Trauma Counseling in St. Louis

Including EMDR

Overcome symptoms and live a full and thriving life

When your body feels on edge, you can’t relax and you just want to feel better, we can help. With trauma we want to stop all the bad feelings, chaotic experiences, get some sleep, and feel safe in our own skin! We will work with you to get rid of the horrible symptoms, and start undoing the impact of trauma on your life.

People say to us regularly “I just can’t do this anymore! I’m just overwhelmed all the time.” Do you relate to this? We understand this and know what your body and mind need to heal. In fact, helping folks like you is exactly why we are here.

Counselors who know how to help you

We have counselors highly trained who understand the pain and distress that trauma can create. We often use EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and ART (accelerated resolution therapy) to help you make progress. EMDR and ART are highly evidenced approaches to working with trauma that are extremely effective. We have counselors highly trained in EMDR, ART and other trauma approaches.

 

What is psychological trauma?

When our ability to cope with a situations is overwhelmed, we experience trauma. It is a normal human response. Traumatic events have a very powerful impact on our lives. People struggling with trauma often experience sleeplessness, anxiety, panic-attacks, flashbacks, inability to rest, and more. The body is essentially continuing to warn you, keep you ready for bad things, and help you protect yourself. It’s completely natural. Often, the body continues to experience heightened emotions and physical responses that don’t match your new situation. These experiences can be very distressing, but rest assured, we know how to help your body and mind reset.

You can watch the video below for an introduction to EMDR:

 
 

What Can Cause Trauma?

If you recognize the symptoms we’ve discussed as things you have been through, we would love to help you care for yourself and heal. Many situations cause trauma, but below, we’ve listed some of the experiences that are often associated with the distressing trauma symptoms we mentioned:

  • Being bullied or harassed

  • Being manipulated and lied to over and again

  • Being physically assaulted

  • Being verbally assaulted

  • Getting into an accident or unsafe situation

  • Unwanted sexual molestation or assault

  • Hearing about extreme or dangerous events happening to those you love or others in the world

  • Being exposed to horrific scenes or images you find repulsive

  • Situations you couldn’t get out of that were invasive or damaging to you

  • Growing up in a neglectful or abusive environment

What Will This Work Look Like?

The first thing is to help you feel safe, secure, and learn to help your body start to relax. Remember, you will always be in control. Our caring counselors work with you and support you every step of the way.

When using EMDR for trauma here are a few of things that we address:

  • Fully understanding the underlying negative beliefs that give rise to difficult views of the self and others

  • The emotions and body reactions you have due to these beliefs

  • The symptoms that cause you so much trouble

  • The memories that connect to these beliefs

  • You ability to make a meaningful and satisfying life now

Using EMDR, we can access the memories and emotions, and connect them with more adaptive views of yourself and your current situation. EMDR uses “bilateral” stimulation, which is a fancy way of saying that we use sounds, through headphones or tappers that you hold in your hands, to stimulate one side of the brain and then the other. This simply helps the brain process information in ways it normally resists. This might sound complicated, but it is quite simple, and it is a very effective method to truly heal.

Why Is EMDR Helpful?

EMDR is not like other therapies that can stay “just talking about things.” It is a technique that works to allow the deep memories in the brain to connect with your safety and strength in the present moment. This allows the old memory and experience stored in the body to fade away and loose its grip on you. You will move past the feelings and situations that hold you back or “trigger” you.

How Do I Begin?

Contact us at the St. Louis Counseling Center to set up an appointment with a counselor in one of our two convenient St. Louis practice locations. You can call us at (314) 325-9237 or email connect@stlouiscounselingcenter.com. We welcome kids, teens, and adults.