Finding Freedom After Trauma: Effective Treatment Options in Cincinnati
When traumatic events occur, they leave lasting imprints on our minds and bodies. These experiences don't just create difficult memories—they can fundamentally alter how our brains process information, how our bodies respond to stress, and how we navigate relationships and daily life.
The good news? Trauma treatment works. With the right approach, healing is possible.
If you've experienced trauma, you might feel stuck, as if the past is constantly intruding on your present. You may experience flashbacks, anxiety, sleep disturbances, or find yourself avoiding people or situations that remind you of what happened. These are normal responses to abnormal events.
Approximately 61% to 80% of people experience traumatic events at some point in their lives, with about 5% to 10% developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Women are twice as likely to develop PTSD compared to men. The right trauma treatment can make a significant difference—studies show that with appropriate therapy, about 70% of people see substantial improvement.
At Brain Based Counseling, I’m Libby Murdoch—a licensed professional clinical counselor and certified clinical trauma professional. I specialize in trauma-focused therapy, using evidence-based methods like EMDR to help clients heal. My approach combines brain and body-based techniques to support lasting change and recovery from trauma.
Understanding Trauma & PTSD
When life throws overwhelming traumatic experiences our way, it's not just what happened that matters—it's how our brains and bodies process these events. Trauma treatment begins with understanding what's really happening inside us.
According to the DSM-5, trauma involves exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. This could happen by directly experiencing it yourself, witnessing it happen to someone else, learning about it happening to someone you love, or being repeatedly exposed to the distressing details (as many first responders are).
What makes trauma so powerful is how deeply it changes your brain. It's not "all in your head"—it's literally in your neural pathways.
After trauma, your amygdala—think of it as your brain's smoke detector—becomes hyperactive, constantly scanning for danger. Meanwhile, your prefrontal cortex (the rational thinking center) and hippocampus (your memory filing system) often become underactive. This explains why you might feel constantly on edge, have trouble thinking clearly when triggered, or experience traumatic memories that feel fragmented or overwhelming.
Your body's stress response system—commonly known as "fight, flight, or freeze"—can remain stuck in high alert even when you're perfectly safe. This nervous system dysregulation leads to four main symptom clusters:
Intrusion symptoms: Those unwelcome flashbacks, nightmares, and memories that seem to appear out of nowhere
Avoidance symptoms: The natural tendency to steer clear of anything that reminds you of the trauma—places, people, conversations, or even thoughts
Negative alterations in cognition and mood: Persistent negative beliefs about yourself or the world, feelings of detachment, or difficulty experiencing positive emotions
Hyperarousal: Being easily startled, struggling with sleep, feeling irritable, or having trouble concentrating
In addition to these clusters, individuals may also experience negative symptoms such as emotional numbness and detachment.
According to research from the National Center for PTSD, approximately 7-8% of Americans will experience posttraumatic stress disorder at some point in their lives. Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD, which aligns with what I see in my practice working with women experiencing anxiety and trauma.
Several factors can increase your risk of developing trauma symptoms or PTSD after traumatic events:
The severity and duration of the trauma
Prior trauma exposure, especially childhood trauma
Lack of social support after the event
Additional life stressors following the trauma
Pre-existing mental health conditions
The most important thing to understand is that you can't simply "get over" trauma through willpower alone. These brain-based changes are real and significant. But here's the hopeful part: our brains have remarkable neuroplasticity—the ability to form new connections and heal—which is exactly what effective trauma treatment targets.
With trauma-focused treatments like EMDR therapy, we can help your brain process traumatic memories in a way that reduces their emotional charge and helps integrate them into your life story without the overwhelming distress. Scientific research on trauma neurobiology confirms that with the right support, your brain and body can learn to feel safe again.
Choosing the Right Trauma Treatment for You
Finding the right trauma therapy approach feels a bit like finding the perfect pair of shoes—what fits one person beautifully might not work for another. Your healing journey deserves a thoughtful, personalized approach that honors your unique experiences and needs. This often involves specialized treatments tailored to address the specific nature of your trauma.
