Trauma lingers like an unshakeable shadow, altering how you see the world and yourself. It's the persistent replay of a past, distressing event that disrupts your inner calm and security. Emotionally, it surfaces as a turbulent mix of fear, sadness, and anger, often intertwined with vivid flashbacks that abruptly transport you back to those moments of terror. On a physical level, it manifests as a perpetual state of alertness, with tightened muscles and a racing heart, making restful sleep a rarity, often disrupted by unsettling nightmares. This constant state of tension can lead to a deep sense of disconnection, creating a feeling of isolation and turning even the most familiar environments and relationships into sources of stress and unease. Trauma redefines your life experience, casting a long, imposing shadow over your every day.
Whether you're grappling with a 'big T' trauma, such as sexual assault or violence, or dealing with complex PTSD or relational trauma, the impact of trauma is profound and lasting. Continue reading below to gain a deeper understanding of how we approach PTSD, or visit our page on complex PTSD to learn more about the nuances of relational trauma.
Overcome issues with anxiety by addressing underlying traumas through integrative EMDR therapy.
In our role as clinical psychologists, we employ a diverse array of therapeutic techniques to develop a detailed and personalized treatment strategy for those dealing with trauma and PTSD. Initially, we utilize EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) as a foundational tool to process traumatic memories and lessen their emotional impact. This technique, which involves bilateral stimulation such as eye movements, is crucial in diminishing the distress directly associated with trauma memories. Based on the specific needs of each patient and the therapeutic approach, we may integrate Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to focus on emotional healing. EFT aids in dissecting and reshaping emotional responses, or we may blend in attachment-focused therapy for individuals whose trauma has affected their capacity to establish and sustain secure relationships. Additionally, we incorporate Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for those experiencing significant emotional fluctuations and impulsive behaviors following their trauma. DBT's emphasis on skills like distress tolerance, mindfulness, and emotional regulation augments other therapies by offering practical strategies for managing everyday symptoms and responses.
By merging these methods, we construct a multi-layered treatment approach that addresses the different aspects of PTSD. This comprehensive strategy enables us to confront trauma from various perspectives - including memory processing, emotional regulation, cognitive restructuring, relationship dynamics, and skill development - paving the way for a thorough journey towards healing and resilience.
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Hoffenberg, renowned for her expertise in PTSD, childhood abuse, and trauma, adopts a highly specialized approach in her therapeutic practice. She works with individuals who have endured various forms of childhood trauma, including sexual, emotional, physical, and verbal abuse, as well as neglect. These experiences often leave survivors grappling with deep feelings of shame, guilt, and a distorted self-image, which can profoundly impact their ability to form healthy relationships. Dr. Hoffenberg understands how these traumas can undermine a person’s sense of self-worth, leading to a pervasive belief that they are unworthy of love and connection.
Employing a blend of EMDR, trauma-informed care, and mindfulness techniques, Dr. Hoffenberg helps patients process and reduce the intensity of traumatic memories in a safe and controlled environment. Her advanced training in relational EMDR allows her to address not only the traumatic events but also the lingering emotional burdens that accompany them, such as guilt and self-blame. By integrating mindfulness practices, she empowers patients to regain a sense of control and presence in their lives. This holistic approach ensures that each patient receives compassionate, effective, and tailored care, supporting them in rebuilding a healthier self-image and fostering more fulfilling relationships.
Read More about Dr. Hoffenberg
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Faiwiszewski, an expert in addressing PTSD, brings a unique and effective set of skills to her therapeutic practice. With a profound understanding of the complexities involved in these types of trauma, she adopts a multifaceted approach that combines hypnosis, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and acceptance-based techniques. Her use of hypnosis serves as a powerful tool to access and heal deep-seated emotional wounds, enabling patients to explore and reframe traumatic memories in a safe and controlled setting. EMDR is another critical component of her therapy, facilitating the processing of traumatic memories to reduce their lingering impact significantly.
Incorporating CBT, Dr. Faiwiszewski helps her patients challenge and restructure maladaptive thought patterns related to their trauma, empowering them to adopt healthier perspectives and coping mechanisms. Additionally, her acceptance-based approach encourages patients to embrace their experiences without judgment, fostering a sense of peace and self-compassion. This holistic combination of therapies allows Dr. Faiwiszewski to offer a compassionate, comprehensive, and effective treatment tailored to the unique needs of individuals grappling with the enduring effects of PTSD, trauma, and physical abuse.
