Therapy for trauma can deliver the peace of mind you deserve.
Have you experienced something horrific, disturbing, or life-threatening? Do you feel unsafe, unhinged, or unloved? Do painful reminders of the past keep you from living your best life?
There is hope.
If you or someone you love are struggling, let me help.
My name is Laureen DiMattia, and I founded Seasons of Strength to help survivors of trauma just like you. I’m proud to offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, or EMDR, which is a specialized treatment option for people with posttraumatic stress.
If you are interested and ready to sign up, contact me today. To learn more about trauma and how therapy can help, read on!
What is trauma?
When we talk about “trauma,” many people think about PTSD, military veterans, or survivors of horrific events.
But trauma can happen to anyone.
Sometimes, it’s caused by severe experiences, such as witnessing or surviving:
- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- Violence or criminal acts
- Death
- Life-threatening illness or disease
- Terrorism or war
These are all examples of what therapists call “big T” Trauma. Experiences that cause big T Trauma present significant risk for developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress.
However, even less acute trauma, or “little t” trauma, can impact your life, such as:
- Childhood bullying
- Public humiliation
- Divorce or breaking up with a partner
- Losing a job
- Sexism or racism
Trauma, big or small, overwhelms the mind with a flood of intense, confusing, scary emotions. When this happens, we try to make sense of the experience and heal on its own – but unfortunately, the mind often struggles to recover properly.
Traumatic memories are often stored in ways that create pain and suffering long afterward for months or even years. Think of it like an improperly healed injury, like a bone that isn’t properly set or a cut that wasn’t properly bandaged. It might still hurt for months, even years after the event that caused it.
When these symptoms cause distress or dysfunction, therapists will often provide a diagnosis of PTSD, or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Left untreated, posttraumatic stress can ruin your sense of safety, quality of life, and hopes for the future.
That’s where therapy comes in.
If you or a loved one are struggling with posttraumatic stress and would like to begin the healing process, let me help. I provide individual therapy for trauma and EMDR services for people from all over Washington DC, and I’d love to work with you.
How can therapy for trauma help?
You don’t have to do this alone.
Psychotherapy (also called therapy or counseling) is the first line of treatment for trauma because it truly works. Therapy is all about giving you and your mind a chance to properly heal and reprocess the trauma, all held in the safety and privacy of the therapy office:
You and your therapist work together as a team to address the underlying hurt as you make progress on your healing journey. Trauma therapists (like me!) are specially trained to help you work through painful memories at your own pace; that way, you don’t feel overwhelmed along the way.
With the right support and care, you can move forward from the past. Seasons of Strength is proud to offer therapy survivors of trauma in the DC area– people just like you. If you or a loved one are suffering and would like help, don’t wait. Contact me today!
What does therapy for trauma look like with Laureen DiMattia?
Let’s work together!
As an EMDR therapist, I can provide a specialized treatment option for trauma. EMDR is perfect for anyone who is looking for rapid results or who may have already tried other therapies. If you don’t feel like EMDR is a good fit for you, that’s okay – we can stick with traditional talk therapy.
Each session is completely confidential and specifically designed to meet your goals. Our first meeting is all about helping us get to know each other. I’ll ask lots of questions about your story to get a sense of what might be contributing to the problem, and you get the chance to learn more about how I work and what to expect from treatment.
I provide an individually tailored, evidence-based approach to trauma therapy. I believe that, with the right support and guidance, you can finally move forward from the past. In addition to using EMDR in treatment, I also draw from effective psychotherapy techniques such as psychodynamic, CBT, and DBT.
Therapy for trauma can help you learn to:
- Become “unstuck” and find freedom from trauma
- Relax your body and sleep well
- Reduce frequency of nightmares
- Feel confident and have self-control
- Manage and reduce flashbacks
- Think positively and understand your emotions
- Let go of old pain and move forward with wellness
I call my practice Seasons of Strength for a reason.
All of us experience hardship. All of us go through times where we feel helpless, defeated, and broken. All of us live through ups and downs, through misery and joy. I believe that, no matter what life has thrown your way, you have the power to make things better. You can find your source of strength, freedom, and control.
Together, we can make that happen.
Find Your Season of Strength
Interested in hearing more about my practice?
Want to learn more about how I can help?
I would love to hear from you. Click on Contact in the menu above to get started.
Phone Number:
201-822-1394
Office:
Telehealth available in the Washington DC area.
Contact seasonsofstrength@gmail.com or call for more information or to schedule an appointment!