How do you work with clients with trauma and PTSD?

Regardless of what caused your trauma, you deserve to heal. The only reason I am able to continue in this profession is because I have regularly seen humans heal from some of the most horrific traumas. When you are ready to process your trauma, it becomes a small chapter in your story rather than the entire story. It becomes something that happened to you, outside of your control, rather than something that defines who you are. Healing is always possible. 

You’re overwhelmed by being everything to everyone. While everyone else sleeps, your mind races with worst case scenarios as you dissect a minor experience from earlier in the day. It’s hard making decisions about even the simplest things. Life just isn’t as much fun as you want. You’ve tried talking to your friends about this stuff, but it never seems to help or change anything. Stacks of self help books go unread on your nightstand and following lifestyle influencers makes your self esteem plummet. Life is hard and it doesn’t come with an instruction manual. You deserve to be truly seen and heard without judgement. Your own answers live within you, and when you reach out for support, I’ll help you find them. 

When you don’t process trauma your feelings come out in subtle ways that you probably won’t even realize probably until much later down the line. Also, a common misconception is trauma  doesn’t have to be a huge catastrophic event it can be a break up or losing your job and one persons trauma is just as valid as the next persons. 

I believe that you are the expert in your own life and and the modalities I use are geared in empowering you as the client. I utilize solution focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy as well as a person centered approach in my sessions. I understand how it can be hard to open up sometimes, I meet you where you are and go at the pace you feel comfortable as it pertains to exploring what is going on in your life. I have a deep passion for helping others, allow me to join you on your journey of healing and self discovery.

My main modality is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. The goal of therapy is to fully become an integrated person. Through this modality and the engagement of building a trust-based relationship together, it is possible to live free of internalized shame and have healthy adulthood relationships.

I specialize in substance abuse treatment, and my main focus is complex trauma. I invite you to reach out and begin this journey into clarity and understanding. It takes desire and curiosity to begin knowing your true self. This journey will consist of many emotions, uncomfortable moments of awareness, and tears. But it is through the desire for something different that we choose to embark on such an adventure.

I am trained in EMDR, a powerful technique that uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain speed up the process of healing from traumatic memories and experiences. Symptoms of trauma can be so burdensome and problematic in people's lives and it can be exhausting dealing with these symptoms day in and out. I have seen EMDR work well as an effective and efficient technique to help people just feel better and be able to freely live their lives again.

Hi! I'm Nic Dahlberg (he/him) and I am a LMHC in the state of Washington. I provide therapy services as a contractor for Seagate Psychological Services. How are you? Because in a world where unprecedented events are happening on the daily, it's likely you're feeling a teensy bit (or a lot a bit) overwhelmed, out of control and lost. I help people deal with all sorts of mental health challenges including anxiety, depression, burnout, trauma, oppression related stressors and identity issues. In therapy, I strive to create a casual, warm atmosphere where you'll feel comfortable sharing your honest answer to "so, how's life?" We'll dig deep into the heavy stuff and the challenges you face with the seriousness they deserve while also incorporating a bit of joy and humor along the way. I practice ACT and EMDR as my primary modalities.

Experiencing trauma and/or abuse can cast a shadow on everything else whether you realize it or not. For treatment of trauma, I utilize Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), an evidence-based approach that uses bi-lateral stimulation (aka eye movements) to suppress your fear instinct so that we can help your brain re-process those traumatic events. The facts about what happen remain the same (and you're able to recall them), but your emotional and fear responses will have changed. Clients that have used ART to process their trauma typically say that the effects are immediate and long-lasting.

Hi there! I'm Elaine. I like to call myself a nurturer of weary souls. (But formally speaking, I'm a psychotherapist specializing in infertility and also trauma resolution.) I’m dedicated to helping weary souls who are bogged down with these issues find healing and hope again.

There are a variety of approaches that are effective in healing from trauma. I think there are many factors to consider with any approach as well as what the trauma involves. Sometimes processing in the way this is asking would require one to "relive" the events as part of the processing. There are other ways in which trauma can be managed with a client have to bring up every painful detail they likely have spent years suppressing. It is so important for therapists to assess the type of trauma as well as supportive factors that clients may have. Understanding how a client can manage "processing" is the first concern. I always insure clients understand and can utilize grounding techniques. Sometimes sessions need to be more than 1x per week for a short time. I think a good analogy is trauma is a wound. A wound that over time has at least scabbed over. When you reopen that wound, you need to be able to open it and get it bandaged back up all in a 50 min session. I always insure that clients have someone who will see if the start to "bleed" through the bandage between sessions as it can be harmful and unsafe to take a client back to a trauma if the can not manage things that may reemerge like flashbacks. There are many other modalities such as EMDR which can be very effective.

I have been licensed since 2006 gaining my clinical experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings with individuals, couples, and families 12 years and up.

Working with trauma and PTSD is my specialty. I move away from traditional talk therapy and work with my clients from a bottom-up, embodied approach. I utilize Somatic therapies, parts work, and attachment repatterning to address both the nervous system and the attachment system. Both systems typically are negatively impacted by trauma. By bringing in a focus on the therapeutic relationship and opening awareness to what is happening in the body (sensations, emotions, impulses, images, thoughts), we are able to target the stuck points that keep people in their trauma vortex all while staying within one's window of tolerance. This is a gentle approach that allows my clients to move through their trauma experiences without reexperiencing distressing memories that can be debilitating.

Ilsa is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC-S, LPC-A), Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), Certified First Responder Counselor (CFRC), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCPT-II), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Board-Approved Supervisor. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University and is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Relational Bodywork and Somatic Education (BASE), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dynamic Attachment Repatterning experience (DARe), Brainspotting, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Ilsa is also a Certified Animal-Assisted Play Therapist, Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional and Certified SYMBIS Facilitator. In addition, Ilsa is a member of Somatic Experiencing International and the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC). Ilsa is a trauma-informed counselor with extensive experience working with individuals, couples, and First Responders presenting with anxiety, depression, sexual trauma, childhood trauma/attachment issues, complex trauma, PTSD/C-PTSD, and relationship conflicts. Ilsa works in collaboration with her clients, creating a safe space, towards desired goals. She believes that all individuals have within themselves the capacity for growth. She provides a holistic integrative approach, tailored to the client’s unique needs, that promotes wellness and facilitates healing through somatic and attachment-based work. Clients move from chaos towards a sense of agency & internal safety. Providing an environment of acceptance, warmth, and understanding, Ilsa supports and empowers clients to build on their strengths and attain the growth needed to address challenges and experience a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

Working with clients who have experienced trauma and are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves creating a safe environment, providing psychoeducation, and conducting a thorough assessment. The therapeutic process may include empowering clients, processing traumatic memories, addressing cognitive distortions, and fostering resilience.

I specialize in providing support to young women and LGBTQ youth/adults. Additionally, I work with individuals of varying ages who grapple with coping difficulties related to life transitions and varied mental health concerns.

Our brains and bodies are so in tune that anything can be perceived as traumatic even when we logical may not think it is, I thoroughly enjoy helping clients heal past trauma. I am trained in EMDR.

Welcome, it is my pleasure to walk alongside you on this journey. I understand that finding the right therapist may be a daunting and difficult task, feel free to contact me for a free consultation. I too am a daughter of immigrants, wife, mother, sister and friend. I look forward to working with you.