Coping With Parenting Insecurities

As a parent, all you want is to know you have raised your children to be ready to take on the world one day independently. When they are young, it may be overwhelming not only for you, but for them as you try to truly understand why each other does certain things. As a new parent, it can be especially nerve wrecking because every child and every home life is different. You may also have little to no experience raising a child.  

When it comes to parenting, you want the best for your children, and you want them to be the best they can be. Since children are not born inherently knowing right from wrong or what is socially and culturally acceptable, it becomes the parent’s job to teach them.  

This is where parental guilt comes into the picture. Many of us worry that we’re not doing a good enough job as a parent, and these feelings of self-doubt are only intensified by the photos of picture-perfect families that dominate our social media feeds. In fact, some studies have shown that 73 percent of moms say they try to give the impression that their life is under control.

 4 PRACTICAL THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR CHILDREN

 1.     It’s important to assess whether these behaviors are appropriate for their age and developmental status. Speak with your doctor about what types of behaviors are appropriate for your child based on their age and cognitive. However, a therapist may have better insight into how certain behaviors may be linked to things like ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

2.     Going over rules with your child is a great way to make sure there is communication between both parties. The most important part of setting rules and making sure your child follows them is to also make sure they understand why those rules are set in place. It is also important to make sure those rules are age appropriate. Teaching your child about healthy boundaries and rules early on is also setting them up to have healthy boundaries later in life.  

3.     Recognize that children may have personalities that are quiet and shy, or very loud and boisterous. If this is the case, it is okay to accept that it is part of their personality. Your child’s behavior may be bad, but your child themselves is not bad. It is important to distinguish this especially when talking to them about their negative behaviors. 

4.     Make sure to praise your child when they are doing good behaviors, listening well, and following rules that you have discussed with them. Show them appropriate affection often and use words to affirm good behaviors.  

4 WAYS YOU CAN COPE 

1. Stop trying to be perfect: There’s no such thing as a perfect parent, and striving for this unachievable goal will inevitably lead to disappointment. Give yourself a break and simply do the best you can. If you feel chronically overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to seek counseling from a professional. But first, let the perfection aspirations go!

2. Acknowledge that you can’t do it all: According to research, nearly 40 percent of full-time working mothers say they always feel rushed. It’s ok to delegate and allow others to help. Divide parenting and household duties with your spouse. Pay a neighborhood teen to supervise your children or swap services with another parent so you can go to the grocery store and prepare dinner after work.

3. Seek to understand and support your child’s needs: Instead of jumping to the conclusion that your child’s tantrum or rebellion is a result of you failing as a parent, seek to understand the reason for his outburst. Is he overly tired? Has he gone too long without a snack? Does he need a hug? Look for the simple solution first. If the behavior continues, seek support from a licensed child therapist who can provide therapy and parenting support.

4.       Make time for self-care: If you aren’t taking care of yourself, you won’t be able to be present and provide the best care for your child. Take some time after work to listen to a guided relaxation or sneak in a quick workout before you head home. Listen to your body’s signals, get enough sleep and make sure to eat some veggies every day, too! 

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, you or your child may benefit from talking to a therapist who has a better understanding of children and their behaviors, and how you as a parent can help. At Therapy Cincinnati, we have therapists that specialize in working with parents who could use more support with parenting their children, and we also have therapists that specialize in working with children. Please reach out to us to schedule your free phone consultation.  

How to Know if EMDR Therapy is Right for Me

Has someone suggested that you try EMDR therapy? Perhaps a friend recommended it after the positive effect it had in their life. Or maybe your doctor thinks it would be a good idea to try it. Or, maybe you’ve heard about EMDR yourself and have been wondering whether it might be right for you.

In many cases, EMDR therapy can offer numerous benefits. However, if you’ve been unsure whether EMDR therapy might be right for you, there’s a lot to consider. Luckily, this is where we can help, and we’ve outlined some vital things you need to know about EMDR therapy in Cincinnati to help you find out if EMDR could be helpful for you.

How to Know if EMDR Therapy is Right for You

How can you decide whether EMDR is the right option for you? EMDR therapy is an increasingly popular solution in many cases. However, it’s not always clear to see which form of therapy is right for you – and, with this thought in mind, we’ve outlined some of the key things you need to know about EMDR as follows. Hopefully, this will help you find the optimal solutions for your own recovery goals.

Key Features of EMDR Therapy in Cincinnati

EMDR therapy is a unique form of healing that works with rapid eye movements to reprocess past traumas. In many cases, this can allow you to feel better about memories that previously caused you to feel strong negative emotions, making it much easier to cope with the traumas you may have experienced in the past. EMDR helps by desensitizing and reprocessing previous, painful memories, making them easier to cope with in the present.

As such, some of the key features of EMDR therapy that can help make it effective for your own recovery include a non-invasive approach that’s safe and non-overwhelming. The EMDR process is designed to be a gentle process, and while you may experience some slight emotional discomfort at the time, this likely won’t continue in the long-term perspective.

Is EMDR Right for You?

EMDR therapy can be effective for numerous forms of recovery. As such, if you are struggling with any of the following, EMDR therapy might be right for you!

-        Anxiety

-        Phobias

-        Childhood trauma

-        Complex trauma

-        Unresolved grief

-        Addictions

-        Eating disorders

EMDR therapy is also effective if you have struggled with previous forms of therapy. Many people come to us after having tried other, more traditional types of therapy such as talk therapy. Unfortunately, people come to us after their previous therapy was not successful, and this is especially the case when trying other types of trauma therapy. One of the benefits of EMDR is that you don’t need to tell your therapist what you’ve been through – you can still get the full benefits of EMDR without speaking about your trauma, since EMDR is not solely about verbally processing the trauma.

Something else that can be helpful is that EMDR integrates somatic therapy into the therapy, which can make it easier for people who experience body sensations to process through their trauma.

However, if you’re looking for a quick fix for your past trauma, it’s worth considering that EMDR therapy primarily supports your healing and recovery. As such, if you’re looking for a plan that can provide immediate solutions, EMDR may not be the right option. However, for many patients, it doesn’t take many EMDR sessions to begin experiencing progress and recovery, making this a potentially effective form of recovery to consider.

How long does EMDR therapy take to work?

Many people find EMDR therapy to be helpful because it can accelerate your healing. This doesn’t mean it’s a quick fix,  but it simply means it can help you process some things more effectively. As you’re deciding if EMDR therapy is right for you, it’s important to consider how long you’ll need to be in treatment to get the best results. If you’ve been engaging in therapy for a long time, you may be able to feel the effects of EMDR therapy more rapidly. If you’re experiencing therapy for the first time it may take a little longer to prepare for the work. A general rule of thumb is that it will take at least 10-12 sessions to see the effects of EMDR therapy.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been looking to try a new form of therapy and recovery, you may have considered EMDR. In fact, a growing number of people are trying EMDR therapy in Cincinnati for the value it could bring. It’s important to speak to a trained and expert local Cincinnati EMDR therapist to fully determine if EMDR could help you, and you can reach out to us to schedule a free 15 minutes consultation call.

What Is Egg Shell Walking?

It is a normal response for the person to feel afraid during and after a traumatic situation. Fear triggers the brain to help defend against danger or to avoid it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a typical reaction meant to protect a person from harm. While most people understand the effects of trauma, there is often a much more subtle form of trauma, which we trauma therapists call “egg shell walking”. Let us explore what this means and how it impacts people.

During an abusive relationship, whether it’s a friendship, familial relationship, or a romantic relationship, patterns are established by the abuser and the person being abused.  These types of behaviors by an abuser can be gaslighting, verbal manipulation through degradation, shaming in public, humiliation, making threats, yelling at a person, all in an attempt to control the person being abused. 

If the person being abused cannot or does not get out or away from this type of dysfunction, the person being abused develops a pattern of behavior in order to cope with their situation.  In order to try to make life less stressful or to lessen the amount of abuse, the person being abused will often times try to change what they do to try to avoid attention from the abuser. Put another way, they may try to “fly under the radar” so that there is less of a chance of something negative happening to them.

Those of us in the trauma world have a name for this way of acting, and we call this “walking on eggshells”. Walking on eggshells essentially means tiptoeing around their partner, significant other, or family member in order to avoid emotional blow ups, mood swings, criticism, forms of disapproval, or put downs. If there is physical or sexual abuse in the relationship, this can also be a way of minimizing the chances of that happening as well.

The problem with doing this is that while the chances of being hurt by the abuser goes down and it helps people survive, when people do this, they begin to lose touch with themselves.  They may start to be unsure about what they like or what they want, and they learn to shut down who they are to keep the peace within the relationship. Along with this, people often start to shut off their emotions and become numb to things, both positive and negative things that may occur.  

Over time, they begin to question their own validity as a human being, and may even question reality. We have worked with grown adults who are unsure what they like to do, how they feel, and who are more focused on what other people want. Sadly, the damage this causes is deep and it takes time and effort to help people reconnect with themselves. Not only that, but this type of dysfunction and abuse sometimes doesn’t end with the can be passed down generation after generation.   

