Edmonton Trauma Therapy
Trauma is one of the five most common issues that we work with at Equinox Therapeutic and we offer specialized Edmonton trauma therapy and PTSD treatment. We help people who have been touched by one or many traumatic events in their life. This may include any of the following:
- Physical, emotional, or psychological abuse in childhood or adulthood
- Witnessing or experiencing a traumatic incident(s) such as a car accident or violence
- Losing someone close to you, especially if that loss was unexpected
- Near death experiences for you or someone else
- Major life transitions that are unexpected or don’t go as planned
- Bullying or being exposed to a situation where you feel your integrity is at risk
- Any period of your life where you felt out of control, overwhelmed or “shut down”
- Being a loved one of someone who is experiencing the effects of trauma
What Is Trauma Therapy?
Trauma symptoms manifest on a continuum, ranging from a relatively minor trauma response such as an increased heart rate or irritability when you’re reminded of the trauma, to a major trauma response that might meet the full criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Edmonton PTSD treatment is one of many areas of speciality for the team at Equinox Therapeutic.
Trauma therapy is the techniques our counsellors use that might be able to help you “process” the trauma, and minimize or even eliminate the trauma response from your body or mind. We use a number of different trauma therapy techniques including psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy. However, the technique we use most often is called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, commonly referred to as EMDR
How Does Edmonton EMDR Therapy Work?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, commonly referred to as EMDR, is an empirically validated treatment for individuals who have experienced trauma. The trauma may have been physical, such as the experience of war, a death of a loved one, illness, injury, or an assault. Or, the trauma may have been emotional or psychological, such as the experience of a neglectful childhood, feelings of abandonment or unworthiness, or feelings of intense guilt. The trauma may be in the distant past or it may be occurring on a daily basis. It is also considered a specialized therapy for PTSD.
EMDR is used to treat various symptoms of trauma, such as anxiety, depression, guilt, anger, resentment, phobias, irrational thoughts, and other post traumatic reactions including reoccurring thoughts and nightmares. It can also be used to enhance emotional resources such as confidence and self-esteem. Recent research has also shown EMDR to be an effective treatment technique for individuals who experience chronic pain and addictions.
It is notable that there are more controlled research studies on EMDR for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder than there are for any other type of therapy. For more information and research studies on EMDR, please visit www.emdrcanada.org.
What Are The Benefits And Goals Of Trauma Therapy?
Before you start any kind of treatment it’s important to consult with your therapist or have some understanding of what you want to accomplish. There’s a variety of goals that can be targeted with trauma therapy but some of the most common include:
- Dealing with the reality of the past without getting stuck in it
- Reduce or remove trauma symptoms
- Shifting focus from the past to the present
- Overcoming addictions that are related to traumatic stress
- Regaining control
- Building new skills and preventing relapse
Are you looking for more information about trauma therapy? Need to schedule an appointment? You can use the form on the side or visit our contact page to talk to one of our experts