When I work with clients at Brain Based Counseling, I always emphasize that effective trauma healing starts with matching the right treatment to your specific situation. A thorough assessment creates the foundation for effective healing. This assessment helps develop a comprehensive understanding of your trauma and its impact on your life. Let's explore what factors matter most in making this important decision.
Assessment and Diagnosis
A thorough assessment creates the foundation for effective trauma treatment. Think of it as mapping the terrain before beginning a journey. This typically includes:
A comprehensive evaluation of your trauma history and current symptoms, where we explore not just what happened, but how those traumatic experiences continue to affect your daily life. This evaluation often involves exploring trauma memory to understand how past trauma continues to affect your present. I also screen for any co-occurring mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, or mood disorders that might need attention, and assess your current life situation for stability and safety.
As trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk wisely notes: "Trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body." This understanding guides how we approach your care.
Your Personal Goals
Your vision of healing should drive your trauma treatment plan. Some clients come to me primarily wanting relief from PTSD symptoms like nightmares and flashbacks, while others focus on rebuilding relationships damaged by trauma responses.
What does healing look like for you? For many, healing involves learning to gain control over their emotional responses and stress. It might involve:
Finding relief from intrusive symptoms that disrupt your daily life
Processing specific traumatic memories that feel "stuck"
Developing reliable coping strategies for managing triggers
Improving your ability to connect with others
Regaining your sense of safety, control, and joy
I'll work with you to clarify these goals and choose approaches most likely to help you achieve them.
Provider Qualifications
The right mental health professional makes all the difference in trauma treatment. Look for someone with:
Specialized training in trauma-specific modalities—not all mental health clinicians have advanced training in trauma work
Certification in evidence-based approaches demonstrates commitment to proven methods
Experience with your specific type of trauma means they'll understand nuances that matter
A trauma-informed approach emphasizing safety, transparency, and collaboration will help you feel secure throughout the process
As a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional who specializes in EMDR therapy, I bring both technical expertise and a deep understanding of how trauma affects the brain and body. This combination allows me to tailor treatment to your unique nervous system patterns.
Treatment Intensity and Format
Consider what structure will work best with your life circumstances:
Weekly outpatient sessions provide consistent support over time and are the traditional model most people are familiar with
Intensive formats like the EMDR intensives I offer can compress months of therapy into a few focused days—ideal for those who want to make significant progress quickly or who face barriers to weekly appointments
Some people benefit from group therapy for the community support it provides, while others prefer the privacy of individual therapy
And with advances in telehealth, you now have options for in-person treatment in Cincinnati or virtual sessions throughout Ohio and North Carolina
Accessibility Considerations
Practical factors matter tremendously in whether therapy will be sustainable for you:
Location and transportation needs should be realistic for your situation
Schedule flexibility might be essential if you have caregiving responsibilities or an unpredictable work schedule
Financial considerations include understanding what investment you'll need to make in your healing (I can provide documentation for out-of-network benefits if needed)
For virtual sessions, technology requirements should match what you have available
I often tell clients that healing isn't a straight line—it's more like a spiral that occasionally revisits difficult territory but from an increasingly stronger position. Finding the right trauma treatment approach might take some exploration, but the journey is worth it.
The table below compares outcomes for two of the most researched first-line treatments for trauma:
Treatment Approach Average Sessions Needed Symptom Reduction Rate Best For Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) 8-12 sessions 60-80% improvement Those who prefer structured, skill-building approaches EMDR 6-12 sessions 70-90% improvement Processing specific traumatic memories with less verbal processing
Your healing journey is uniquely yours. What worked for someone else may not be right for you, and that's completely normal. I'm here to help you navigate these options and find the path that will bring you lasting relief and growth.
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR therapy has transformed the landscape of trauma treatment, helping millions worldwide find relief from even the most stubborn traumatic memories. When Dr. Francine Shapiro first developed this approach in the late 1980s, few could have predicted how it would revolutionize trauma recovery. Unlike traditional talk therapy that requires detailed discussions of painful events, EMDR works directly with how trauma is stored in your brain using bilateral stimulation—typically eye movements, gentle taps, or alternating tones. EMDR therapy involves guiding individuals through recalling distressing images and sensations while engaging in bilateral stimulation.