It’s very hard to get out of the cycle of this type of behavior. Many times, children who experienced these patterns of behavior find themselves around similar people as an adult, without realizing what’s happening. If you are in an abusive relationship, consider getting out, and also consider going to see a therapist to learn how to be healthy and think differently. Long term abuse and the impacts it has on us can be corrected, but it takes a willingness to step outside of your comfort zone and do something different. Even if the comfort zone is unhealthy.   

Sadly, some people don’t want to change the way they are, and see no reason to do so.  If that is the case they will often live the same way, and pass on their ways to their children, who in turn could continue to pass on to their children. This happens everyday, in every part of the world. 

 If you feel that you are in a situation that you are unhappy with, that makes you feel unworthy, not validated, or makes you question reality, you can get help and you can change.  Seek out a trauma therapist that focuses on these types of behavior and get help. Reach out and talk to someone, and if you feel our life is in danger, either from yourself or your partner call a crisis hotline, or the police. 

 The same advice is true if you had to suppress your feelings growing up, and are now struggling in relationships or struggle with fully connecting to yourself. You may also find it hard to know what you are feeling, and you may have trouble figuring out what interests you, even as your able to tune in to what other people like and want. Here too, seeing a trauma therapist who has experience helping people with these issues can be truly life changing.

What is Attachment-Focused EMDR?

In many cases, traditional EMDR therapy can provide a highly effective and reliable solution for recovery from trauma experienced during our lives. However, there are different forms of EMDR therapy, and while all EMDR therapy shares the same basic outline, over the years several variations of EMDR therapy have been introduced to better target certain struggles some people may have. These newer forms of EMDR are typically used by more experienced EMDR therapists, and they require more advanced training in how to use them. Attachment-focused EMDR is one of the new variations that have been developed, and is taught in more advanced EMDR trainings.

But what is attachment-focused EMDR, how does it differ from standard EMDR therapy, and might it be the right recovery solution for you? We’ve outlined everything you need to know about this unique form of recovery as follows to help inform your decision.

What is Attachment-Focused EMDR?

We are all social creatures by our very nature – but in some cases, relationships with others can cause a great deal of pain and trauma. Abuse, neglect, and loss can all significantly impact our ability to lead a happy and healthy life.

Many people suffer from mental health challenges due to their past experiences. This is especially common when we suffer neglect or relationship trauma at a developing age. At this point, we are naturally more prone to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms and barriers to better cope with the suffering that we have faced.

For people unable to move on from these past traumas, previous negative relationships can significantly impact our modern lives. However, attachment-focused EMDR therapy aims to overcome this, allowing a person to develop healthier adaptive strategies to overcome pain.

How Does Attachment-Focused EMDR Differ?

We’ve covered how EMDR therapy works previously. However, attachment-focused EMDR is a little different, building on the original principles and methods with a focus on attachment and relationship trauma. This allows attachment-focused EMDR to provide more effective support and recovery for patients who have experienced trauma during childhood.

Traditional EMDR is often used for later traumas that occurred at a specific time. By comparison, attachment focused EMDR focuses on longer-standing trauma due to unhealthy coping mechanisms and neglectful early attachments.

Through attachment-focused EMDR, therapists focus more closely on events that occurred very early during the person’s life. These events, particularly if disruptive to the bond between a child and their primary caregiver, often shape our future lives through internalized coping mechanisms and unhealthy means of communicating and healing from pain.

In turn, by focusing on these early attachments and helping the patient to reprocess these memories, attachment-focused EMDR allows a patient to connect new information with the pain of previous memories. This allows the recovery process to begin by helping clients learn new truths about themselves and the people that were around them. For example, if a child was often ignored  by their caregivers, they may internally think there is something wrong with them, or they are annoying or a burden to others. With attachment focused EMDR, they are able to see things in a different light. For example, maybe their caregiver was emotionally exhausted and couldn’t pay attention to anyone. Maybe the caregiver thought the child was ok and didn’t need attention. Obviously, even if this is true this does not excuse the caregivers behavior, but looking at things in this new light can help a client understand the lack of attention was not about the child, but rather about the parent. This can then lead to an ability to emotionally move on and not be as affected by what they experienced.

Furthermore, by developing and enhancing nurturing figures in the patient’s mind, attachment-focused EMDR helps make the act of reprocessing more straightforward, further contributing to its efficacy for early childhood trauma specifically.

In turn, since these early traumatic experiences may have significantly impacted us throughout our lives, tackling these as the root cause of later trauma can be a powerful way to address current mental health challenges and distress.

Final Thoughts

Recovering from emotional trauma is an incredibly difficult and painful process in many cases – and this is where attachment-focused EMDR may help. Indeed, for many people, attachment-focused EMDR offers a highly effective solution to recover from emotional trauma caused by relationships, in particular.

This is often seen in patients who experienced emotional trauma, neglect, or loss at a young age. As such, by focusing on the adaptive strategies learned during childhood and visualizing a safer space, attachment-focused EMDR can support effective recovery from lived trauma.

Is People-Pleasing a Trauma Response?

From early childhood, we are taught right from wrong, what's appropriate behavior, and how to get along with other people. These teachings helped us form healthy relationships and adapt to social situations, but when trauma occurs, we can go out of our way to please others, surpassing a healthy boundary.

Where Does People-Pleasing Begin?

People-pleasing often stems from childhood trauma, such as abandonment, neglect, or disappointment. For example, if a parent was difficult to please, you may have tried to do things for them to gain their approval or to feel worthy of their love and attention.

In addition, children who have experienced neglect or abuse are often more than willing to get on their good side or avoid them altogether to prevent it from re-occurring. This is especially true when there is physical or emotional abuse, as children may want to avoid triggering the anger of a parent.

This dynamic can make it hard for children to speak up, or they may worry about making a parent upset or disappointed. These behaviors often continue with friendships, and then on into adulthood. As an adult, it’s not unusual for people to try to please their bosses, co workers, and even partners they may have.

What Are Some People-Pleasing Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors?

At the expense of not disappointing others, feeling rejected, or avoiding conflict, we often do things for others we don't want to and form these patterns to please others but neglect ourselves.

So, what are some people-pleasing patterns?

·       Saying yes to others all the time

·       Apologizing even when it's not their fault

·       Suppressing their true feelings and emotions    

·       Constantly worry about how others see them

·       Staying in toxic relationships

·       Highly sensitive to criticism

·       Avoiding disagreement or conflict

·       Feeling unworthy of love and respect

How to Stop People-Pleasing Behavior

One of the most vital steps to eliminating people-pleasing behavior is becoming conscious of yourself and making the appropriate changes.

So, how do you make these changes?

Understand that saying no isn't selfish. Saying no to others' requests might be difficult because we feel good helping others and don't want to disappoint them, but at what cost? Remember, we must first take care of ourselves to take care of anyone else. A reasonable person will understand that you can't always say yes. Plus, you're essentially telling yourself that you are worth the self-care.

Let go of self-blame or guilt. You are not responsible for how your parents or other adults treated you as a child. Not to mention that it's justifiable what you needed to do for your self-protection. Therefore, remind yourself that you can't control what happened then but can take control of your life now.

Be your genuine self. Likely, some people in your life don't even know the true you. Therefore, you owe it to yourself to show them. You want people to like you for who you are and not what you do for them. And, you deserve to attract the right people in your life.

Set boundaries. Part of being in a healthy relationship is setting boundaries. As individuals, it is essential that we stress what we do/don't like or what we will/won't accept. That is how you form a mutually respectful relationship with someone and build self-esteem.

Trauma Treatment

Sometimes the root of people pleasing behaviors can be trauma people have been through. It can be hard to undo a lifetime's worth of trauma on our own, and so counseling might be an excellent option to get to the root of your people-pleasing behavior. A therapist can help you make get past and heal from a childhood history you didn't own. They can also teach you ways to set boundaries, help you communicate more effectively with others, and build healthier relationships.

How to Deal With Anxiety In The World Today

Natural disasters, potential pandemics, war threats, and the political outrage of the day, to name a few, are all things that cause anxiety if you pay even half attention to the news. It's natural to be scared in the face of a terrifying world and a bleak future. It’s completely natural. It becomes a problem only when this anxiety is taking a serious toll on your mental health, and it becomes unmanageable.

The pandemic has wreaked havoc on mental health systems around the world, creating vast gaps in care for those who most need it. People used to search for anxiety therapy for hours, or anxiety therapy in Cincinnati or somewhere in the other part of the world. And, they were unable to do it. Even though the situation has improved significantly by the end of 2021, far too many people are still unable to receive the care and support they require for both pre-existing and newly established mental health issues.

