specialty therapeutic areas

 RELIGIOUS TRAUMA SYNDROME

Experiencing the emotional and identity suppression of authoritarian, dogmatic, and controlling religious groups and belief systems can lead to extreme emotional stress. Symptoms can include cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression, social isolation, loss of identity, and suicidal thoughts and ideations. 

Addressing these issues requires establishing a new and stable sense of self outside of the doctrines and beliefs that were forced upon you. But coming to terms with the feelings of betrayal, the loss of a community of faith, and the grief of needing to reconstruct our reality can be overwhelming. 

Rebuilding your world takes time and an approach that retrains your nervous system to a new awareness of safety, while working within your core values to establish a more adaptable and stronger you. We can help you do this.

WHAT IS TRAUMA?

Experiencing or witnessing a frightening, dangerous, or violent event can overwhelm our body's natural coping abilities. Exposure to death, injury, abuse, or sexual violence often causes trauma. Other more common life events like job stress, divorce, or accidents can cause a trauma response as well. People respond to trauma in many different ways. Childhood trauma increases life-long health risks.

HOW CAN EMDR THERAPY HELP?

Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events. Sometimes this natural recovery process can’t be resolved without help. EMDR stands for Eye movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is a form of therapy that helps people heal from trauma or other distressing experiences. EMDR therapy is designed to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain. For many clients, signs of trauma will diminish or disappear once EMDR therapy is completed. 

EMDR therapy has been extensively researched and recommended for trauma treatment. For ore information go to : www.EMDRIA.org