What makes EMDR particularly appealing to many clients is that it doesn't require extensive homework between sessions or repeatedly talking through traumatic details. The healing happens at a deeper, neurobiological level.
The Science Behind EMDR
The brilliance of EMDR lies in its Adaptive Information Processing model. Think of it this way: normally, your brain processes difficult experiences while you sleep (especially during REM sleep). But trauma can overwhelm this natural system, leaving memories "frozen" in their original, distressing form—complete with the same images, emotions, physical sensations, and negative beliefs you experienced during the event.
EMDR helps your brain resume its natural healing process through bilateral stimulation that mimics aspects of REM sleep. EMDR therapy consists of eight phases that guide individuals through the process of reprocessing traumatic memories. The memory doesn't vanish (we're not erasing your past), but it transforms from a vivid, intrusive experience into a neutral memory that no longer disrupts your life.
The research support backing EMDR is compelling: studies show that 84-90% of single-trauma survivors no longer meet criteria for PTSD after just three 90-minute sessions. It's no wonder the Department of Veterans Affairs and American Psychological Association have recognized EMDR as an effective therapy to treat PTSD.
Is EMDR the Best Trauma Treatment for Complex Cases?
While EMDR works beautifully for single-incident traumas like accidents or sexual assault (often in 3-6 sessions), it truly shines with complex trauma—those repeated or prolonged traumatic experiences, especially from childhood, that can feel woven into the fabric of who you are.
What makes EMDR particularly valuable for complex cases is its ability to access and transform trauma that might be:
Preverbal or from very early childhood
So deeply embedded you can't fully articulate it
Fragmented across multiple memories
Manifesting primarily as bodily sensations rather than clear memories
As Dr. Shapiro herself notes, "EMDR therapy helps the brain to resume its natural healing process." These memories that once felt eternally present can shift into the past where they belong.
For those dealing with complex trauma or chronic trauma, I recommend considering my EMDR intensives—a format that compresses months of weekly therapy into a few consecutive days. This approach can be particularly transformative if you've tried other therapies without success, experience dissociation, or simply want more rapid relief.
Inside an EMDR Session
An EMDR protocol follows eight carefully structured phases:
History-taking: We'll explore your trauma history and develop a personalized treatment plan that respects your unique needs and boundaries.
Preparation: Before diving into processing, I'll help you build internal resources and coping skills to ensure you feel safe and grounded throughout the work.
Assessment: Together, we'll identify the target memory and break it down into its components—the most distressing image, the negative beliefs attached to it (like "I'm not safe" or "It was my fault"), the emotions, and where you feel it in your body.
Desensitization: This is where the bilateral stimulation happens. You'll briefly focus on the memory while following my fingers with your eyes or experiencing taps or tones. Then you'll simply notice whatever emerges—thoughts, feelings, sensations, or new memories—without judgment.
Installation: As the distress decreases, we'll strengthen positive beliefs to replace the negative ones, again using bilateral stimulation to help these new perspectives take root.
Body scan: We'll check for any remaining physical tension related to the memory, addressing it before moving on.
Closure: Every session ends with ensuring you feel stable and grounded, regardless of where we are in the processing.
Reevaluation: At each subsequent session, we'll assess your progress and determine next steps.
The experience can feel surprisingly gentle despite addressing difficult material. The brain has a remarkable ability to heal itself once given the right conditions and support.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy stands as one of the most thoroughly researched and effective approaches to trauma treatment. This practical therapy works by addressing the complex relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that keep trauma-related symptoms alive.
Trauma-focused CBT takes the standard approach a step further, having been specifically developed for trauma recovery. The beauty of cognitive therapy lies in its straightforward but powerful premise: by identifying and restructuring negative cognitive patterns, you can reduce emotional suffering and transform problematic behaviors that might be holding you back.
How CBT Fits Into Your Trauma Treatment Plan
When we work together using cognitive behavioral therapy for trauma treatment, we'll integrate several practical tools that you can start using right away while deeper healing unfolds:
Thought records become your personal detective notebook, helping you document and challenge negative beliefs like "It was my fault" or "I'll never feel safe again." These records can be eye-opening, as patterns that weren't previously obvious become clear.