Covid-induced Anxiety:

The most prevalent form of anxiety concerning current world affairs nowadays is covid-induced anxiety. According to a WHO scientific brief, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression soared by a whopping 25% in the first year of the pandemic. Furthermore, the pandemic's social isolation has led to unprecedented stress. People's capacity to work, seek help from loved ones, and participate in their communities was impeded and it led to suicide and self-harming behavior, even exhaustion in healthcare workers.

War-induced Anxiety:

Another major problem nowadays is the disturbing world conditions and the news of people dying everywhere. Especially, the current relations of war between Ukraine and Russia have brought a vast number of mental health issues in people, especially the pre-existing ones. Many people are dealing with the unexpected new world order as the West faces a possible new Cold War. Also, the warnings about heightened nuclear threats flood social media, even if you live thousands of kilometers away from the frontlines in Ukraine.

How to battle anxiety?

Apart from these two major factors, the other contributing factors are also there and you just can't ignore them. They are there, they are normal and you need to cope with them. You can opt for anxiety therapy so it can help you. Otherwise, you can change certain behaviors and it will bring a change for sure.

Change your thought patterns and change the perspective:

No fortune-telling!

The news can often conjure up scary images and thoughts about the future, and it can feel as though these concerns will come true. Distinguish between the fancies of the imagination and reality. When you discover yourself worrying about a fictitious tragedy, return to reality by taking a slow breath in and out and smiling.

Remind yourself that you can cope!

When you're afraid about something that might happen today, visualize yourself dealing with it effectively. Remember how strong you've been in the past when you've risen to the challenge. Expect yourself to apply the same ability and tenacity to today's difficulties.

Choose your actions to unwind the anxiety:

Be with the things that are real!

When you realize you've become engrossed in the latest frightening prognosis, acknowledge it for what it is. A daydream that may or may not come true! Touch something nearby, and allow interaction with the world around you to serve as a touchstone for releasing the grasp of fear.

Turn off the news!

It's probably unrealistic to completely skip the news, but a good rule is to read the news once a day.

Release the tension!

When you notice you're carrying extra tension in your muscles, take a few moments to pause.

ü  Take three deep breaths and count to five as you exhale.

ü  Inhale as you shrug your shoulders up toward your ears.

ü  Slowly exhale as you release all tension from your shoulders, letting them relax and drop.

Repeat this twice more with a soothing breath in and out each time. Finish with three more breaths and pay attention to how you feel.

Final Thoughts:

There’s no question that receiving for therapy in Cincinnati or anxiety therapy anywhere, it will help you a lot. But, you can change your thoughts and actions for better outcomes. Also, you should always be open to uncertainty and focus more on the act of love. Address your anxiety and remind yourself that everything will be OK. It has always been!

How EMDR Can Help You Grow Past Your Trauma

Change and growth can be painful processes. However, there is nothing quite as painful as staying in a place you know you don’t belong. Surviving traumatic events can be, in a word: chaotic. You ask yourself the same questions repetitively, hoping for a different answer. Why did this happen? What could I have done to prevent it? Who will believe me? At times it can feel like you’ve witnessed yourself dissolve. All you can do is stand there and wonder if there is anything left of you to put back together.  

Rock-bottom can feel debilitating, but it can also be an excellent foundation to build. That inner knowing that I may be shattered right now, but somewhere in me, that magic, that alive thing, is still in me. I will have to take a step back and cry when I need to cry, mourn what I’ve got to mourn, but I have got to heal. 

The critical thing to remember is that change isn’t achieved overnight. Rushing and pushing cause resistance. Healing takes alignment. Aligning ourselves with the tools and resources that will support us takes time. It means coming to terms that recovery also requires doing things that make us uncomfortable at the moment, but that will significantly benefit us over the long term. 

Often, our biggest fear isn’t that these traumatic events will happen again; Our biggest fear is that we won’t be able to handle them if it does. EMDR helps you take your power back and harnesses you with the tools to turn your greatest breakdown into your most significant breakthrough.

 This post will explore how EMDR therapy will help you become the best version of yourself. 

1)     End Emotional Eating and Once And For All 

When we experience strong negative emotions, it isn’t uncommon to experience a feeling of emptiness and hopelessness. Food can be an attractive solution since it can give us a sense of physical fullness even if we still feel that strong emotional void.  

Here are the facts about eating disorders and obesity in the USA today:

 ●       According to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States.

●       10,200 deaths each year are the direct result of an eating disorder

●       About 26% of people with eating disorders will attempt suicide.

●       The U.S. adult obesity rate stands are 42.4%. 

EMDR can help you navigate stressful situations and intense emotions that keep you vulnerable to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as binge-eating and substance abuse.  

2)     Build Strong Self-Talk and Self-Confidence 

Our thoughts influence our feelings. Our feelings influence our actions. Our actions create our habits, and our habits create our lives. What we think and feel about ourselves plays a prominent role in trauma recovery. EMDR builds mental toughness and self-confidence because you will begin to hit mental and emotional breakthroughs that you once thought were impossible. Debilitating flashbacks will, over time, become minor inconveniences that come and go, like riding a wave in the ocean.

 3)     Improve Relationships 

The quality of our lives is greatly determined by the quality of our relationships. EMDR helps us to discover who we are at the core. When this self-awareness is developed, it allows us to form more meaningful relationships, and we will be able to see people’s actions objectively instead of projections of previous trauma. Developing relationships with others will help us create a network of supporters that we can lean on in times of crisis. 

4)     Plan For Your Future

As EMDR helps resolve the pain and hurt associated with our trauma, you may notice that you will have more energy and courage to focus on new opportunities and experiences that can enrich our lives. When we keep our past big, it forces us to keep our future small. But when we come to terms with our past, it allows us to think about the future with a sense of wonder and start living intentionally to make it a reality. 

5)     Fade Debilitating Flashbacks

One of the classic symptoms of childhood trauma and PTSD is that trauma memories just won’t seem to fade. People with trauma might find themselves reliving their child abuse or sexual abuse repeatedly. A great thing about EMDR is that it transcends these traumatic events into more manageable, distant memories. Of course, you can still remember, but you will have the ability to separate the memory from your identity and self-worth. 

 6)     Develop A Growth Mindset 

A growth mindset simply means that you believe your talents and capabilities can be developed over time. EMDR shows us that setbacks are a part of life, and it doesn’t matter what happens to you; what matters is how you respond. Those with a growth mindset are more likely to embrace challenges and be more resilient. In the face of adversity, you will shift your mindset from: “why is this happening to me?” to “what is this experience trying to teach me?”  

With a growth mindset, you will have a new approach to life. In the face of adversity, you will look for an opportunity to grow and develop yourself instead of treating every failure as a life sentence. 

Why People Avoid Trauma and PTSD Therapy

“I know I need help, but I’m really scared.”

Trauma and PTSD therapy is a proven and effective treatment for many mental health matters. In the same way that you might visit a physical therapist for a sprained ligament, there is tremendous value in speaking to a trained trauma therapist when you experience trauma or PTSD. Unfortunately, however, it is not uncommon for people to avoid speaking with a therapist, which is due to a combination of many different reasons. Fear is arguably the number one reason why individuals may be hesitant to seek therapy, and this is very normal and understandable. Fear of the unknown, concern about an increase in nightmares and other trauma symptoms, worry that speaking about what happened will make us feel worse or make what happened feel more real, or anxiety about what may be discovered in therapy may keep traumatized individuals from obtaining the care they deserve.

If you believe you would benefit from trauma and PTSD therapy but are worried about actually seeing a therapist for trauma, we want to give you some peace of mind. It’s important to know that we trauma therapists have ways of working with trauma that will not retrigger or overwhelm you.

Our therapists at Therapy Cincinnati prioritize your emotional wellbeing above all else, and we are well-equipped with many techniques to ensure that we will avoid emotionally overwhelming you. It is our hope that any fear or doubt that may be keeping you from experiencing healing and growth can be replaced with confidence and hope.

Therapy is not like ripping off a Band-Aid. Our therapists never go straight into the most difficult aspect of a traumatic experience. Instead, we work slowly and carefully so that we understand all the nuances and details surrounding the trauma before we start addressing the epicenter of the trauma itself. One method that we utilize to accomplish this gradual approach is called Titration. Titration is a Somatic Psychotherapy technique that provides a structured way of progressively working up to the most difficult aspect of the trauma by categorizing details surrounding the trauma into zones.

One of the biggest benefits of using titration in trauma therapy is that it allows us to see how fast we want to move in trauma therapy, while making sure that we don’t get overwhelmed. In Somatic therapy, when we talk or think about things that are upsetting us too much we run the risk of our nervous system shutting down, or conversely feeling on edge and anxious. Shutting down may look like someone having a hard time concentrating on the trauma work, or it may be the person feels numb. Both these states – shutting down or feeling more on edge - are not good and we are trained to help people avoid ending up in one of these places.

