The tornadoes that hit Kansas and Missouri in May have me thinking about help-seeking and trauma. My thoughts immediately went to children and adults who had perhaps spent a scary time sheltering in their basement to emerge into a new reality – one where maybe a big part of their home was gone or severely impacted by the storm. One of my friend’s children’s daycare was very damaged and when we checked in on each other, she shared that her young daughter was feeling scared and missing her friends. My own adult daughter had to shelter with our cats in a basement and she didn’t sleep well for over a week afterwards.
Trauma can take many forms. There is big-T trauma such as: experiencing a tornado close up or experiencing abuse, violence, or a car accident. Then there is small-t trauma: experiencing an embarrassing situation publicly (which still chips away at our mental well-being, but not with a huge gash like big-T trauma). It is important to recognize that everyone responds differently to traumatic or potentially traumatic life experiences. Research tells us that not everyone who experiences trauma will develop a mental health condition such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, however, some people will. How you fare depends greatly on your psychological history, the nature of the trauma, and your personal supports.
By coincidence, I was signed up to start EMDR training (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy) just two days after a tornado hit at the end of May. My intent for taking the training was to have another tool to use with my on-going Clients who have some trauma experience; However, the recent tornados were also really on my mind. I wondered about who in my community might benefit from something like EMDR, or other forms of psychological support, in the months to come.
So, how do you know when it might be helpful to seek Counseling (after a difficult period in your life or after a traumatic event)? Research tells us that most people reach out to their personal supports first. They talk to family and friends, then to their spiritual/faith communities, then to their Physicians and finally, fifth on the list, they will come to see people like me: a Counselor or Psychologist. Generally, people will start (or return to) counseling when experiencing distress and positive coping techniques just aren’t working as well as usual (like reaching out to their personal supports), or if developing negative coping techniques (like increased drinking, social withdrawal, interpersonal problems, or sleeping too much).
Some people just need one visit with a Psychologist to maybe have some questions answered, while others benefit greatly from regular weekly or bi-weekly support and skill building. What form your therapy takes needs to help you, needs to be personalized to you and your goals. Also, the relationship you establish with a Therapist is crucial, so you want to find someone who you like and who you feel “gets” you.
One thing I do as a Psychologist is to frequently get new training (to be as helpful as I as can be to my Clients). If you are a Client of mine, and you wonder whether adding EMDR to your treatment plan might be helpful, please give me a call or let’s talk about it at your next appointment. If you are not a Client of mine, but are reading this blog and have experienced trauma(s) which you’d like to address in therapy, I’d like to recommend a couple of my former students who are very experienced and caring trauma Therapists in the Kansas City area:
o Emily Anderson at embodiedkc.com/
o Jaree Basgall at www.jareebasgall.com
Wishing you a happy, healthy July!