Verus Counseling, PLLC

08/26/2025

Ask for help when you need it 💛

08/11/2025

The Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACE Score, is a 10 question questionnaire used to tally the number of traumatic or adverse experiences a person has prior to their 18th birthday. These experiences (like abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction) are linked to various health and social outcomes in adulthood. To learn more you can visit acesaware.org.

07/31/2025

Adverse life experiences, especially when we are young, can plant the seeds of negative beliefs that we carry into adulthood. These are just a few: I am not good enough; I don’t deserve…; There is something wrong with me; I am unlovable; or I am stupid. Then anything that happens after the seed was planted can be used as “evidence” that it’s true. IFS-informed EMDR can be extremely helpful for changing these negative beliefs and unburdening the wounds that younger “selves” carry.

07/29/2025

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “A part of me wants to… but another part of me doesn’t,” or something similar? This is evidence that we all have parts of ourselves instead of a mono-mind. I utilize Internal Family Systems (IFS) with EMDR to support the various parts of self. This allows for a more paced and permission focused process.

07/27/2025

EMDR is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.
EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes.

06/28/2025

Adverse childhood events can include being physically abused but DON’T HAVE to! Emotional and mental abuse can be just as harmful and negatively affects beliefs we have about ourselves, others and the World. EMDR can be used effectively for attachment trauma so we no longer hold on to what’s not helpful!

06/28/2025

The impact of childhood trauma is pervasive. Trauma absolutely includes major events where our life is threatened, and abuse and neglect, but it also includes what we call "Little t" traumas, also known as developmental trauma or betrayal trauma. Little t traumas can include, but are not limited to, emotional abuse, bullying, discrimination, harassment, public shaming, loss of a significant relationship, and non-life-threatening injuries/ hospital stays. It doesn't have to be one single event. We now know that trauma isn't what happens to us, it's what happens inside of us because of what's happened to us.

06/28/2025

REALLY wish I had this book when I first started with EMDR!!! To any new trainees or CITs, read this book! It is straightforward, and absolutely packed with helpful information!

06/02/2025

When we experience adverse events and traumas, we often develop negative beliefs about ourselves, other people and the World. EMDR helps to change the negative beliefs into positive beliefs by linking up with adaptive information in our brain.

03/21/2025