This is one of the many reasons why talking with a specially trained trauma therapist is so beneficial. While there are many wonderful therapists doing amazing work, in order to get the right treatment for trauma it is very important to work with a therapist who has extensive training in treating trauma and PTSD and understands how trauma affects us. While all therapists can treat mental health issues, trauma requires more than just a basic level of knowledge. Just like you wouldn’t go to your PCP for complex brain surgery, treating trauma properly requires significant training, skill, and experience.

We at Therapy Cincinnati have spent years learning about all the nuances of trauma and PTSD and have undergoing extensive training that only a few therapists in the Cincinnati area possess. We are able to help you get past the trauma you have experienced while doing so in a safe and effective way. We know that therapy can seem intimidating at first, but our hope is that by giving you some insight into one of the many tools we use that you will feel more comfortable allowing us the opportunity to partner with you on your journey towards healing.

Working collaboratively with one of our compassionate, trauma-informed, and certified EMDR therapists at Therapy Cincinnati can be a healing step towards resolving traumatic symptoms and emotions associated with trauma. If you would like to learn more about how trauma therapy works, please contact us today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation. 

Trauma and PTSD treatment in Cincinnati

Therapy Cincinnati is a mental health clinic specializing in EMDR, PTSD treatment, and trauma therapy for women located in the Cincinnati area (and via telehealth!), and we are ready to partner with you on your journey towards growth and healing. Learn more about us and how we work.

How EMDR Helps With Inherited Trauma

Inherited trauma is the concept that past traumatic events and caretakers with a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can play a highly influential role in the way future generations react and respond to their surroundings. While the research surrounding “inherited trauma” is still relatively new, the notion of inherited trauma is research-backed by the proven concept of epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of how environments and learned behaviors can alter the way a particular gene is expressed. Through an epigenetics perspective, inherited trauma does not necessarily mean that traumatic events have the power to genetically alter someone’s DNA nor the genetic code of their children. Rather, epigenetics demonstrates how traumatic symptoms and responses can be taught and thus passed on through learned behavior.

One such way that traumatic symptoms can be inherited through epigenetics is through memories passed down from generation to generation – such as with cultural trauma as one example. As the retelling of traumatic ancestral narratives are retold and passed down, the lasting impact can resonate with the new generation who often experience PTSD symptoms in an attempt to cope with the traumatizing memories they inherited. Another way that inherited trauma can manifest itself is through learned behaviors. For example, there are many studies that indicate that anxious habits and other fight or flight stress responses can be learned behaviors. In other words, nervous twitches, certain behavioral habits, and fears can be inherited through observational learning.

Regardless of the origin of traumatic symptoms, experiencing traumatic symptoms is traumatic in and of itself, and EMDR is extremely effective for healing symptoms of trauma, inherited or otherwise.

Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a proven form of psychotherapy that has been especially healing for people who are struggling to cope with PTSD symptoms and traumatic memories. EMDR has been heavily researched as an effective treatment option for processing and reconciling with trauma-based memories so that symptoms of trauma ultimately disappear. Through EMDR treatment, participants do not forget the traumatic memory, rather they are able to recall the traumatic memory without experiencing the distressing symptoms associated with the traumatic memory.

As pain becomes processed in a safe, supportive, expert-led session, emotions and psychological sensations associated with the trauma resolve themselves as the compulsion to respond to a trigger with the former, learned way of reacting disappears. In this way, EMDR can help break the cycle of unhealthy behavioral patterns experienced or learned through inherited trauma or generational trauma.   

5 Ways EMDR Therapy helps heal inherited trauma

1.      Dysfunctional narratives and reactions are observed, identified, processed, and then released so that new, healthier, and more regulating patterns of behavior can be utilized.

2.      Triggers lose the psychological power they once held, and the distinction between remembering an experience and re-experiencing an experience through recollection is differentiated.

3.      The act of remembering a traumatic event will no longer be psychologically or emotionally disturbing.

4.      Dysfunctional memory networks that instill unhelpful and dysregulating beliefs and behaviors will be processed and released. As a result, cognitive distortions, addiction behaviors, intense internalized shame, self-loathing, guilt, and other distressing emotions will be processed and reconciled.

5.      EMDR therapy allows treatment participants to feel a sense of liberating freedom. Trauma halts the mind’s ability to balance the nervous system, and this can cause cognitive blockages or incomplete informational processing patterns. EMDR creates new neurological patterns of thought and provides support for informational processing to complete in a regulating and healing way. As a result, participants report no long feeling entrapped in the cycle of their trauma.  

There are many benefits of EMDR therapy, and EMDR therapy is particularly effective with shame-based or culturally sensitive traumas. Explore other benefits of EMDR Therapy.

Working with a compassionate, trauma-informed, and certified EMDR Therapist such as our certified EMDR Therapists at Therapy Cincinnati can be a healing step towards resolving the traumatic symptoms and emotions associated with inherited trauma. If you would like to learn more about how EMDR Therapy can help you find comfort and healing, please contact us today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation. 

Post-Traumatic Growth: 5 Ways To Thrive After Trauma

You know post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but have you heard of post-traumatic growth? 

Coined by psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun, post-traumatic growth is a term characterized by positive psychological changes in those affected by PTSD, often finding new meaning from their experiences and thriving in the aftermath of trauma. 

With 25 years of research backing it, post-traumatic growth is a phenomenon we see it playing out in front of us daily. From war and natural disasters to injuries and sexual assault, trauma is the catalyst for growth and transformation, helping you build strength and resilience in areas in your life you least expect.

  Let’s explore five ways post-traumatic growth can help you thrive:

1. A New Appreciation For Life

When experiencing fear and loss from trauma, we’re often confronted with the threat of losing the things we cherish most in life and thus start to take notice of the things we previously overlooked or took for granted.  

Post-traumatic growth shifts our mindset, creating a sense of gratitude toward the life we’ve been given. Whether it's the view of the sunrise or the taste of your morning coffee, mundane moments no longer seem so small and are experienced through new eyes and with greater appreciation.

2. Discovering Personal Strength

Working through trauma makes you better equipped to handle future problems, increases your resiliency in the face of adversity, and helps you discover new strengths.

It also instills confidence when facing new challenges as past experiences give you the insight needed to navigate difficult situations.

3. Exploring New Possibilities

Surviving trauma can cause one to re-evaluate their life completely. From developing new hobbies and rethinking priorities to changing jobs and moving across the country, the aftermath of trauma helps survivors see new possibilities in life. You may find that where you once felt stuck you now see purpose, possibilities, and value. Life itself may look and feel different than ever before. Introspection and new ideas born of your traumatic experience can make the present moment seem more precious.

 Not only that but mental and emotional doors that previously seemed closed to you can feel more and more accessible. You may feel excited to invest your mind, body, and talents for causes that reflect your perception of new potentialities and opportunities.

 In summary, post-traumatic growth allows one to see new pathways for themselves that they otherwise would have never dreamed of pursuing if it weren’t for their trauma.

4. Spiritual Growth

In the aftermath of trauma, we often turn to something larger than ourselves to make sense of what happened and why it happened the way it did. Whether spiritual, religious or something else entirely, a belief system helps us cope with traumatic experiences and create new worldviews. In other words, post-traumatic growth can help us create a deeper understanding of the world and discover our place in it.

5. Improved Relationships

Improved relationships are often cultivated from the need to give and receive support through difficult times. One of the biggest impacts trauma can have on us is how it affects our ability to connect with others and trust people. As you heal and work to process the unhealthy connections or lost relationships in your life, your perspective on people may have shifted.

 Those coming out of trauma are likely to recognize the importance of the relationships in their life, especially ones overlooked in the past. Perhaps you value community and social connection more. You may find newfound empathy, compassion, and altruism. You might simply feel an openness toward humanity that you couldn't tap into before your trauma or for some time afterward. Your post-traumatic breakthrough may simply be evidenced by your unwillingness to take the people in your life for granted. Moreover, reaching out for help, expressing emotions, and learning to rely on others strengthens connections and fosters post-traumatic growth.  

Looking For Trauma Treatment In Cincinnati?

Therapy Cincinnati is a mental health group practice specializing in trauma therapy for women located in the Cincinnati area, ready to partner with you on your journey towards growth and healing. Schedule a free 15-minute call with one of our therapists today to see if we’re a good fit for you.

What Is Anxiety-Induced Brain Fog?

Anxiety-Induced Brain Fog: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Anxiety-related brain fog is a common occurrence that is sometimes misunderstood. Anxiety is typically related with speeding up of thinking and processing, whereas brain fog is frequently associated with the opposite: racing thoughts can make people hyper vigilant, and anxieties can keep people awake, edgy, and restless. What causes anxiety and brain fog to occur at the same time? Understanding both brain fog and anxiety is the first step in finding a solution.

What Causes Anxiety-Induced Brain Fog?

Brain fog isn't a disease, but rather a state of mind. It's the feeling that something isn't quite right, that you aren't as sharp as usual. You have a strange feeling when you have brain fog. Excessive concern, overthinking, visualizing terrible outcomes, and terror are all symptoms of anxiety.

