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Writer's pictureKatie Kroening, LCSW;CADC

Conquering Trauma

Updated: Jun 19


Written by Kelly Allen, LSW


June is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, (PTSD) awareness month. According to the Research Department of Veteran Affairs National Center for PTSD, there are roughly 12 million people in the US who experience PTSD. When we think of the population that experiences PTSD, we think of veterans in the past, this was the only group recognized to have experienced PTSD. However, veterans are just one of the many groups of people that experience PTSD. Other groups include the following: victims of narcissistic verbal and emotional abuse, physical, sexual abuse, neglect, those who have gone through a natural disaster or witnessed a significant loss; as well as those who have had extended chronic traumatic experiences.

 

When understanding PTSD, it is most important to first understand what trauma is: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes trauma as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. There are three different types of traumatic experiences: acute trauma (caused by a single event), chronic trauma (prolonged and reoccurring), and complex trauma (exposure to differing traumatic events/experience) (CDC).

 

Trauma can cause symptoms of re-experiencing the traumatic event, nightmares, images, flashback's, nervous system shut-down, dissociative symptoms where you lose track of time and place, loss of memory, panic attacks, inability to work, leave the home, sleep-insomnia and more.

 

Our goal as therapists is to provide trauma-informed care: creating a space of safety to explore trauma, helping client’s identify triggers, and guiding client towards healing. We have learned that in order to treat trauma, we must address the link to our body's awareness of trauma and the importance of the brain, body, mind and spirit connection; We store trauma in the Body, as Bessel Vanderkolk said best in his book, The Body Keeps the Score.

 

EMDR Treatment: One trauma-informed treatment utilized by one of our wonderful clinicians, Sue Proebsting, LPC, is called EMDR. Sue describes EMDR in the following way: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitizing and Reprocessing) is a therapy that uses BLS (bilateral body stimulation) to help the brain access and process traumatic memories and beliefs.  Some types of BLS are eye movements, tapping, listening to soft tones, squeezing a ball, or holding buzzers in each hand. The goal is to create new neuropathways and reduce the distress in our bodies, minds and spirits associated with the trauma.


Grounding techniques, tapping, deep breathing, mindfulness, IFS therapy, and more are additional trauma therapies we use to help sufferers of trauma and PTSD diagnosis.

 By helping our client’s feel supported, heard, and cared for in their traumas, we hope that those experiencing PTSD will feel seen and equipped to address and alleviate their symptoms. Our ultimate heart behind our practice and providing this trauma-informed care is that those who come into our office will feel connection and take steps in courage and faith to walk the path of healing.  


If you would like to schedule an appointment with our trauma therapists, and for EMDR, Sue Proebsting, LPC (who practices both at our Crystal Lake and Cary offices), or if you'd like to learn more about the services we offer, please reach out to Jenny Hansen, our intake coordinator at 815-707-4806 or by email at jenny@centerforcourage.com to check availability!

 

To learn more about Sue, check out her profile at https://www.centerforcourage.com/team-1/sue-proebsting%2C-lpc

 

 

References:

 

 

 

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