The Theft of Trauma

At Lieser Counseling Services we are a trauma informed practice.  We draw from a wide variety of therapy modalities, however IFS and EMDR are most utilized when working trauma and PTSD.

Our perspective of a trauma informed practice consists of seeing the whole person (the physical self, the spiritual self, the emotional self, and the thinking self).  We create a safe, warm, and welcoming environment that allows you to reconnect to your core self / true self, empowering you to live with integrity and live out your values anew.  We restore in each client what trauma steals from them; a sense of purpose and dignity, and an ability to create a life that is fulfilling. 

IFS stands for Internal Family Systems and allows us to navigate the many parts that comprise a whole person.  With trauma certain parts can get stuck in the past and recreate scenarios that cause harm or difficulty for a person to function at their best. 

The practice of IFS allows the client to come into contact with the stuck part while not becoming overwhelmed by the part’s own fears and needs.  IFS provides a safe framework for the client to address their parts that have been aversely impacted by traumatic experiences.  We teach the parts about the core self which is confident, capable of change, curious, compassionate, creative, calm and in control.  Once the parts begin to trust the core self then we can work on healing the wound from the past traumatic experience. 

As we engage with the wounded part we begin to learn about the roots of what caused the wound.  It is here that EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) comes in to assist with (AIP) adaptive information processing.  Once we access the negative belief that derives from the traumatic memory then we seek to update the part that is stuck.  With trauma the part that is wounded tends to live in the past and relives the trauma.  It does not realize that the client has grown up and navigated chapters of life successfully.  Or perhaps it cannot recognize that the danger is now over and the old coping mechanisms are no longer needed.

By revisiting the traumatic memory while remaining connected to the present-day core self the stuck parts can learn a new and safer reality.  It’s like having one foot in the therapy room and one foot reliving the past memory.

We teach each client through mindfulness how to connect to their true self or core self.  This is the place where one can feel safe, confident, curious, compassionate and is the best place to engage with wounded parts.  We use mindfulness to visit an imaginary safe place to ensure each person remains regulated and safe throughout the process.  Maintaining a window of tolerance is key to successfully resolving the trauma which means the client refrains from disconnecting by hyper or hypo arousal.

With EMDR we begin to connect the body and the mind to allow for a release of fragmented memories, repressed emotions, and negative self beliefs.  Throughout the process of bilateral stimulation (tapping or eye movements) the brain is able to reconcile the unresolved trauma and install new information that allows the client to reestablish a sense of wellbeing. 

We equip the client with the capacity to create a new scenario and imagine a more positive outcome.  This is when the positive self belief can then be connected to the old memory of trauma, establishing a new neuropathway that creates healing and integration of the stuck parts (AIP).

In a sense we are putting people back together again (the parts), providing a new sense of agency and strength, and in turn allowing for more confidence, peace, and connection in their present day lives.  It is truly an amazing experience to watch our clients begin to thrive and take back their lives from what trauma stole from them.