Because the symptoms of one might produce the symptoms of the other, you may experience brain fog with anxiety. Of course, this aggravates both diseases. It has the potential to become an unending loop:

• ·       Anxiety is characterized by "what-if" scenarios, ruminations, and negative thoughts.

• ·       Mental weariness arises as a result of this.

• ·       Brain fog can arise as a result of fatigue.

• ·       Because it feels frightening and worrying, brain fog can exacerbate anxiety.

• ·       This cycle appears to recur indefinitely when anxiety levels are high.

Anxiety and brain fog manifest themselves differently in different people. Some people get it on a regular basis, while others get it only once in a while. It can happen suddenly, or it can persist for days, weeks, or even months.

Both of these situations are aggravating. Examining the origins and symptoms of brain fog and anxiety will provide information that can be utilized to address them.

Why can anxiety produce brain fog?

Anxiety consumes mental energy. To focus on something other than their concern, a person may have to use more energy. They may perceive that their anxious thoughts are continually interfering with their intellectual states. It may be more difficult to concentrate and think clearly as a result of this. The impact of anxiety on multiple things and brain fog may vary depending on the activity at hand.

Anxiety can also impair a person's ability to think clearly, causing brain fog. A person's worried thoughts may increase as a result of the chores they must perform. A person cleaning their house or completing their taxes, for example, may discover new sources of anxiety. This could lead to increased anxiety, mental fog, and difficulties completing tasks.

Anxiety and brain fog can be caused by a variety of mental health problems, including:

• ·       depression

• ·       attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

• ·       anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (ADHD.

  Anxiety and brain fog can also be caused by physical health conditions.

COVID-19 survivors, particularly those who had to use a ventilator, had an increased risk of PTSD, according to research published in 2021. This increased their chances of experiencing brain fog. People who have had a long COVID may develop mental fog and PTSD.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, which can make a person feel weary all of the time, can also cause worry and brain fog.

Symptoms of Brain Fog with Anxiety

If there was only one word to characterize the symptoms of various mental health issues, it would be "fatigue." There's a link between brain fog, worry, and weariness. Without a question, weariness is at the root of anxiety-related brain fog.

Anxiety appears to have taken control of our entire brain, obliterating our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It's exhausting to be anxious all of the time. Anxiety might sometimes make it difficult to sleep. Brain fog can be caused by fatigue. The following are some of the signs and symptoms of anxiety-related brain fog:

• ·       Difficulty concentrating and focusing

• ·       Uncertainty in thinking

• ·       Problems with short-term memory

• ·       Difficulty reasoning logically

• ·       Problems processing, retaining and retrieving information

• ·       Living in fog makes understanding comments, directions, and conversations difficult

• ·       The vague feeling that something is "wrong" but you can't figure out what it is

The causes of anxiety and brain fog can help you understand the symptoms of brain fog with anxiety.

Causes of Brain Fog with Anxiety

Anxiety-related brain fog can be caused by a number of factors:

• ·       Anxiety signs and symptoms (discussed above)

• ·       Anxiety's physiologic response in the brain

• ·       Stress and stress hormones

Understanding these causes can help people understand why brain fog and anxiety might occur together.

Anxiety can cause the brain to become fatigued and cloudy. Fear triggers the fight-or-flight reaction. In reaction to a severe stressor, the brain adjusts its activity in order to be ready to do whatever it takes to survive (either stay and fight or run away to safety).

In response to stress and worry, the brain also controls hormone production. Cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine go through your body and brain to keep you awake and ready to act, but when these hormones are present for too long or in excess amounts, they overload and tire the brain, resulting in brain fog.

Treatment for Brain Fog and Anxiety

The best way to manage anxiety-related brain fog is to address it at its cause. Understand the signs and symptoms of both brain fog and anxiety, and take steps to alleviate your problems. Additionally, you should understand what is causing your symptoms so that you may make good changes to alleviate them.

• ·       Develop and implement stress management skills

• ·       Take steps to improve the amount and quality of sleep you get each night

• ·       Address your anxiety, potentially with the help of a therapist

Pay attention to your brain and body, and if your brain fog is severe, try meditation, mindfulness, exercise, or yoga to give your brain a break.

The combination of brain fog and worry can make living difficult. You may, however, lessen both by actively working on them. Regain control of your mind and start living again.

Summary

Anxiety and brain fog can both adversely affect a person's day-to-day activities.

Completing simple tasks may be more challenging due to brain fog. As a result of missed deadlines and confrontation with coworkers or loved ones, anxiety may develop.

Both anxiety and the cognitive fog it generates can be helped with the correct medication.

Self-care practices may also be recommended by a doctor. People who are worried about their anxiety or brain fog should get help as soon as possible, particularly if the symptoms are severe.

Trauma: How to Begin Healing from Relationship Trauma

Suffering trauma during your relationship can leave you feeling wounded and alone – however, it doesn’t have to be this way. Indeed, while it can be a long and sometimes tiring process, healing from relationship trauma is entirely possible.

As such, today, we’ve outlined a few simple things you should know to begin healing from relationship trauma; in turn, we hope this may help you find suitable solutions for your own recovery needs.

How to Begin Healing From Relationship Trauma

If you’ve experienced emotional or relationship trauma of any sort, chances are, you aren’t feeling quite yourself anymore. Indeed, relationship trauma can often represent a painful blow to our self-esteem and self-confidence – but it doesn’t have to be this way. And hopefully, the following four points may help you to begin recovering from your emotional trauma, too.

#1 Acknowledge The Trauma

In so many cases, it’s easy to feel guilty or ashamed by the traumas we have faced during our past relationships. It can often feel more natural to simply hide from these.

However, the first step to recovering from relationship trauma – and, if you’re reading this today, you may be on the path to achieving this – is to accept and acknowledge the trauma you suffered.

Don’t hide away from it; coming to terms with the trauma, though painful, can help you begin moving on.

#2 Focus on the Present

One of the most common limitations that hold many people back from recovering from relationship trauma is a tendency to live in the past. Indeed, in so many cases, focusing on the trauma you experienced (though natural) can leave you missing out on all of the great opportunities you could be enjoying in your life.

So, while this can seem difficult, try to focus on the good things in your immediate present. The little things go a long way; take some time out to relax with a soothing bath, a hot cup of cocoa, or simply spending time with a friend or loved one. Always make sure you have things to look forwards to every day; these can help give you a focus to move forwards, rather than allowing your mind to slip and dwell on the trauma you suffered in the past.

#3 Have People By Your Side to Help

Recovering from relationship trauma can be painful at times. There may be times you would rather shake off the pain and forget about it existing. However, this will likely only leave you back at square one, struggling to come to terms with your own emotions.

It doesn’t have to be this way – and having a strong, stable support network is crucial to consider. Whether it’s a friend, a family member, or a healing professional, ensuring there’s someone by your side who can support you throughout the process is an integral part of healing from your traumas.

#4 Always Take it Slow and Steady

There’s an old saying: “slow and steady wins the race.” When it comes to healing from relationship trauma, this is something that’s irrefutably true, and it’s something we highly recommend you hold close throughout your recovery.

Indeed, emotional pain and trauma can cause far deeper wounds than you might even know yourself; this sort of pain can’t simply be overcome in a few days. Instead, gentle, careful, and patient perseverance is required to find the best solutions and rediscover your strength. But remember: you will get there, and there are people by your side who want to help you feel yourself again.

Final Thoughts

If you’re ready to take that final step towards recovering from emotional or relationship trauma, please ensure you’ve gotten compassionate and caring support from someone who can help you recover from the trauma you have faced.

Discovering you need support to begin healing from your relationship trauma is the hardest step. From here, recovering just takes time, care, compassion, and acceptance – and if you feel you need any further support in this regard, we can help you find the most effective strategies for your own recovery.

Please don’t feel like you ever have to face things alone; we’re here to help you find your past confidence once more!

How to Use Affirmations to Help Ease Anxiety

What is anxiety?

Everyone feels anxious at some point in their lives. For some people, anxiety is categorized as feeling very stressed or worried prior to an event, test, or in response to different situations in life. However, anxiety can also be defined as a diagnosed disorder or mental illness, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) where someone experiences excessive worry, even if there’s no concrete reason why they should be concerned. For example, they may frequently worry about a natural disaster like a tornado, even if they live in a city where there’s never been a tornado or even a warning of one.

 Affirmations for anxiety

Affirmations are reciting positive phrases to yourself, either out loud or writing them down, to soothe your stress or build up your mindset to tackle it in the future. They should not be used as your only coping skill for negative thoughts because you still need to process those, but affirmations can help combat the frequent negative thoughts that run on a loop in your mind. 

According to VeryWell Mind, “Positive affirmations are a great tool for reprogramming your unconscious mind from negative thinking to positive. The idea is to take positive statements of what you would like to see manifested and repeat them enough so that they’re part of your way of thinking and seeing the world.”