Behavioral activation serves as your gentle guide back to activities you've been avoiding. This structured approach helps you gradually reclaim parts of your life that trauma may have taken away.
Stress inoculation training equips you with practical skills—like breathing techniques, muscle relaxation, and thought interruption—that work like an internal first-aid kit when anxiety spikes.
As a trauma therapist, I appreciate that CBT gives you concrete skills to use immediately. This builds confidence in your ability to manage trauma symptoms while we work together on processing the deeper aspects of your trauma experience.
What to Expect in CBT Sessions
Our CBT sessions for trauma treatment follow a clear, supportive structure that keeps us focused on your healing goals:
We'll start by reviewing your past week and any practice exercises you completed. Then we'll set an agenda together for our current session—because this is your healing journey, and you should always have a say in its direction. The heart of our session involves working on specific skills or thought patterns that need attention.
Before you leave, we'll collaborate on meaningful homework that extends your healing between sessions. I'll always make sure you feel prepared to practice these new skills in your daily life. We'll wrap up by summarizing what you've learned and celebrating your progress, no matter how small it might seem.
Sessions typically last 50-60 minutes and happen weekly. As your therapist, I'll work closely with you to set the right pace—challenging enough to create change but never overwhelming your nervous system.
One important thing to remember: CBT does require your active participation between our meetings. The homework—practicing new skills and thought patterns in real life—is where much of the change happens. Research shows that consistent practice of CBT skills between sessions dramatically improves outcomes.
How CBT Works for Trauma
When we use cognitive behavioral therapy to address your trauma, we'll typically focus on four key areas:
Psychoeducation helps you understand trauma's effects on your brain and body. Knowledge truly is power here—understanding that your reactions make perfect sense given what you've experienced can be tremendously validating.
Cognitive restructuring teaches you to identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts about your trauma. Together, we'll examine thoughts like self-blame or catastrophizing that might be keeping you stuck.
Gradual exposure offers a safe way to confront trauma memories and reminders. We'll move at your pace, helping reduce avoidance patterns that might be limiting your life.
Skill-building develops your personal toolkit of coping strategies like grounding exercises and stress management techniques that help regulate your nervous system.
The research behind CBT for trauma is compelling: typically 8-12 weekly sessions can lead to significant symptom reduction. Studies published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology show approximately 50-60% of people who complete CBT for PTSD no longer meet criteria for the diagnosis after treatment. While everyone's healing journey is unique, these numbers offer real hope.
At Brain Based Counseling, I combine these evidence-based cognitive therapy techniques with my specialized training in brain-based approaches, creating a personalized trauma treatment plan that addresses both your symptoms and their root causes. Whether we work together in Cincinnati or virtually, CBT provides a solid foundation for reclaiming your sense of safety and wellbeing.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) stands as one of the most effective trauma-focused treatments available today. Initially developed for sexual assault survivors, CPT has earned its place as a gold-standard therapy for PTSD by focusing on something profoundly important—the meaning we make of our traumatic experiences.
What makes CPT unique is its focus not just on the traumatic event itself, but on the beliefs and meanings you've attached to it. CPT helps individuals process trauma memory by examining and reframing the beliefs associated with their traumatic experiences. These "stuck points"—those persistent, unhelpful thoughts about your trauma—can keep you trapped in a cycle of suffering long after the danger has passed.
Many people come to therapy believing they're broken or that the trauma has permanently damaged them. CPT helps examine these beliefs and find they aren't necessarily true, which creates space for healing.
CPT follows a structured, evidence-based protocol typically spanning 12 sessions. The heart of CPT involves identifying your personal "stuck points"—beliefs like "It's my fault" or "I can never feel safe again." Using a technique called Socratic questioning, you'll learn to examine these beliefs from different angles, testing their accuracy and helpfulness.
Research consistently supports CPT's effectiveness. Studies with veterans and adult survivors of trauma show that 50-60% of participants no longer meet criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder after completing the protocol. These impressive results have led the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs to adopt CPT as a primary trauma treatment option.
