Trauma Resources

Trauma; PTSD; Childhood Abuse and Neglect

 

AKA PTSD in diagnostic terms, the impact of trauma on a person’s life can be severe and far-reaching.  Trauma is a mental injury, not a mental illness.  These trauma resources are intended to help understand what trauma is (and is not), as well as interventions which help to support, process and heal trauma.

 

What Is Trauma?
To begin, let’s recognize that trauma often evades easy understanding.  The subtitle links to an article by Karen Onderko, a colleague of Dr. Stephen Porges (who is listed below).  It provides a helpful overview of trauma; definition, common symptoms, different types, and treatments.  I spoke with Karen while investigating trauma treatment options, and felt impressed with her knowledge, experience and genuine compassion for the people she works with.

Trauma Treatments:
This article explains six well-known forms of treatment for trauma.

EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMDR is a promising treatment for PTSD.   I completed training for EMDR in 2018, and it is the primary method I use for trauma treatment.

For a reasonably quick overview of EMDR, click on the link above.  For more detailed information,  click here.

IFS (Internal Family Systems Therapy)
IFS compliments EMDR, and is an excellent trauma therapy in its own right.  As an IFS-informed therapist, I use Internal Family Systems to enhance the EMDR treatment I provide.

Dr. Stephen Porges and the PolyVagal Theory:
Dr. Porges spent his career researching the vagus nerve, which connects the brain and the gut.  Ever wonder where the saying “a gut feeling” came from?  His PolyVagal Theory contributes new insights for trauma therapy.