 Here are some examples of affirmations you can use to ease your anxiety: 

·       I am doing the best I can.

·       My anxiety does not define me, it’s not who I am.

·       I will be okay. I will not feel like this forever.

·       I am safe, I am calm, I am okay.

·       I forgive myself completely and those who have hurt me, even if they haven’t asked for forgiveness.

·       I am strong and resilient.

·       I am enough and I don’t need to be anything more than myself. 

Don’t Judge 

We all judge ourselves, and while we want to limit judging ourselves in general this is especially important when practicing affirmations. There are a few reasons for this: First, it’s not uncommon that thinking or voicing positive affirmations will trigger that critical voice that may be in your head, which can try to counteract the positive things we want ourselves to think. Second, we may question if we really mean our affirmations, and wonder if we are doing it right. These are all normal and typical reactions as well do something different. Instead of judging ourselves, ask: Who can I lean on? Who can you share your struggle with that can support you and reinforce the positive things you are learning about yourself?

 Why should you go to therapy for your anxiety?

One sign that therapy can be helpful for your anxiety is when it’s really hard to believe positive things about yourself. When that happens, there is often a need for more expert professional help that can help you overcome your negative thinking.  

There are so many ways to treat and cope with anxiety and stress like medication, journaling, exercise, meditating, and more. However, one of the best things you can do for your overall health and wellbeing is anxiety therapy. Therapists specialize in all sorts of mental health and mental illness-related topics, so it’s important to find the right therapist for you.  

Helpful tips to remember for therapy: 

·       It may take some time to find a therapist you connect with. Be patient with yourself and the process, and it’s completely normal to feel awkward or uncomfortable for the first few sessions. Having a one-sided conversation and opening up about yourself may not feel natural, and that’s okay.

 ·       Follow through with what your therapist recommends. Based on what you tell your therapist, they’re going to suggest you implement specific things in your routine or as part of your treatment plan. Some of those things may not be easy, for example, they may ask you to have a difficult conversation with a loved one about boundaries. But you just have to trust that it will help you in the long run.

EMDR Therapy for Grief and Loss: 4 Ways It Heals

 In the aftermath of trauma, people can experience a range of emotions. One emotion which often emerges following a traumatic event or loss, is grief. Many people associate grief with the loss of a loved one, and while this is an accurate assimilation, grief can be associated with any physical or emotional loss. If you have experienced trauma, it is normal to mourn what might have been, what could have been, or the loss of what was taken or missed out on. Even after events and situations that accompanied the trauma have passed, grief tends to linger and can transform into PTSD if it is not released and supported in a healthy and healing way.

 If you feel like you have tried everything to heal from your loss and are still struggling to resolve your grief, Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a proven form of psychotherapy that has been especially healing for people who have experience deep grief. What is EMDR therapy?

Here are four ways that EMDR can provide healing as you cope with grief.

1.      EMDR Therapy reconciles your mind and body.
Trauma can sever the connection between your brain’s ability to process information and your body’s ability to successfully act on that information for the purpose of self-preservation and the facilitation of joy. When there is a disconnect between your ability to reason and your ability to act emotions, intrusive thoughts, and difficult memories can seem uncontrollable and overwhelming. EMDR reforges the severed connection between the mind and the body by stimulating different sides of the brain while actively engaging movements of the body through eye tracking, hand-tapping, or audio/visuals. In this way, EMDR therapy can sooth traumatized individuals by allowing them to process grief in a way that alleviates the internal disconnect. As a result, grief is comforted and distress fades.

2.      EMDR Therapy provides clarity.
EMDR Therapy’s gentle approach allows grief-stricken patients the support needed to address any guilt, shame, or debilitating sorrow that surrounds their grief. By freeing themselves of the judgements and unhelpful feelings that often associate grief patients are free to explore other more helpful feelings about their grief. As a result, participants of EMDR therapy often experience a sense of empowering clarity as they navigate through the grieving process towards healing and recovery.

3.      EMDR Therapy releases suppressed grief
When grief is especially consuming, the mind can sometimes attempt to protect itself by “locking-in” the grief. This suppression can look like denial, avoidance, or even anger, but grief is natural and essential for healing. If grief is kept “locked-in”, it can have a severely negative impact on mental health and overall wellbeing. Regardless of if the trauma behind the grief occurred last week, last year, or twenty years ago, there is a natural process of grief, and EMDR Therapy allows that natural process to continue.  EMDR Therapy focuses on the exact mental and emotional needs of the individual patient so that when the grief is released it is supported and processed in a healthy and healing way.

4.      EMDR Therapy fosters inner peace.
Time can heal many wounds, but some losses need some extra compassion, care, and support. EMDR Therapy does not turn back the clock, and it does not make you forget what happened. No therapy can do that. Rather, EMDR Therapy allows patients to grieve in such a way that they can safely complete the cycle of grief and experience a sense of closure, purpose, and inner peace.

Explore other benefits of EMDR Therapy. 

EMDR therapy in Cincinnati

Working with a compassionate, trauma-informed, and certified EMDR Therapist such as our certified EMDR Therapists at Therapy Cincinnati, you can take a healing step towards resolving your grief and many of the other symptoms and emotions associated with trauma and loss. If you would like to learn more about how EMDR Therapy can help you find comfort and healing, please contact us today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

Learn more about us and how we work.

The Feelings & Emotions of Trauma (Part 2):

Trauma is intensely physically and psychologically upsetting, and the emotional effects of trauma can be equally distressing. When the brain’s ability to protect itself and process information becomes hijacked through a traumatic experience, the mind can become emotionally dysregulated. As a result, many trauma survivors experience extreme difficulty understanding and processing the intensity of the emotions that their trauma elicited. The more frightening or unexpected a traumatic experience is, the more extreme and complex the resulting emotions surrounding the trauma will likely be. In this article, we will take a closer look at the emotional effects of trauma.

Anger – I feel repulsed. This isn’t fair. I should just move on from this, but I can’t! I’m too angry about it.

You have every right to be furious. Anger is a very common, normal, and valid emotion to have following a traumatic experience. Trauma triggers anger because trauma is violating in every sense, and it is completely justifiable to be outraged about vulnerability being exploited. While anger can initially be a healthy reaction to trauma, anger can become a traumatic emotion in and of itself. This is because anger often reminds the mind of the reason behind the anger, and in this way long-term anger can lead to re-living and re-experiencing the trauma mentally. If you are experiencing long term anger from trauma, know that re-traumatizing your mind will only make it harder to find healing. Through recovery, that anger can be processed and transformed into acceptance, advocacy, and ultimately, healing.  

Shame & Guilt – I should never have trusted them. I must have done something to deserve this. Was it my fault? Could I have done something different?

The dehumanizing and degrading nature of trauma can distort someone’s self-identity and self-worth and leave victims of trauma. The idea that the trauma is the fault of the victim is one of the myths of trauma. The reality is that what happened to you was not your fault at all. There is absolutely nothing you could possibly have done that would warrant or justify what happened. No one ever deserves to be traumatized, over-powered, or have their no or resistance not respected entirely. Learn more about the truth behind this myth by seeing my earlier blog post Trauma vs. Truth – Myths About Trauma (Part 1) 

Fear – I can’t trust anyone ever again. I’m scared of being alone, but I am also scared to be with someone. What do I do?

There is a very strong link between trauma, anxiety, and PTSD, and that link is fear. When trauma overpowers your natural ability to protect yourself, it is normal to feel powerless and afraid. Fear is a natural reaction when coping with the aftershock of a traumatic experience. You were not safe, but you can become safe again. Healing from trauma requires courage, so please do not lose heart. The fear will subside, and there are trustworthy people who are safe to partner with on your journey towards healing and recovery. You might be tempted to withdraw into isolation, but this will make things worse. If you are struggling with intense paralyzing fear, please do not suffer alone. Please contact us and we will help you re-establish and re-build your sense of security and safety.

Confusion – I can’t remember what happened, but I think something happened. I don’t remember much. I just have brief vague memories.

Confusion is another extremely common emotion to have after experiencing trauma. When a traumatic experience is specifically extreme, the mind can “shut down” as form of survival, and the mind can physically block memories it is unable to process as a form of psychological protection. If you suspect that “something” happened to you, then that is enough to work with. You do not need to remember or recall the details of what happened in order to experience healing. Whether your mind remembers what happened or not, the body has other memory functions. Your body remembers what happened even if your brain does not, and in this way, trauma memories can manifest itself in your life even if you don’t have many or any memories about what happened. Where you remember what happened or not, your body deserves the opportunity to heal.  

How to emotionally heal from trauma

Trauma can leave invisible scars on the body, mind, and soul. These scars can manifest emotionally distressing feelings that can perpetuate the sense of powerlessness you might be experiencing. The road to trauma recovery takes time, and there is no one path that is right for everyone. Traumatic emotions are very complex and unique to each individual, but through specialized trauma recovery treatments that are therapists are trained in you have the power to transform each of these painful emotions into a more useful, helpful, and hopeful one, even if you cannot remember what happened. Healing and reclaiming power over your body, mind, and emotions, is possible. Please contact us for a consultation and take the next step towards healing today.

