Just like adults children can experience PTSD symptoms. EMDR therapy is successful in treating trauma survivors both young and old and is the most researched psychotherapeutic treatment for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When a painful or upsetting experience happens, the memory of the experience sometimes stays “stuck” in the body and mind. Over time, the […]
It takes guts to overcome fear and heal from rape. Every hour 78 women are raped in the United States. Men and children are also victims of rape. In fact,1 in 33 men are sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. And over half of all rape victims know their attacker. Rape is a crime of power, […]
The word freeze has now been added to fight or flight as a third response that can occur to both humans and animals during a threat for survival. For human beings, the freeze response can occur when we’re terrified and feel like there is no chance for our survival or no chance for escape. It […]
The flight or flee response to trauma is commonly see in the wild when a lion chases his prey. If the prey is lucky it will out run the lion and survive. As humans we too have the flight response when faced with a threat. When we are fearful of our lives or feel a […]
Trauma is not something that we like to think about , let alone talk about. Trauma itself is also commonly misunderstood leaving individuals who are affected by it to feel stigmatized, alone and not receive the assistance they need. In order to better help people with trauma we must understand that their reactions are normal […]
If our body and mind cannot move past a traumatic experience then we get stuck in a fight, flight or freeze mode. The fight response is about survival and hope. We activate it when we believe there’s a chance we can outfight our attackers. The sympathetic branch activates the fight response. It tells the heart […]
During the holidays it can be difficult navigating family dynamics in healthy families but it is even more challenging for adult survivors of childhood abuse to spend the holidays with family members who have abused them. There are a variety of reasons why a survivor would spend the holidays with family members who abused them […]
Below are the three stages of the recovery process for trauma that we follow as therapists at Vancouver EMDR Therapy. We use EMDR therapy in every phase of the recovery process whether it is helping to create safety and increasing inner resources or processing traumatic memories and strengthening new ways of experiencing self and others. […]
We are learning more about trauma all of the time. New research is giving us insights into the effects of trauma and the subsequent behaviors that people exhibit. The more that we know about trauma the more that we can help survivors, including give a voice to their experience. Below are some examples of what […]
Parenting is not easy. Parenting is one of the hardest and one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have in their life. Mothers and fathers with trauma backgrounds have special challenges when it comes to parenting. Research shows that parents who experience substance abuse, depression or PTSD as a result of their trauma […]
It is difficult to see someone you love or care about experience life changing trauma. The worst advice given to people with trauma is not usually done to hurt or cause pain but instead said out of desperation to help. Many people who haven’t experienced a major trauma event in their life are not prepared […]
Here are 10 ways that EMDR therapy can help teens heal from trauma. EMDR therapy is effective and works fast-teenagers and their parents usually don’t want to commit to years of weekly therapy. Research shows that with single incident traumas EMDR therapy can resolve traumatic symptoms in a matter of 6-10 sessions. Teenagers need sleep […]
Many people wait months or even years before reaching out for help from a therapist. Survivors of trauma in particular can feel shame and be fearful to discuss the event. This often leads to them feeling hopeless believing that there isn’t anyone who can help them let alone understand what is happening to them. Feeling […]
Older men and women are faced with many challenges in their later life including; the death of a spouse, friends and relatives. They also face growing medical issues and life transitions which can lead to depression and anxiety. Also, when new trauma takes place in their life it can create a ‘domino effect’ reactivating old […]
There are many reasons why gay men may enter into therapy: coming out, internalized homophobia, substance abuse, health concerns, lack of support from family, feelings of isolation, and not feeling accepted within their own community. (https://www.talkspace.com/blog/2016/06/the-mental-health-issues-gay-men-deal-with/) But many men have experiences that have dissuaded them from therapy. There are men who have had therapists that have […]
A key aspect for people experiencing trauma is difficulty with emotional and physical regulation. Clients with trauma often find themselves feeling overwhelmed and intensely emotional. They might feel out of control with intrusive body sensations or memories of traumatic events. They can also feel too low, shut down, disconnected from themselves and others. They can feel […]
The ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) study is one of the largest scientific research studies of its kind, with over 17,000 mostly middle income Americans participating. The focus was to analyze the relationship between childhood trauma and the risk for physical and mental illness in adulthood. Over the course of a decade, the results demonstrated a […]
As EFT trained therapists with a specialty in trauma recovery we enjoy working with couples where one or more partners have experienced trauma or who have PTSD. At Vancouver EMDR Therapy we specialize in helping people recover from trauma. EFT for Couples is a perfect fit in this recovery process. Once clients feel like they […]
We are innately designed to attach to others, to seek safety and connection to those that we love the most. This type of connection helps us to feel more confident and empowered in our personal lives. Unfortunately, in life there are times when couples get caught in cycles of disconnection. During these key moments couples […]
A couple years back I was having a conversation with a family member about how triggering fireworks can be this time of year for people suffering from PTSD. He stated that, while sympathetic, he didn’t understand how someone could be startled or scared by the loud, sometimes shrill, sound of fireworks exploding if they logically […]