Exposure Therapy Approaches
When it comes to facing trauma head-on, exposure therapy stands out as one of the most direct and effective approaches to trauma treatment. Prolonged exposure therapy tackles what often keeps trauma stuck in place—avoidance.
Think about it: after experiencing something traumatic, your brain naturally wants to protect you by steering clear of anything remotely related to that experience. While this makes perfect sense as a short-term strategy, over time, this avoidance actually keeps your trauma symptoms alive and kicking.
Exposure therapy works by helping you gently and gradually confront the memories, feelings, and situations you've been avoiding. It's like slowly turning up the dimmer switch rather than flipping on bright lights all at once. Through this process, your brain has the chance to learn something crucial: that these reminders, while uncomfortable, aren't actually dangerous.
Prolonged exposure therapy typically involves 8-15 weekly sessions lasting about 90 minutes each. What makes it unique is its two-pronged approach:
First, there's imaginal exposure – this involves recounting your traumatic experience in detail during therapy sessions. You might record these narratives and listen to them between sessions, gradually reducing the emotional charge they carry.
Second, there's in-vivo exposure – this means slowly approaching safe situations in real life that you've been avoiding, whether that's driving again after an accident, visiting crowded places, or returning to locations that trigger memories.
The research backing exposure therapy is impressive. Studies show around 80% of trauma survivors who complete prolonged exposure experience significant symptom reduction. That's why the American Psychological Association strongly recommends it as a first-line treatment for PTSD.
Complementary & Emerging Approaches
Beyond the traditional evidence-based therapies we've discussed, there's a whole world of complementary approaches that can enhance your trauma treatment journey. These methods often address aspects of trauma that talk therapy alone might miss – particularly how trauma lives in your body and nervous system. Complementary approaches often focus on improving both mental health and physical well-being, recognizing the interconnectedness of mind and body in trauma recovery.
Somatic (Body-Based) Approaches
Have you ever noticed how trauma shows up physically? Maybe as tension in your shoulders, a knot in your stomach, or a racing heart when reminded of the past. This is because trauma isn't just stored in your mind—it's held deeply in your body.
Somatic Experiencing, developed by Dr. Peter Levine, works by helping you complete those interrupted self-protective responses that got "frozen" during trauma. By gently guiding you to notice and follow body sensations, this approach helps your nervous system find its way back to regulation. Research published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress has shown promising results for reducing PTSD symptoms through this method.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy takes a similar path but integrates more cognitive elements. It pays special attention to how trauma affects your posture, movement patterns, and physical sensations. For clients who experience their trauma primarily through physical symptoms, this approach can be transformative.
As renowned trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk wisely notes, "The body keeps the score: If the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera, in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching emotions, in autoimmune disorders and skeletal/muscular problems, then talk therapy will always be limited."
Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Learning to be present with difficult sensations without being overwhelmed by them is a powerful skill for trauma survivors. Mindfulness practices offer practical ways to develop this capacity.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) provides an 8-week structured program that teaches you to bring awareness to the present moment without judgment. This practice helps create space between a trigger and your reaction, giving you more choices in how you respond to trauma triggers.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) combines these mindfulness practices with cognitive techniques to help prevent relapse into depression and anxiety – common companions to trauma. By learning to observe thoughts rather than being caught up in them, you can break free from old patterns and respond effectively to triggers.
Studies published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology demonstrate that regular mindfulness practice can significantly reduce hyperarousal and emotional numbing – two core symptoms of trauma that can be particularly difficult to address through talk therapy alone.
Expressive Therapies
Sometimes trauma lives in places beyond words. Expressive therapies offer alternative channels for processing experiences that might be difficult to articulate.
Art therapy uses visual expression to access and process trauma memories and feelings. The simple act of creating external representations of internal experiences can help make the invisible visible and the unmanageable more contained. Many find they can express through color, shape, and form what they cannot yet put into words.
Music therapy harnesses the power of rhythm, harmony, and melody to regulate the nervous system. Our brains respond instinctively to music in ways that can bypass our cognitive defenses, making it particularly effective for developmental trauma that occurred before language developed.