How Exercise Can Help With Anxiety

Your mind and body function in repetitive patterns that are instinctual and routine, and all of your biological processes are rhythmic by nature. (IE: Breathing, digestion, sleeping, etc.) When you become anxious that sequence is disrupted, and you become dysregulated with a fight or flight survival response. Everyone feels some degree of anxiety, but when that dysregulated fight or flight response becomes your normal or all-too-frequent state of being, that can lead to chronic anxiety or an anxiety disorder. The only way to calm anxiety is to return to a regulated state of being, and exercise is a very effective way to recalibrate your nervous system and restore your mind to its healthy baseline.

The connection between anxiety and exercise is strong, so if you are considering anxiety therapy you might also consider the benefits of exercising.

Benefits of exercise and how exercise helps with anxiety.

Exercise improves your mood. There are many physiological side effects to anxiety such as increased heartrate, rapid breathing, and sweating, and exercising hijacks and repurposes those symptoms for a healthier cause. By rechanneling the anxiety symptoms the nervous system recalibrates, and instead of releasing stress and anxiety hormones like cortisol, it releases endorphins – chemicals the nervous system creates to cope with pain and stress. As a result, your mood is enhanced and your body and mind regulated. 

Exercise leads to confidence. Confidence is a feeling the mind loves because it is one of the antidotes to fear and anxiety. It is very hard to become stuck in a dysregulated state of fight or flight when you are feeling strong and confident. Working out burns calories and builds lean muscle, and the result is that you look – and feel! – your very best.

Exercise helps you sleep better. For people who cope with anxiety sleep is often a struggle, and it is not uncommon for people with an anxiety disorder to also have a sleep disorder. Many credible institutions such as John Hopkins Center for Sleep have proven a strong link between exercise and quality sleep, and research has shown that exercising consistently decreases insomnia, reduces fatigue, and promotes deep sleep.

Exercise increases cognitive function. Countless studies have been done that prove a vital connection between physical fitness and mental fitness. Not only has research concluded that exercise improves focus and concentration, but it is also an incredibly healthy way to take your mind off worrisome thoughts. Simply put, exercise is an effective and healthy way to manage anxiety symptoms, improve your overall well-being, and focus your mental energy on something healthy and productive.

Best exercises for anxiety

Any exercise that forces you to control your breathing and work up a sweat is great, but some are more calming and anxiety-reducing than others. For example, body combat and running are both excellent aerobic activities, but if you struggle with severe anxiety then those styles of exercise may not be the best options for you. When it comes to choosing a form of exercise, the important thing is to be consistent and choose something you genuinely enjoy. The exercises featured below are some of the best exercises for reducing anxiety.

·        Hiking – There is something to be said about being nurtured by nature. Studies have consistently proven that nature is healing and can provide symptom relief for multiple physical and mental health issues like depression and anxiety. If the wilderness is not for you, then take a walk in your neighborhood or in a park. The rhythmic pattern of walking and breathing in nature is extremely mentally cleansing and if practiced consistently can help reduce anxiety.

 ·        Dancing – Dancing is much like movement meditation and has been a ritual practice for thousands of years. Music and moving your body in sync with the rhythm is powerfully healing and regulating, so turn on your favorite music and dance in private or else experience the positive energy of a social Zumba class. Chances are you will ease your anxiety, work up a sweat, and have a great time.

 ·        Yoga – The benefits of Yoga are profound because it is one of the few exercises that focus on the mind, body, and soul connection. Not only does yoga focus on beneficial core exercises, detoxifying stretches, and meditation, but it also teaches you to control your breathing, a key element for coping with anxiety. Your breath is your lifeline and number one grounding practice, and yoga celebrates and strengthens your breathing in a way that many find very healing.  

Wrapping Up: Include Exercise as Part of Your Anxiety Treatment Plan

Anxiety can negatively impact your body’s ability to regulate itself and can leave you feeling crippled. If you find that you are struggling with intense feelings of worry, know that you are not alone. Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health issues affecting our world today, and there is a lot of research and resources available to help you on your journey towards healing and recovery.

If you are ready to take the next step towards relief from your anxiety and develop strong stress management techniques, our Anxiety Therapist at Therapy Cincinnati will create a support plan uniquely curated to your specific needs. Therapy Cincinnati is ready to partner with you on your journey to finding comfort and healing. Please contact us today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

The Feelings & Emotions of Trauma (Part 1):

Trauma vs. Truth – Myths About Trauma

Trauma is experienced when our ability to protect ourselves is overpowered in a shocking, frightening, overwhelming, and abusive way. When someone experiences trauma in a place they had thought they were safe or through the actions of someone they thought they were safe with, the long-term side effects of trauma can feel completely confusing and debilitating. While some people are able to find healing over time and re-establish a sense of security, the impact of trauma often results in long-term conditions such as PTSD, Complex PTSD, and anxiety.

While the world is increasingly becoming more trauma-aware, the unfortunate reality is that traumatized people often struggle to find healing because of the myths and feelings that surround trauma. Let’s discuss a few of the more common myths that someone who has experienced trauma might think, feel, or believe.

4 Myths about trauma and why they are completely false.

1.      Myth: It was my fault.
Fact: It was not your fault. 

Shame is one of the most damaging trauma side effects, and that shame belongs to the perpetrator. Not you. Your mind is programed to identify and neutralize threats through the predominant survival modes of fighting or fleeing. But because a traumatic experience is by nature usually very shocking, a third survival mode may become activated: freezing. Because the survival mode of freezing is not often talked about or collectively understood, many people struggle to process WHY they froze, and this can lead to intense feelings of shame. Freezing is a legitimate, brain-triggered survival mode, and it is not a reflection of some form of deficiency, moral or otherwise.

 2.      Myth: I must have done something to deserve this.
Fact: There is absolutely nothing you could possibly have done that would warrant or justify what happened. No one ever deserves to be traumatized, over-powered, or have their no or resistance not respected entirely. 

Unfortunately, because some traumatic experiences can involve someone you know, it can be  difficult to assign fault to someone you used to care about or trust. As a result, it is common for a victim of trauma to distort the image they have of themselves in order to make sense of why something happened, but this is not an appropriate or accurate judgement. The fault is the perpetrators. Not yours. You did not deserve the pain, betrayal, or loss of control that you experienced.

3.      Myth: I am dirty.
Fact: You are not dirty. You are wholesome.

 Trauma is repulsive in many ways, in particular because it is so overwhelmingly overpowering. The hormones that “fear” produces can have similar side effects as other hormones, but rest assured: you are not dirty. You were afraid, confused, and overpowered, and this was not your fault. One of the saddest side effects of trauma is that people who experience trauma (especially if they were children when the trauma happened) might feel completely baffled. As they struggle to problem solve and make sense of what happened, they might wonder if they wanted what happened.  

Take comfort in the truth that no one ever wants to have their control taken from them; that is not a desire the human mind could want. Rather our brains are programed to want control, authority, and protection over itself. When someone’s natural ability to keep themselves safe is challenged or overpowered, the individual’s perception of their own identity and self-worth often becomes compromised. The truth that is you are still you, and you are worthy of safety and protection.  

4.      Myth: I will feel damaged/traumatized forever.
Fact: Trauma is NOT a life-sentence.

 Trauma can feel all-consuming, and it is completely normal for you to feel emotionally “stuck” after experiencing trauma. Trauma exploits vulnerability, and the amount of confusion and fear that is associated with surviving trauma can prevent survivors from experiencing healing and recovery. The truth is that Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) is possible. Even if you don’t remember what happened, your can still experience joy, a renewed sense of personal strength and security, and deep internal healing.

 You are worthy of healing.

Traumatic experiences transcend your body and mind’s natural ability to cope with confusion and pain. It is for this reason that many survivors struggle to integrate, rationalize, and process the emotions involved with a traumatic experience – which is completely understandable and normal. There are many false narratives surrounding trauma that are perpetuated by myths. Whether your trauma happened to you recently or many years ago, it can take time to personally and internally abolish the myths associated with trauma. The first step to deconstructing the myths that surround trauma is to be open and curious to the truth about trauma.

The truth about trauma.

It was not your fault. There was nothing you did to deserve what happened. You are not dirty. You are wholesome and worthy. What happened to you is not a life-sentence. You are not permanently damaged. Your sense of safety and wellbeing has been hurt, but the good news is that reconciliation with your internal sense of self-worth and self-security is more than possible – it is achievable. If you would like the support of a highly trained, experienced, and empathetic therapist, please contact our office today.

This article is part of a three-part series about trauma.

