29/12/2023
Acknowledging that things aren't right and bravely taking that next step to seek out someone to speak to about it can feel pretty overwhelming can't it?
Perhaps you are;
- experiencing strong reactions that seem out of proportion like anger, fear, panic, tearfulness, irritability, or something else
- no longer feeling able to do certain things or go to certain places
- being bothered by intrusive unpleasant thoughts or images
- having recurrent nightmares or trouble sleeping
- feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
- not feeling able to be the parent/ partner/ person you expect and want yourself to be, which may include feeling disconnected from others
- noticing strong feelings of guilt or shame or high levels of self-criticism
- having difficulties around self-image or self esteem
There might be many things contributing to these difficulties and one of these might be around trauma.
If you've been wondering what those abbreviations are in my page title- CBT and EMDR - they are really well-researched and established approaches to working with anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma/ PTSD and a range of other problems. Therapies that have been shown to work for the majority of people and, often, that have an impact within a relatively brief number of sessions (you can read more about how I work with trauma here - https://www.heatherphillipstherapy.co.uk/about-3).
When you're considering opening up and trusting someone with some of the most difficult things you could talk about, feeling assured they are suitably qualified and experienced is important. This is a great guide to finding an EMDR therapist (and yes, if you're wondering, my training is EMDRIA-approved)
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/relationship-and-trauma-insights/202210/how-to-search-for-and-vet-your-prospective-emdr?fbclid=IwAR02HHM4-uDGNudtObE7Z5sl0fXiAWxldV_64dMEJ7-NY0zG7FgMRK2dVis
Your brief guide to finding a well-trained and competent EMDR therapist.
