West Houston Counseling center offers trauma counseling for patients of all ages. All of our counselors are highly trained in trauma counseling and some have special certifications in the field including EMDR. Trauma causes severe emotional distress often accompanied by difficulties in functioning and even physical symptoms. Trauma can take many shapes and cause clinical disorders such as acute stress disorder (ASD) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or in milder forms may show up as generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder.
Lasting trauma may stem from any number of traumatic life events including:
• Life-threatening incidents, such as natural disasters, air or auto accidents, or falls
• Violent crime, such as assault or rape
• War-time experiences
• Physical abuse
• Verbal abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Loss of a loved one through death or separation
• Severe humiliation
• Discovery of a life-threatening or disabling illness
Often, trauma leaves emotional scars even where physical ones may not exist. Symptoms may not present immediately after an event and could surface weeks, months, or years after the event.
Some of the symptoms of traumatic stress that may benefit from trauma counseling are:
• Lack of energy
• Change in eating habits
• Sleep disturbances
• Sexual dysfunction
• Chronic, unexplained pain
• Anxiety
• Fearfulness
• Panic attacks
• Hopelessness
• Inability to concentrate
• Memory loss
• Difficulty making decisions
• Compulsive and obsessive behaviors
• Irritability and hostility
• Emotional numbness
• Overreactions, including sudden outbursts of anger
• Hyper-vigilance and jumpiness
• Social withdrawal
• Substance abuse
• Violent behavior
• Suicidal thoughts
• Re-experiencing the trauma with intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or nightmares
We highly recommend the book, The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel Van Der Kolk for all of our clients
For more information on our therapists providing trauma counseling, visit our counselors page.
To learn more about EMDR for trauma therapy, view the video below or visit EMDRIA, the EMDR International Association