5 Ways to Get a Better Night’s Sleep with Anxiety

If you’re experiencing stress in your life or have been living with anxiety, there’s a chance that you might struggle to fall asleep at night. If you lay in bed and your brain just won’t turn off, don’t worry - you’re not alone. Over 40 million people in the United States have some sort of anxiety disorder accompanied by sleep disruption.  

Sleep and anxiety often go hand in hand. If you’re wondering what comes first – anxiety or insomnia – it can be either, it can be both. Their relationship is bidirectional. 

Here are five ways to help you get the restful sleep you deserve:

1 -Create a relaxing bedtime routine:

Create boundaries around your bedtime routine. It can entail anything that helps you settle in for the night. Change into a comfy pair of sweatpants or pajamas. Take time to wash your face and brush your teeth. The activities you do before bed will help your body and mind recognize that it’s time to wind down and sleep.

Make your bedtime routine personal to you. Find out what helps you relax the most and incorporate them. The key to a bedtime routine is to remain consistent with what you’re doing to create a habit.

2 - Establish good sleep hygiene.

 This goes along with creating a relaxing nighttime routine. Be clear and stick to waking up and falling asleep at the same time each day, even on weekends. Keeping to a sleep schedule will help create a pattern, and your body will begin to instinctually know when it’s time to wake up and get to sleep.

  Keep your bedroom cool, turn the thermostat down or crack a window. The cooler temperatures will help you sleep much better. Try setting your thermostat anywhere between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit.  

  Keep your bedroom tidy. Clean sheets will make any bed more inviting. If you’ve found a scent that helps you relax, try adding it to the washer when you clean your bedding.          

  Limit your screentime before bed. The blue light our screens emit keeps our minds stimulated. If you must be on your phone, invest in a pair of blue-light blocking glasses. They will help reduce eye strain and allow your body to produce melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone that naturally starts releasing into your system a couple of hours before bed.  

3 - Practice meditation and mindfulness.

 Meditation and breathing techniques can lead to significant reductions in anxiety before bedtime. Try one of the free meditation apps that are available these days. Meditation relaxes your body and mind, which increases melatonin for a more restful sleep.

Journaling is known to help those with anxiety and sleep issues. It doesn’t need to be this serious or grand thing - just grab a piece of paper and write down your thoughts and worries. Getting them into a tangible space will help ease your anxiety before bed.  

4 - Exercise.

Getting out of your head and into your body can help relieve stress. Regular exercise helps people fall asleep faster and more soundly. Even taking a walk outside will do wonders for your sleep. Getting outside helps reset our circadian rhythm, our body’s biological processes that happen over 24 hours, partly in response to light and dark. So, grab a friend, your dog, or even just your headphones and your favorite podcast and head outside.

 5 - Avoid stressful activities before bed. 

Ask yourself what stresses you out during the day. Self-reflect on what you find yourself doing that keeps you awake and doesn’t make you feel good (e.g., checking work emails, scrolling social media). Whatever it may be, limit it or avoid it. It may be difficult at first but avoiding stressful activities will get easier once you lay out a bedtime routine for yourself.  

Are you struggling with anxiety and sleep issues? Reach out to us today to get help and start feeling better.

How To Find An EMDR Therapist

Each organ in our body fights hard every single day to ensure we are happy and healthy, and the brain is no exception. The goal of EMDR therapy is to help your brain’s natural healing process along by helping you to cope with trauma, intense emotions, and internal conflict. This is where an EMDR therapist comes in to help you achieve your interpersonal goals and alleviate suffering.

 What is EMDR Therapy? 

According to the EMDR Institute, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. EMDR therapy works by recalling traumatic images, senses, emotions, and thoughts, in a safe environment where the trauma is then redirected to a physical stimulation (hand tapping, controlled eye movements, etc.) to help the brain process the trauma and heal from it. After EMDR therapy, the physical, mental, and emotional effects of the trauma are lessened. 

How Does EMDR Therapy Work? 

An EMDR therapist will work with you to revisit your trauma in a safe space in order to process it, heal, and move forward. It’s important to feel comfortable in your sessions to reap the full benefits of EMDR therapy.  Usually, your EMDR therapist will ask you a series of questions to recall the specific traumatic incident and then redirect it with gestures such as hand tapping, hand movements, controlled eye movements, or other physical stimulation. As the physical stimulation occurs, your brain will take the cue to move forward with the memories, thoughts, and emotions tied to the incident. This is how the brain processes the trauma and heals itself mentally and emotionally. EMDR therapy will continue until either the effects of the trauma are lessened or pain and suffering are no longer tied to the incident. EMDR therapy is generally divided into five different phases.

 1.)   History of the trauma and coordinating a treatment plan

2.)   Preparation for EMDR

3.)   Assessment of specific memories

4.)   Treatment

5.)   Evaluation 

What is EMDR Therapy Good For? 

EMDR therapy is proven to be effective for treating post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic life events. It is also believed to help anxiety, depression, and panic disorders, and it is a largely safe and effective treatment. While you may experience heightened emotions and memory recollection during EMDR therapy, that’s a sign that it is working. It is often used as an alternative for medication.  

Where Can I Find an EMDR Therapist Near Me? 

At Therapy Cincinnati, we believe that EMDR can play a vital role in any patient’s therapy sessions. We pride ourselves on the highest quality EMDR and trauma therapy with our highly trained and expert therapists. If you feel like negative memories are constantly hindering your quality of life, EMDR therapy is a surefire way to help alleviate suffering and painful memories that you can’t stop thinking about. Instead of feeling trapped and hopeless in your memories and psyche, EMDR therapy can help you regain control of your life by winning your power back over setbacks in life and traumatic events. We offer EMDR therapy for clients of all backgrounds and history.

 To find an EMDR therapist near you, you can begin by searching the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) website to find certified EMDR providers in your area.

 What Should I Expect from EMDR Therapy? 

The number one thing in EMDR is to feel comfortable with your therapist. At Therapy Cincinnati, it’s our mission to go above and beyond to make our clients feel seen, heard, and comfortable as they confront some of their most painful moments and memories head on. As they say, you grow through what you go through, and that is our promise to our clients. Gain your power back today with EMDR therapy.

How College Students Can Manage Anxiety

For many, the college years often supply some of a student's most memorable times in life. While the independence and new horizons can be exciting, college can also be anxiety provoking for students. In fact, research has shown that up to 60 percent of U.S. college students are struggling with symptoms of anxiety. High course loads, being away from home, sleep deprivation, social pressure, and figuring out your major and career can all be anxiety triggers. On top of this, there is the very real concern about student debt, getting used to living on your own, and building friendships and connections in your new environment.

 Throw in a pandemic that is affecting all of us, and college life can be more confusing than ever.  As a time of major change, lots of students experience anxiety in college. With the serious amount of stressors students face, here are some ways you can manage your anxiety:

 Get Enough Sleep

 It’s no secret that sleep is integral for optimal cognitive, behavioral, mental, and emotional functioning. Since college students usually spend all day in classes and study into the late hours of the night, it can be hard to get enough sleep, especially with social activities and extracurriculars. Getting enough sleep is important to avoid burnout, which can lead to stress, which can lead to anxiety. Your brain can’t function properly without enough sleep, which can leave your mental health to suffer.

 Eat a Nutrient Rich Diet

 Always on the go, the last thing college students often think about is food. When you’re cramming for finals, it can be hard to think about making something nutritious. Eating enough protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates are important for not only your body, but your brain! Make sure to drink enough water to stay hydrated, too.

 Take Deep Breaths

 Fight or flight is your body’s natural response to anxiety. When this kicks in, it’s important to take deep breaths. Focusing on deep breathing can alleviate anxiety by helping the body along with its natural relaxation response. The best part of deep breathing is that it can be done anytime, anywhere! 

Practice Self-Care 

When balancing what seems like an infinite amount of duties in college, it can be hard to practice self-care. Simply doing things like taking a bubble bath, reading, watching your favorite show, or meditating can allow your body and brain to wind down and enjoy the moment. Practicing self-care and taking a moment to wind down can help you avoid burnout and high stress levels. 

Talk to a Friend, Family Member, or Loved One 

If you’re feeling the weight of college taking a toll, remember you’re not alone. Talking to a friend, family member, or loved one can help provide good insight and quality advice. Chances are if you’re experiencing it, someone else you know has to.

 Get Organized 

Organization can prevent procrastination. Setting aside time and prioritizing organization can help you workload and social commitments become more manageable. This can be as simple as making a to-do list or time blocking. Getting organized helps you to succeed and avoid bouts of anxiety.

 Go to Therapy 

At Therapy Cincinnati, we believe in the power of therapy to get your life back on track. An anxiety therapist can work with you to healthily process, deal with, and tackle the emotional exhaustion and mental burnout that lead to anxiety. We know anxiety is a powerful feeling, but we believe that you’re more powerful than it. You deserve help, reassurance, and confidence, and anxiety therapy in Cincinnati can do exactly that. Reach out today, and we would be happy to help you get back on track to creating the life you deserve.