Movement and dance therapy helps reconnect with your body in a gentle, safe way. For many trauma survivors, the body can feel like an unsafe place. Through mindful movement, you can release tension, build new patterns of response, and reclaim your physical self as a source of strength rather than fear.
Making Complementary Methods Part of Your Trauma Treatment Toolkit
In my work at Brain Based Counseling, I often integrate somatic awareness and mindfulness techniques with EMDR to create a more holistic healing experience. These complementary approaches can enhance your primary trauma treatment in several practical ways:
Grounding techniques help you stay present when memories or emotions threaten to overwhelm. Simply feeling your feet on the floor or noticing five things you can see in your environment can bring you back to the present moment.
Breathing practices offer direct access to your nervous system's regulation. Even a few minutes of slow, deep breathing can shift you from fight-or-flight into a calmer state where healing becomes possible.
Gentle yoga can help rebuild a safe relationship with your body after trauma. The combination of mindful movement, breath awareness, and present-moment focus makes yoga particularly well-suited for trauma recovery.
Expressive journaling provides a private space to process emotions and track your healing journey. The simple act of putting pen to paper can help externalize difficult feelings and create perspective.
These tools become especially valuable between therapy sessions, giving you ways to support yourself when triggers or difficult emotions arise in daily life.
When to Consider Alternative Therapies
You might find complementary approaches particularly valuable if:
You've tried traditional therapies but still feel stuck in certain areas
You experience significant physical symptoms related to your trauma
Talking about your experiences feels too overwhelming
You're looking to deepen the effects of your primary treatment
You have specific cultural or personal preferences that align with these approaches
At Brain Based Counseling, I take an integrative approach to trauma treatment, recognizing that healing happens on multiple levels – mental, emotional, physical, and sometimes spiritual. While EMDR remains my primary modality, I draw from these complementary approaches to create a personalized healing experience that addresses your unique needs.
The most powerful trauma recovery often happens when we combine the best of evidence-based treatments with these complementary approaches – addressing both the cognitive understanding of what happened and the bodily experience of trauma that may be beyond words.
Healing isn't just about eliminating symptoms – it's about reconnecting with yourself, reclaiming your sense of safety in the world, and finding meaning beyond the trauma you've experienced. These complementary approaches can be valuable allies on that journey.
Frequently Asked Questions about Trauma Treatment
What if my symptoms get worse during trauma treatment?
It's completely normal to worry about feeling worse before you feel better. This is a common concern when starting the healing journey.
The truth is, sometimes trauma symptoms do temporarily increase when you begin trauma treatment. Think of it like cleaning out a wound—it might sting at first, but that's part of the healing process. When we begin to address memories and feelings you've been avoiding, your nervous system might initially react with heightened awareness.
This doesn't mean something is going wrong. In fact, it often signals that you're engaging with important material that needs processing. The key word here is temporary—any increase in symptoms should be manageable and short-lived.
At my practice, I never dive straight into trauma processing without preparation. We'll first build your emotional toolbox with grounding techniques and self-regulation skills. This way, you'll have concrete strategies to manage any distress that comes up during our work together.
I always move at a pace that feels challenging but not overwhelming. If you experience a significant increase in symptoms, we'll adjust our approach immediately. The goal is never to retraumatize but to help you process trauma in a way that leads to lasting relief and integration.
How long before trauma treatment starts working?
Healing is deeply personal, and the timeline varies depending on several factors:
Whether you experienced a single traumatic event or complex/developmental trauma
How long you've been living with symptoms
The specific treatment approach we use
Your unique nervous system and resilience factors
Current life stressors and support systems
Some clients notice shifts after just a few EMDR sessions, particularly with single-incident trauma. For others, especially those with childhood trauma, the journey might take more than a month—and that's perfectly okay.
Research provides some general guidelines: with EMDR, many people report significant shifts within 3-6 sessions for single-incident trauma. Traditional weekly approaches like CBT or CPT typically show meaningful improvement within 8-12 weeks.
Healing rarely follows a straight line. You might experience periods of rapid improvement followed by plateaus or even temporary setbacks. This doesn't mean you're failing or backsliding—it's simply how healing works.
