We Can Help Your PTSD with EMDR Therapy in Thunder Bay
At Thunder Bay Psychology, we understand how painful dealing with trauma can be. It can make you question the fundamental assumptions you might have of the world and of yourself. Often people who have experienced or witnessed a potentially life-threatening event, can experience a sense of powerlessness and fear, and even start doubting their own abilities to manage such situations. If you've had an experience that you've found to be traumatic and are struggling to deal with the emotional and mental after-effects of it, we at Thunder Bay Psychology can help.
We have years of experience in helping people in Thunder Bay overcome their trauma by using tried and tested (empirically validated/best practice) strategies, including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy. In the safe environment of our offices, you can freely discuss your concerns, fears and therapeutic goals. We will then craft a customized strategy that adheres to your goals and expectations. If you'd like to schedule an appointment with us, please get in touch.
What Is PTSD?
Traumatic events such as motor vehicle accidents, industrial disasters or physical or mental abuse can often leave one in a state of shock. Even workplace injury arising out of a specific service, such as policing, paramedical/ambulance, emergency/fire services, or military, can cause a lot of mental distress. While in some cases, the trauma subsides gradually, in other cases, it lasts longer and impairs routine life for months or years. Such a condition is termed as PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
At Thunder Bay Psychology, we specialize in assessing and treating trauma and PTSD. We help individuals understand and manage their experiences, symptoms, and behaviours through effective EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy in Thunder Bay. We also offer cognitive and mindfulness-based psychotherapy practices. Call us to schedule your consultation with our registered psychologists.
Symptoms of PTSD
Some common signs of PTSD include:
- Recurring nightmares depicting traumatic events
- Sudden flashbacks of the traumatic events
- Hypervigilance
- Aggressive reactions to triggers
- Emotional outbursts
- Emotional detachments
The severity of these symptoms sets PTSD apart from trauma. It is also important to know that trauma occurs immediately after a shocking or overwhelming event, but PTSD can surface even months later. As soon as PTSD symptoms are suspected, getting in touch with mental health professionals is advisable. With timely interventions, it is possible to prevent PTSD from evolving into a crippling condition that leads to depression and anxiety.
EMDR Therapy for PTSD Treatment
EMDR is an integrative psychotherapy that has been researched extensively. It has been proven to be an effective treatment for cases of trauma and PTSD. The therapy incorporates elements from different treatment approaches and has helped millions of people manage symptoms of mental illness.
During an EMDR session, psychologists use bilateral eye movements or bilateral tapping sounds to help a client reprocess the memory of the traumatic event. As a result, the psychological reactions associated with the stressful event changes, reducing the PTSD symptoms. It can be thought of as helping a person see disturbing events in a new and less distressing way. It appears that EMDR is similar to what happens naturally during dreaming or REM sleep. Through research, doctors have found that EMDR seems to affect the way the brain processes information directly.
For EMDR therapy in Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Psychology’s certified mental health professionals.
Other PTSD Treatment Methods
In addition to EMDR treatment, we offer other treatment methods for PTSD at our Thunder Bay centre, including cognitive and mindfulness-based therapies:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy, otherwise known as CPT, is designed to help the client re-conceptualize the traumatic event in order to reduce its ongoing adverse effects. The treatment helps to develop an awareness of the relationship between a person’s thoughts and feelings.
- Mindfulness-based therapies help a person refocus on the present experiences instead of past traumatic experiences. It involves paying attention to the feelings and sensations of present-day experiences to help deal with the anxiety of PTSD.
At Thunder Bay Psychology, our goal is to help you take back control of your life with effective PTSD treatment. View our blog for informative posts on PTSD, mental health and wellness.
