EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of symptoms, and is used most often to target stubborn negative beliefs about ourselves that stem from distressing or traumatic memories and experiences. EMDR aims to lessen the intensity of an upsetting or traumatic memory. EMDRIA is the official EMDR institute and has a great explanation about how and why EMDR works that you can find here https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/
FAQ
What is EMDR?
Here are some answers to common questions I get about therapy.
IFS stands for Internal Family Systems and is a model of therapy that views each individual as made up of many parts. This doesn’t mean every person has multiple personalities - it's more how you might say “a part of me wants to go for a run but another part of me wants to use this time to read”. I have found IFS to be a great model for building compassion towards ourselves as we get to know and understand each part of us and the ways those parts might be trying to protect us. You can find more information about IFS here https://ifs-institute.com/about-us
What is IFS?
Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS) was coined by Dr. Marlene Winell to describe the symptoms often seen in those leaving an authoritarian, dogmatic religious system. In the history of the Psychology field, religion has often been seen only as good or beneficial. Dr. Winell was one of the first Psychologists to challenge this idea and bring to the forefront some of the negative impacts high control religion can have. RTS is not recognized in the DSM as its own diagnosis and many clinicians simply refer to religious trauma as another type or category of trauma.
Religious trauma can include trauma symptoms such as hypervigilance, avoidance, numbing behaviors, flashbacks, and nightmares. Religious trauma can also impact people with symptoms like black and white thinking, extreme fear of those that are different or believe differently, fear and panic specific to hell or punishment, feelings of guilt around pleasure, beliefs that you are inherently bad or worthless, external locus of control (looking outward for the answers and being cut off from self), sexual struggles related to harmful indoctrination like purity culture or homophobic teachings, confusion around self and identity, isolation and feelings of betrayal, and confusion around what healthy connection and relationships look like. These are certainly not the only symptoms possible but are some good examples of the impact.
Often in working with religious trauma our main focus is to slowly identify who you, the client, know yourself to be and to start to trust your own inner world, experiences and knowledge. This is a foundational step to rebuilding healthy connections with others, finding a sense of relative safety in your life, and feeling more fulfilled.
What is Religious Trauma?
Not at all. I welcome everyone in this work - whether you have completely left your faith/religion and are rebuilding in a secular way, or whether you are reclaiming the pieces of your faith and religion that DO work for you and letting go of the rest. There is no right answer here. Together we work to understand what feels right for you and trust that.
Does therapy for Religious Trauma mean I can't be religious or spiritual?
No - I love to work with folks coming out of other types of high control or dysfunctional systems and families, people exploring who they are and navigating a better understanding of their identity/identities, and those navigating other kinds of trauma and relationship struggles/attachment issues. Feel free to reach out with what you might want to work on and we can see if it's a good fit!