Healing from trauma is like rehabilitating from a physical injury. There's the initial treatment phase, the rebuilding phase, and then the strengthening phase. Each has its own timeline, and we'll honor where you are in the process.
Can I combine different trauma treatment options?
Absolutely! Many clients benefit from a thoughtful combination of approaches. Different treatments can complement each other by addressing different aspects of trauma.
For example, EMDR combined with somatic (body-based) techniques can be particularly powerful. EMDR helps process traumatic memories stored in the brain, while somatic approaches address how trauma is held in the body. This combination often leads to more comprehensive healing than either approach alone.
At Brain Based Counseling, I often integrate elements from various evidence-based approaches based on your specific needs. The key is ensuring that the treatments work together harmoniously rather than overwhelming you with too many different techniques at once.
Your trauma treatment should be as unique as you are. Together, we'll create a healing plan that addresses all aspects of your trauma experience—mind, body, and spirit—and helps you experience positive emotions and improved emotion regulation.
Serving the Greater Cincinnati Area
At Brain Based Counseling, I'm proud to serve clients throughout the Cincinnati area, including Indian Hill, Madeira, Mason, Hyde Park, Mount Lookout, Mount Adams, and Terrace Park. I also offer virtual therapy services for residents of Ohio and North Carolina.
My practice specializes in providing personalized trauma treatment to:
Women experiencing high-functioning anxiety
Women healing from betrayal trauma
First responders dealing with trauma and PTSD
As a solo practitioner, I focus exclusively on trauma therapy using evidence-based approaches, particularly EMDR therapy. What sets my practice apart is the option for EMDR Intensive Therapy—a condensed format that delivers 4-6 hours of treatment per day over 1-3 consecutive days. This approach can accelerate healing by months compared to traditional weekly therapy.
Conclusion
The journey through trauma treatment is deeply personal, and finding the right trauma-focused therapy can truly transform your life. Whether you're drawn to EMDR, cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, or complementary approaches, what matters most is finding a treatment that resonates with you and a mental health professional you feel safe with.
As a specialized practitioner at Brain Based Counseling, I focus primarily on EMDR therapy, with a particular emphasis on helping women with high-functioning anxiety and trauma, as well as supporting first responders. I offer both traditional weekly sessions and EMDR intensives—a condensed format that can accelerate healing by addressing trauma in a focused, immersive way over just a few days rather than months of weekly therapy.
As you consider your next steps in healing, I'd like to share a few thoughts I've gathered from years of helping clients recover from trauma:
First, trauma changes the brain and body, but healing is absolutely possible. Your brain's natural neuroplasticity means that with the right interventions, you can create new neural pathways and responses that allow you to feel safe and present again.
Second, evidence-based treatments truly work. The research consistently shows that therapies like EMDR and CBT significantly reduce PTSD symptoms for most people who complete them. You don't have to live with these symptoms forever.
Third, the therapeutic relationship matters enormously. Finding a therapist who deeply understands trauma, creates safety, and feels like a good fit with your personal style can make all the difference in your healing journey.
Fourth, healing isn't a straight line. The path to recovery often includes ups and downs, breakthroughs and challenges. On some days, you might feel like you've taken two steps forward and one step back. This doesn't mean treatment isn't working—it's simply part of the process.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you deserve support. Seeking help for trauma isn't a sign of weakness—it's actually one of the most courageous steps you can take toward reclaiming your life and well-being.
If you're in Cincinnati or the surrounding areas like Indian Hill, Madeira, Mason, Hyde Park, Mount Lookout, Mount Adams, or Terrace Park, I'd be honored to meet with you in person. I also provide virtual therapy throughout Ohio and North Carolina. My approach combines EMDR with brain and body-based techniques to create meaningful, lasting change.
The effects of traumatic events don't have to define your future. With the right trauma treatment, you can process what happened, reduce symptoms, and move forward with a renewed sense of strength and possibility.
Ready to take the next step? Reach out to learn more about my approach and how EMDR intensive therapy might support your healing journey. You've carried this burden long enough—healing is possible, and it can begin today.