About trauma processing
What is a trauma?
A trauma starts with a life-threatening or shocking event. This can be something that you have experienced yourself or something that you have witnessed. It may involve a single event, such as a car accident, robbery or rape, but it can also be the result of repeated experiences such as sexual abuse, physical violence or emotional abuse.
A traumatic event can evoke intense feelings of fear, helplessness or horror. As a result, psychological problems may develop. In some cases these problems disappear on their own, but this is not always the case.
For example, nightmares or intrusive memories of the shocking event may keep returning and not fade away. You may also develop symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These symptoms may include shock reactions, avoidance behavior, panic attacks, mood swings or concentration problems.
Read more about the symptoms of PTSD and how we can help you cope with them.
Treatment of trauma with EMDR
Trauma can be treated effectively, for example with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). During EMDR therapy, eye movements are used so that you are simultaneously focused on the present and the past.
This technique helps restart the processing of traumatic experiences that may have become stuck. EMDR is often effective without requiring long conversations and can produce results in a relatively short period of time.
During treatment you briefly recall the traumatic event while following the therapist’s finger with your eyes. This process places a load on the working memory, which allows the emotional intensity of the memory to gradually decrease. Over time the traumatic memory fades into the background and the associated anxiety reduces.
Please read our Trauma treatment page if you would like to know how we can help you with trauma processing.
Contact Psychologen Amsterdam
Do you recognize your symptoms and do you need help, or do you have questions about trauma treatment? Call for an appointment or send a message to Psychologen Amsterdam.
