Trauma Therapy in Oregon and Washington
Trauma has a way of shaping our lives in profound and often invisible ways. It can affect how we see ourselves, connect with others, and navigate the world. For those carrying the weight of unresolved trauma, therapy can be a transformative tool to reclaim a sense of safety, stability, and connection. Let’s explore what trauma is, how it impacts us, and the therapeutic approaches that can guide you on a path to healing.
What is Trauma?
At its core, trauma is the emotional, psychological, and often physical response to distressing or overwhelming events. These events can threaten a sense of safety, security, or control and leave a lasting imprint on the brain and body.
Types of Trauma
Trauma isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience. It shows up in many forms, including:
Acute Trauma: Stemming from a single event, such as a car accident, assault, or natural disaster.
Chronic Trauma: Resulting from prolonged exposure to stressful or harmful situations, like childhood abuse or domestic violence.
Complex Trauma: Involving multiple, compounded traumatic experiences, often in early relationships or over extended periods.
Vicarious Trauma: Occurring when someone absorbs the emotional pain of others, often seen in caregivers, therapists, or first responders.
How Trauma Affects Us
Trauma impacts the brain, body, and emotions in ways that can feel overwhelming. The brain's alarm system, the amygdala, stays on high alert, making it hard to feel safe or grounded. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for logical thinking, often takes a backseat, leaving us reactive and emotionally dysregulated. Physically, trauma can manifest in chronic pain, fatigue, or illness, while emotionally, it may lead to feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, or numbness.
Why is Therapy Important for Trauma?
Trauma doesn’t heal on its own. Without intervention, its effects can ripple into every aspect of life, from relationships to self-esteem. Trauma therapy provides a structured, supportive environment to process these experiences, helping you break free from the patterns and symptoms keeping you stuck.
Therapeutic Approaches to Healing
Trauma recovery isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about understanding and integrating it in a way that allows you to move forward. Here are three powerful mind-body approaches I use in my practice:
Brainspotting is like a flashlight for your brain, guiding us to the hidden pockets where trauma is stored. By using focused attention and specific eye positions, Brainspotting taps into the brain’s innate ability to heal itself.
This technique goes beyond talking, helping you access and process deeply buried emotions and experiences that may not even have words attached to them. It’s particularly effective for trauma because it targets the subcortical brain—the part responsible for emotions and survival instincts. Brainspotting allows you to process trauma in a safe and non-invasive way, often leading to profound emotional release and relief.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is another transformative tool for trauma recovery. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, like guided eye movements or tapping, to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories. Instead of feeling stuck in the pain or fear of the past, EMDR helps “file” these memories away so they no longer hold the same emotional charge.
One of the remarkable things about EMDR is its efficiency—it’s designed to get to the heart of the issue quickly, making it ideal for those who feel weighed down by intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares. It’s a bit like cleaning out an emotional junk drawer—once you’ve sorted through the mess, you can finally find peace.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a unique way of understanding and healing trauma by exploring the “parts” of ourselves that carry pain. For example, you might have a part of you that feels deeply ashamed, another that’s hypercritical, and another that just wants to avoid everything.
IFS works by fostering compassion and communication between these parts, helping you understand their roles and why they developed. Often, these parts formed as coping mechanisms during traumatic times. By connecting with and healing these parts, IFS helps you create a sense of inner harmony and resilience. It’s like being the conductor of an orchestra—helping all the parts of you work together instead of fighting against each other.
How Trauma Therapy Can Help
When it comes to trauma recovery, therapy is more than just talking about the past—it’s about rebuilding a sense of safety, reconnecting with yourself, and reclaiming your life. Here’s how these approaches can make a difference:
Processing Emotions: Instead of avoiding or numbing out, therapy helps you sit with and process emotions in a manageable way.
Rewiring the Brain: Techniques like Brainspotting and EMDR help shift the brain’s response to triggers, reducing symptoms like anxiety, hypervigilance, and emotional reactivity.
Reclaiming Control: Trauma can leave you feeling powerless. Therapy helps you regain a sense of control and agency over your life.
Supporting Yourself and Loved Ones Through Trauma
If you’re navigating trauma or supporting someone who is, it’s important to approach the process with care and compassion. Here are some tips:
For Yourself
Grounding Techniques: When you feel overwhelmed, try grounding exercises like deep breathing, holding something cold, or describing your surroundings in detail.
Move Your Body: Physical activity, even a simple walk, can help release tension and calm the nervous system.
Practice Self-Compassion: Speak to yourself as you would a dear friend—kindly and without judgment.
For Supporting a Loved One
Listen Without Judgment: Offer a safe space for them to share their feelings without trying to fix or minimize them.
Educate Yourself: Learn about trauma and its effects so you can better understand their experiences.
Encourage Professional Help: Gently suggest therapy as a resource, emphasizing its potential for healing and support.
Takeaways
Trauma may feel like it has taken over your life, but it doesn’t have to define your future. With the right support, it’s possible to heal and move forward. Brainspotting, EMDR, and IFS are just a few of the powerful tools I offer to help you navigate this journey. By addressing the mind-body connection and fostering emotional resilience, these therapies can help you rediscover joy, connection, and a sense of safety.
Healing from trauma isn’t about forgetting what happened—it’s about learning to live fully despite it. If you’re ready to take the first step, I’d be honored to walk alongside you on your path to recovery.
Looking to connect with a therapist who specializes in trauma therapy, specifically mind-body techniques to help you do more than just talk about your trauma but actually recover from it?
Take your first step towards healing from your past and reclaiming control of your life.
(Oregon & Washington residents only)
About the author
Amanda Buduris is a licensed psychologist providing virtual Brainspotting sessions in Oregon and Washington. In-person services are available for therapy intensives only. She is trained in multiple modalities of trauma-focused healing to best support clients who are looking to feel better faster.
