WHILE REGULAR TALK THERAPY CAN BE HELPFUL FOR MAKING MEANING OUT OF TRAUMA, AND HELPING TO RESOLVE AND UNDERSTAND TRIGGERS, WE BELIEVE IN TAKING AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO TRAUMA TREATMENT, HEALING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THIS INCLUDES:

• The body.

• Meaning making.

• Emotional understanding.

• Memory reconsolidation.

Our Approach to Trauma Recovery

Our therapists are trained in varying trauma modalities but tend to integrate the following in our work most often:

• Somatic Experiencing (body approach).

• Internal Family Systems (meaning making/emotional processing).

• EMDR (memory reconsolidation).

Before we dive in to the deep work, it’s important that a safe holding space is offered to you. Our therapists understand that only you determine what feels safe. It is within your nervous system. We offer that sense of safety from our own nervous systems.

When we experience trauma, we are often made to feel the world is not a safe place. If the only work we do is creating connection and a felt sense of safety, know, that is hard and powerful work for a trauma survivor (though we will work together to meet and surpass your goals).

Below, you’ll find more information on the modalities we use for trauma work. There is no one-size-fits-all approach and at the heart of the work is the therapeutic relationship but this will help you to understand our advanced trainings, how we think about treatment, and the way our therapists might work in the room.

First, a word on Trauma.

(from Ilyse)

We often don't realize the impact of upsetting events. The first time a therapist labeled my own upsetting events as trauma it felt freeing. I suddenly realized why I experienced anxiety and other residual effects. When the effects of an upsetting event weave themselves in to your life many of us believe the effects are something we just have to deal with, or there is something wrong with us. This is not so. It is possible to heal from trauma. 

When an upsetting event occurs, it is a shock to our nervous system. Trauma occurs when one’s life, mind, or body is threatened. The event may be experienced firsthand or secondhand by witnessing or hearing it. I want you to know, it is not defined by the event but by your body’s reaction to the event.

Our brains and bodies are incredible. When our lives are threatened, we have automatic responses within the nervous system to protect us from that threat. Trauma causes a physiological reaction as our bodies go in to fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode. Your brain becomes overrun with chemicals in order to complete the physiological response and protect you from experiencing the immense amount of horror from the event.

Many don't realize that due to the body and brain trying to protect themselves from danger, the traumatic memory does not process like other memories. Instead, it gets stuck, and when sensory triggers occur, your body brain might believe the trauma is happening again.

Unprocessed trauma may cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. While we often hear of PTSD in relation to soldiers and first responders, many events process as trauma—some big, and some small. This could include the trauma of sexual assault or a major car accident, a relational norm violation or not having your needs met as a child.

Modalities for Trauma Treatment

Somatic Experiencing (Body)

Somatic Experiencing is a body based approach to trauma recovery. In this modality, we acknowledge the body’s natural mechanism for healing. We follow sensations, images, affect, behaviors, and meaning to process trauma in the way it’s showing up within the body. You may notice that when trauma is awakened you have an impulse to freeze or run. In SE, we follow these impulses to aid in completion of the trauma so it is no longer stuck in the nervous system. This modality acknowledges the nuance, that many traumas occur without words or an understanding of the event, so it must be processed in a way that goes beyond words.

Internal Family Systems (Emotional)

Internal Family Systems therapy is a modality that considers humans as complex beings, each with internal systems that function as ‘parts.’ If you’ve ever seen Pixar’s “Inside Out,” this is a great representation of how we might envision parts of the system. IFS holds the belief that in response to hardships we endure, we develop parts that learn to do jobs within the system. These parts take on roles, have emotions, can be different ages, and show up to function when they believe they’re needed. Common parts you may possess are depressive parts, anxious parts, people pleaser parts, suicidal parts, and young parts that may represent different ages (like an inner child). When we get to know these parts instead of fearing them or feeling frustrated by them, we are able to offer compassion which often allows parts to feel seen and relax back. As we get to know and unburden parts, we are able to come more in to ‘self energy,’ an IFS term to describe a more regulated and centered place.

EMDR (Memory Reconsolidation)

EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing is a modality that reprocesses memories that are ‘stuck’ due to trauma. When we endure trauma, our memory is stored in fragments so we may have pieces that live in the body, brain, and nervous system disconnected. This means we may experience triggers without any awareness around what you were triggered by. EMDR uses back and forth eye movements or other forms of bi-lateral stimulation to allow the memory to properly store and minimize trauma symptoms. Through EMDR, we access the body sensations, emotions, and explicit pieces of the memory to allow for healing.

WHEN WE ARE ENTERING IN TO TRAUMA WORK AND ACCESSING PARTS OF OURSELVES THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BURIED FOR A LONG TIME, WORKING INTENSIVELY CAN ALLOW US TO GO DEEPER AND ALLOW FOR THE NECESSARY CONTAINMENT YOU MIGHT NEED BETWEEN SESSIONS.

Inquire about our therapists that offer intensive work.

In this work, we integrate parts work (IFS), body work (SE), and re-processing (EMDR) to allow you to access the deeply held trauma and move through it in a supportive and deliberate way.

Intensive work typically constitutes meeting 2-3 times a week for several weeks until you feel you are in a good space to begin once weekly sessions.

Working in this way allows us to get to the deep space quicker and allows incredible healing to take place.