Distressing Parenting Experiences
Parents who experience a child going through a short-term, continuing, or long-term health/disability-related event can become (and at times remain) traumatized by their fear, sense of helplessness, grief, etc. Caregivers may observe physical and emotional suffering, painful procedures, negatively-impacting societal and service provider attitudes, as well as a host of other challenges that can tax their coping and parenting abilities. While (at times) outwardly managing and coping, parents may experience internal anguish, and even be traumatized in the face of such events. Therapy can be of value in assisting parents to process distressing experiences, and to re-establish balance in the conduct of their relationships and daily lives.
What type of therapy do I provide?
My
overarching goal in therapy is to assist clients in choice-fully
responding rather than choice-lessly reacting in their lives, and to
cease being captive to the experiences that cause them to seek help.
Counseling begins by establishing a sense of safety for the individual in the therapeutic relationship. I work in active partnership with each client in the development and implementation of a treatment plan and in continuously reviewing the effectiveness of our work.
Multiple modes of therapy and care are often necessary to achieve optimal results. In response to each client's needs and in conjunction with the client, one or a combination of modes may be utilized including:
- EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, explained in sections below)
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (identifying and modifying faulty or distorted negative thinking styles and the maladaptive behaviors associated with those thinking styles)
- Somatic experiencing (using body awareness at different levels to reprogram the body out of trauma states)
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (correcting automatic reactions by practice of noticing/accepting thoughts and feelings without judgment - vs. pushing away)
What is EMDR and what kinds of problems can it
treat?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a proven
method of psychotherapy developed in 1987 by a psychologist, Dr. Francine
Shapiro. It has evolved through contributions of therapists and researchers
worldwide. Today, EMDR is a standardized protocol that incorporates elements of
many different treatment approaches. Proven effective for post-traumatic
stress, EMDR therapy can help clients replace their anxiety and fear with
positive images, emotions and thoughts. Symptoms that can be helped by EMDR
include:
- High anxiety and lack of motivation
- Depression
- Memories of a traumatic experience
- Fear of being alone
- Unrealistic feelings of guilt and shame
- Difficulty in trusting others
- Relationship problems
How does EMDR work?
How any psychotherapy
actually works in the brain remains largely unknown. When someone is very
upset, however, their brain is unable to process information in its ordinary
way. A moment of extreme upset can become 'frozen in time' and, when
remembered, feel as bad as the first time because the original images, sounds,
smells and feelings haven't changed. Such memories can have a lasting negative
impact and interfere with the way a person experiences life. EMDR seems to help
normal information processing resume, freeing a person to no longer relive the
painful details each time the original event comes to mind. Disturbing material
can be processed, and then experienced in a less distressing way. What happened
is not forgotten, but is less upsetting. While other types of therapy have
similar goals, EMDR seems similar to what happens during dreaming or REM (rapid
eye movement) sleep.
Is there evidence of EMDR's
effectiveness?*
EMDR is an evidence-based intervention in the treatment
of PTSD according to at least 20 controlled outcome studies and many reputable
organizations and national health guidelines including: the Cochrane Database
of Systematic Reviews (2007) and The American Psychiatric Association Practice
Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Acute Stress Disorder and
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (2004). The U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs and Department of Defense has placed EMDR in its highest category of
therapies recommended for treatment of PTSD (Clinical Practice Guidelines,
2004). In addition, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
(ISTSS) gave EMDR an "A" rating for treatment of adult PTSD (Foa et al., 2009).
EMDR has been determined to be efficacious in the treatment of trauma by
several international health and governmental agencies including the United
Kingdom Department of Health (2001), the Israeli National Council for Mental
Health (2002), the Dutch National Steering Committee Guidelines Mental Health
Care (2003), French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (2004),
(UK) National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2005), and the Medical Program
Committee/Stockholm City Council, Sweden (2003).
*A bibliography of
research on EMDR may be found at www.emdria.org.
What happens in a session?
The therapist
and client first identify a specific problem as the focus for treatment. The
client brings to mind a disturbing issue/event and what was seen, heard, felt,
and thought - as well as what thoughts and beliefs are currently held about
that event. The therapist facilitates directional movement of the client's eyes
or other dual attentional stimulation of the brain, while the client focuses on
the disturbing material and simply notices whatever comes to mind. The client
observes whatever comes to mind without making any effort to control direction
or content. Each person processes information in a unique way based on values
and personal experiences. Eye movements continue until the memory becomes less
disturbing and is associated with positive thoughts about one's self (for
example, "I did the best I could.") Intense emotions may arise during EMDR, but
most people report a great reduction in the level of disturbance by the end of
the session.
How long does EMDR take?
One or more
sessions are required for the therapist to understand the problem and determine
that EMDR is appropriate. The therapist will discuss EMDR and answer questions.
Once the therapist and client decide that EMDR is appropriate, therapy may
begin. A typical session lasts 60-90 minutes. The kind of problem, life
circumstances and trauma history will determine the number of treatment
sessions needed.