.