Individual Therapy for Trauma

Common symptoms after a traumatic event may include, but are not limited to:

• Difficulty concentrating

  Strong emotions such as anger, guilt, shame, resentment, sadness that may interfere with current relationships or ability to function in school or work

  Inability to stop thinking about the traumatic event

  Relieving the experience through nightmares or flashbacks

  Increased anxiety or mood changes

  Changes in sleep patterns or eating patterns

  Increased use of drugs or alcohol to attempt to cope

This can even be more difficult when the traumatic event was ongoing and complex.

When a traumatic event occurs, our brain does not store it in the same way that it stores other memories. It may store a physical sensation in a different part of the brain and the visual memory in another, which can be very confusing and overwhelming. Therapy helps make sense of these memories and allow the brain to store them in a more effective way. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) helps us to understand the core beliefs we developed about ourselves after the trauma and how it impacts our future thinking, feeling, and behavior. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) assists people in alleviating emotional distress caused by traumatic life events.

Tiffany is a member of The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) and a Certified EMDR Therapist through International Association (EMDRIA). Restoring Hope Therapy treats all forms of trauma including those with dissociative features.