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Yunusova specializes in treating PTSD, racial trauma, and survivors of physical and sexual abuse. She employs a diverse and comprehensive therapeutic approach, blending EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy), attachment-focused therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). This multifaceted approach allows her to address the complex and varied experiences of her patients effectively.
Utilizing EMDR, Dr. Yunusova helps patients process and diminish the intense emotional impact of traumatic memories. EFT is incorporated to explore and restructure emotional responses, particularly useful in dealing with the deep-seated emotions associated with racial trauma and abuse. Attachment-focused therapy plays a crucial role in her practice, especially for those whose trauma has affected their ability to form secure relationships, helping them develop healthier attachment styles.
Dr. Yunusova's combination of EMDR, EFT, attachment-focused therapy, CBT, and DBT offers a holistic and tailored treatment experience, addressing the psychological, emotional, and relational aspects of trauma. Her approach is particularly effective in providing comprehensive care to those dealing with the complexities of PTSD, racial trauma, and the aftermath of physical and sexual abuse.
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Leora Citrin, Psy.D., specializes in PTSD and the deep emotional wounds that can arise from a range of traumatic experiences, including partner violence, sexual assault, physical trauma, and health-related trauma such as severe illness or injury. She understands that these experiences can leave individuals with profound emotional scars, including confusion, shame, and self-doubt, which can distort their sense of self and trust in others. Dr. Citrin takes an integrative approach to therapy, blending EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and trauma-informed care to address these complex and painful emotions, whether they stem from ongoing trauma or isolated traumatic incidents.
Dr. Citrin’s integrative method allows her to draw on a variety of perspectives to best meet the unique needs of each client. She uses EMDR to help clients process and reduce the emotional impact of traumatic memories in a safe and controlled environment. Alongside this, she employs CBT to guide clients in challenging and reframing the harmful thought patterns that trauma often creates, fostering a renewed sense of self-trust and perspective. Her use of DBT equips clients with practical skills for managing intense emotions, improving distress tolerance, and maintaining emotional stability. This combination of approaches, grounded in trauma-informed care, ensures that clients feel supported as they navigate their emotions, allowing them to process their experiences without judgment and with self-compassion. Dr. Citrin’s integrative approach offers a holistic path to healing for those grappling with the lasting wounds of trauma, guiding them toward reclaiming their sense of self, building resilience, and finding emotional peace.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) stands out as an exceptionally effective therapy for trauma healing, and its efficacy is grounded in substantial research. The essence of EMDR's effectiveness lies in its unique approach to processing and recontextualizing traumatic memories. During EMDR sessions, bilateral stimulation, often through eye movements, triggers the brain's natural information processing system, akin to the mechanisms at work during REM sleep. This process facilitates the reprocessing of traumatic memories, transforming them from a state of acute distress to one where they can be integrated into the individual's life experience more adaptively.
Research has consistently shown that EMDR can significantly reduce the emotional impact of traumatic memories. Studies, such as those published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology and the Journal of Traumatic Stress, have demonstrated the efficacy of EMDR in reducing symptoms of PTSD, including anxiety, flashbacks, and emotional distress. In these studies, EMDR not only helped participants process their traumatic experiences but also led to a significant decrease in PTSD symptoms, often in fewer sessions compared to traditional forms of therapy.
Another critical aspect of EMDR's effectiveness is its ability to alter negative belief systems associated with trauma. For instance, a belief like "I am to blame" can be transformed into "I did the best I could." This cognitive aspect of EMDR is crucial in fostering a sense of empowerment and resilience in individuals who have experienced trauma. It also promotes improved emotional regulation, a key factor in long-term trauma recovery. By processing traumatic memories in a safe and controlled environment, individuals learn to manage their emotional responses more effectively.
The research-backed effectiveness of EMDR makes it not just a treatment for the symptoms of trauma, but a pathway to holistic healing. It allows individuals to reframe and integrate their traumatic experiences, reducing their ongoing impact and enabling personal growth. EMDR's comprehensive approach, supported by empirical evidence, marks it as a robust and effective therapy for those grappling with the effects of trauma.
Let us lead you on a journey towards empowerment, helping you to liberate yourself from the grips of trauma and cultivate inner resilience and a positive self-perception.
