Trauma //
Definition
Trauma is an exceptional experience in which powerful and dangerous stimuli overwhelm the person’s capacity to regulate emotions, such as intense fear, helplessness or horror.
EMDR psychotherapy has been developed especifically for the treatment of both old and new traumas, ie harrowing experiences that continue to burden the mental system and which needs an efficient processing to be stored in a more appropriate manner in the memory system.
As mentioned EMDR psychotherapy is approved and recommended by the WHO as one of the most effective methods for the treatment of post-traumatic symptoms (PTSD)
We distinguish here between major trauma “T” and small trauma “t”. The big trauma “T” refers to the often violent, serious single experience such as an accident that from one day to the next can shake the system and create disturbances in the daily way of life in ways like increasing anxiety, dissatisfaction, flashbacks, etc.
The small trauma “t” refers to the seemingly less disruptive events and episodes, which if seen as a individual experience would not necessarily have had a decisive influence on the stability of the mental health system. These events, however, have often been going on for some time, in families with continuous humiliation, prolonged war influences, bullying at school, etc. and may thus have contributed to more extensive disturbances in the mental system.
The big trauma “T” is with the involvement of EMDR often possible to treat effectively and relatively quickly.
The small trauma “t”, the everyday minor but recurring disorders over time, will often require a long-term process involving complementary therapeutic methods.
Video:
Trauma and the Brain
EMDR session process
EMDR as explained by Dr James Alexander further discusses the EMDR session process, as well as the safety features of EMDR.
It is primarily for people who will be undergoing EMDR as it presents the remaining information needed as preparatory ground work prior to reprocessing.
Learn more about Dr James Alexander here