While we have all heard the word “trauma” we don’t always understand what it means. Here are some of my favorite ways of understanding trauma:

• When we experience too much, too soon, or too fast we can experience trauma

• It can result in the past interfering with the present

• Trauma lies in the way the nervous system stores the event in our body versus in the event itself. The body indeed keeps the score.

• In our brain’s efforts to keep us safe, large amounts of data about the world, ourselves, how the nervous system believes we should respond, etc. get stored in the subconscious. While sometimes it can be helpful to share our trauma stories, rarely is just telling the story healing. We need to use a modality that accesses the subconscious as well so we can bring this stored information forward, and begin to heal or release information that is no longer helpful to us. Examples of this would include IFS, ART, hypnosis, psychedelic medicine, etc. More and more research is showing how important it is to bring the body into therapy - we cannot talk or think our way through trauma healing.

• Trauma can result from a single incident, or on-going events such as relationship dynamics. What is traumatic for a particular person is subjective to the moment and how their nervous system responds - the same event may not be traumatic on a different day, or to a different person, but that does not make it any less real. Trauma is truly in the eye of the beholder.

I began using EMDR in 2017 to help clients with trauma, and while there are many things to love about EMDR, I had some frustrations.  In 2018. I trained in ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy) which addressed many of those frustrations; ART seemed to take the things I liked best about EMDR and made it a clearer, more concise, and gentler process for clients and myself as the therapist.  In my opinion (please note this is not true for everyone), ART seemed to work even better and faster than EMDR.  

I was utilizing ART regularly with clients until March 2020 when COVID-19 hit - I put my use of ART on hold as I was not sure how to make it work over telehealth.  In March 2020, I began to train in IFS (Internal Family Systems) as it is also a trauma modality and is telehealth friendly.  IFS has quickly become my therapy modality of choice for trauma and many other issues - both clients and I have found it to be extremely effective.  

At this time, I still utilize ART on occasion, particularly for single incident traumatic events, however I mainly use IFS. If you are interested in these modalities, we can discuss which might be best for you, and how they might be utilized in your care.

Both ART and IFS have the potential to help clients “get past their past,” stop feeling stuck, and decrease reactivity.  Both are highly effective with trauma – or anything that overwhelms the brain’s ability to cope – as well as general adverse life events.  In addition, they can be beneficial for many other presenting issues such as anxiety, depression, anger/irritability, grief/loss, and relationship challenges.  Both are powerful methods of therapy – through ART and IFS I have witnessed clients make incredible change, and gain deep compassion and insight to their own emotions and behavior.  

IFS is the main modality I use for trauma healing, and so much more. To learn more about IFS, please click here. I also have a handout I am happy to share!

While I tend to mainly use IFS, on occasion I use Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for single incident trauma. To learn more click here.