Is Counseling Right for You?

Adults impacted by trauma can have a variety of experiences in their personal and professional lives. It’s normal for trauma to impact your ability to have intimacy in relationships. It can also be normal to feel uncertain about your feelings of self worth or to experience emotional fluctuations, irritability, or anxiety. These responses are automatic, involving no real conscious thought, when individuals are triggered from their past experiences.

I work with men and women in Loudoun County who have been impacted by trauma, either in their recent history of in their childhood. They often recognize that they are repeating the same behaviors in their lives or relationships, which often causes problems for them at home or at work. As adults, our relationships with our own parents can impact the way we feel about ourselves, our relationships with others, and our view of the world.

Trauma can have a pronounced impact on the health and functioning of individuals of all ages. The presumption is that counseling is only working with our thoughts and feelings; conversely, we know our bodies hold traumatic memories in every cell of our body. Research has shown that individuals with untreated trauma histories have exponentially higher rates of physical health issues, to include heart disease, diabetes, chronic pain, and cancer in additional to the emotional impacts we recognize more readily.

The goal of engaging in trauma counseling is to get rid of the automatic responses to daily life so that individuals can thrive in the present without being triggered by the past. I specialize in using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to assist clients in working through their trauma patterns. EMDR has a profound impact on your thoughts, feelings, and somatic (body) experiences related to trauma memory networks. Check out my section on EMDR for all of the specific details of what to expect with this service.

What concerns can be treated?

  • Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
  • Chronic Illness and medical issues
  • Depression and bipolar disorders
  • Dissociative disorders
  • Eating disorders
  • Grief and loss
  • Pain
  • Performance anxiety
  • Personality disorders
  • PTSD and other trauma and stress related issues
  • Sexual assault
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Substance abuse and addiction
  • Violence and abuse