Jane Belinda Therapy
Trauma & EMDR
"It’s the rough side of the mountain that’s the easiest to climb; the smooth side doesn’t have anything for you to hang on to.” Aretha Franklin
Flexible appointment times - Surbiton In Person Clinic - Secure Online Sessions - Walk & Talk in Richmond Park
Trauma is our mind and body’s response to an experience that feels overwhelming, frightening or deeply distressing. It can happen after a single event, such as a car accident, a medical emergency, a sudden bereavement or an assault. While the event has ended, your nervous system may continue to respond as though you are still in danger.
Complex trauma develops when someone experiences repeated or ongoing trauma, often during childhood or within important relationships where they should have felt safe. Rather than being linked to one event, complex trauma can shape how we see ourselves, others and the world. It can affect self-esteem, relationships, emotions and the ability to feel safe or trust others.
Single Event Trauma
Examples of single-event trauma may include:
- A road traffic accident
- A traumatic birth or medical procedure
- A physical or sexual assault
- Witnessing a frightening event
- The sudden loss of a loved one
- A natural disaster
Complex Trauma
Example of complex trauma may include:
- Growing up with emotionally unavailable or unpredictable caregivers
- Childhood emotional, physical or sexual abuse
- Neglect or feeling unseen and unheard throughout childhood
- Domestic abuse or coercive control
- Repeated bullying
- Living with addiction, mental illness or conflict within the family home
Whether your experiences stem from one significant event or many smaller experiences over time, they are equally valid. Trauma is not measured by what happened, but by the impact it has had on you.
In therapy, we work at a pace that feels safe for you. Together, we can make sense of your experiences, understand how they continue to affect your life today, and help your nervous system move from surviving to living more freely.
Is This You?
- You know your past still affects your present
- You find yourself repeating the same relationship patterns
- You struggle to trust yourself or other people
- You constantly expect something to go wrong
- You feel on edge, even when safe
- You find it difficult to rest or let your guard down
- You carry shame that doesn't seem to belong to the present
- Certain situations trigger emotions that feel bigger than the moment
- You understand why you react this way but still can't seem to change it
- You might swing between irrational anger and numbness
- You may suffer from auto immune diseases and physical ill health
- You may have lost hope in the goodness of people or the world
- You may feel lonely and is if no one understands
Types of Trauma I Support
Child and Developmental Trauma
Early experiences that shaped your sense of safety, worth and relationships.
Complex Trauma and CPTSD
The lasting impact of repeated or ongoing experiences such as emotional neglect, abuse, criticism, instability or growing up having to meet the emotional needs of others.
Attachment Trauma
When early relationships taught you that love, safety or acceptance depended on meeting other people’s needs or hiding parts of yourself.
Single Incident Trauma
Experiences such as accidents, assaults, medical trauma, sudden loss or other overwhelming events.
Relationship Trauma
Recovering from emotionally abusive relationships, betrayal, manipulation or coercive dynamics.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD
Any traumatic experience where symptoms have been prolonged, consistent and haven't faded with time.
“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” Frida Kahlo
“If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can't survive.” Brene Brown
My approach is holistic, integrating the mind, body, and nervous system alongside compassionately witnessing your story. I draw from several trauma informed approaches to help us understand not only what has happened to you, but how your experiences continue to be held in your body, nervous system, emotions, and beliefs.
I have specialist trauma training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing), a powerful therapy that enables the brain to reprocess traumatic memories so they become less emotionally charged and no longer hold the same influence over your present life. EMDR is carefully woven into therapy at a pace that feels safe and respectful of your nervous system or offered as a stand alone separate treatment.
EMDR
What happens when you are traumatised?
Your body routinely manages new information and experiences without you being aware of it. However, when something out of the ordinary occurs and you are traumatised by an overwhelming event (e.g. a car accident) or by being repeatedly subjected to distress (e.g. childhood abuse), your natural coping mechanism can become overwhelmed. This overloading can result in distressing memories being stuck at the forefront of our brain or being "unprocessed".
Your ability to live in the present and not be disturbed from flashbacks and triggers of the event can be inhibited. EMDR helps create the connections between your brain’s memory networks, enabling your brain to process the traumatic memory in a very natural way.
What is an EMDR session like?
EMDR utilises the natural healing ability of your body using something called bilateral stimulation. After a thorough assessment, history taking and identification of distressing memories that you would like to work on, eye movements, similar to those during REM sleep, will be recreated.
The eye movements will last for a short amount of sets with regular intervals for feedback on what you are noticing. If bilateral stimulation via eye movements isn't suitable, there are alternative methods that we can use such as body tapping.
What can EMDR be used for?
In addition to its use for the treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, EMDR has been successfully used to treat: anxiety and panic attacks, depression, stress, phobias, sleep problems, complicated grief, addictions, pain relief, low self-esteem and confidence, negative limiting self-beliefs
How long does treatment take? EMDR can be a brief focused treatment or integrated into existing therapy sessions. EMDR sessions are 50 minutes and can be more frequent if needed.
Will I will remain in control and empowered? During EMDR treatment, you will remain in control and can stop the process at any time. This is not a form of hypnosis. Adapted from www.traumacentre.com
"This EMDR is magic…!” Esly Regina Carvalho
Testimonial
"Just thank you" A.Y.