EMDR and Other Approaches to Healing Trauma
Trauma can come from many places, but the result is the same: It affects the way a person thinks, feels, relates to others, and moves through daily life. For some, trauma stems from a single distressing event. For others, it develops through repeated stress, ongoing instability, painful relationships, childhood experiences, medical events, or grief. At Bridge to Balance in Voorhees, New Jersey, trauma treatment is approached with compassion as well as clinical skill. Here’s a quick overview of the approaches our trauma-informed providers use to help our clients through their various traumatic experiences.
Getting to the Source of Trauma Through Science
When an experience is overwhelming, the brain stores it in a way that keeps the emotional pain active long after the event has passed. This leads to symptoms like anxiety, panic, nightmares, flashbacks, irritability, avoidance, or negative beliefs about oneself.
There are a few different psychotherapy methods that can address this issue:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, commonly known as EMDR, is often considered the gold standard for treating trauma. This is an evidence-based therapy developed to process traumatic or distressing memories. During EMDR therapy sessions, a trained clinician guides the client through a structured process that uses bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, tapping, or sounds. The goal is to help the brain reprocess painful memories so they become less emotionally intense.
Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing focuses on the connection between trauma and the body, helping clients notice and regulate nervous system responses. Rather than simply analyzing your thoughts, somatic work involves paying attention to physical cues and employing deliberate exercises to release trapped tension.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting is another trauma-focused approach that uses eye positioning to access and process stored emotional distress. By accessing deep areas of the brain involved in trauma and stress responses, Brainspotting allows clients to work through unresolved pain.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) addresses distressing images and memories in a structured, focused way that achieves faster results than some other methods. Using guided eye movements and visualization techniques, ART reduces the emotional impact of painful experiences while teaching healthier responses.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a form of therapy specifically designed to address trauma in children and adolescents. TF-CBT combines cognitive-behavioral techniques, emotional regulation skills, and trauma processing to reduce symptoms and introduce healthy coping strategies in a supportive environment.
These techniques can be integrated together or adjusted for patients of different stages in life. For children and adolescents, clinicians may also use play therapy, sandtray therapy, or other creative methods. These provide developmentally appropriate ways to express feelings, build coping skills, and process difficult experiences without relying on conversation.
Find Your Personalized Path Toward Healing
Whether you are seeking trauma therapy for yourself, your child, or your family, Bridge to Balance provides a safe and thoughtful place to begin in Voorhees and other locations across New Jersey. Our practice offers a wide range of trauma-informed approaches, including EMDR. With experienced clinicians and multiple evidence-based options, we can offer trauma treatment tailored to your history, goals, and comfort level. Contact Bridge to Balance today to request an appointment and take the next step toward emotional balance!