Cope or Heal?
We are all wounded in some way at some time in our life. As we progress to adulthood, those wounds often get triggered and impact our relationships with others, our view of self, and also impacts our spirituality. Research now shows that ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) are often passed from one generation to the next. These experiences impact the Window of Tolerance of our nervous system. The result of this childhood accumulative trauma can produce complex post-traumatic stress symptoms. Common symptoms can include anxiety, depression, obsessions, compulsions and other brain-related results of psychological injury.
We eventually come to a place where we realize that counseling has to look different. That is why 1 Identity Counseling focuses on healing those wounds and moving toward wholeness. We can learn to be aware of why we react, connect those reactions to past experience(s), and recognize that the situation in front of us is not the real problem.
After years of watching people find temporary relief through the strength of willpower or changing thought processes, it is important that we stop leaving clients feeling like a therapy failure. It is our job as therapists to find trauma informed ways for healing at a core level.
This reality accentuates the need for a wholeness that positively impacts the behavior without cognitive-behavioral effort by addressing the underlying ’cause’ or ‘influence’ of the behavior.
Jenelle Linden, LPC, LMHC, LCPC, EMDR
Jenelle received her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Grace College, Indiana, an MS in Education from Ohio University, and a BS in Education from Central Michigan University. Her experience has moved her from a behavior change model to a one that focuses on healing of psychological injury through a therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing or EMDR. This therapy has been found effective for a variety of symptoms, including but not limited to: post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, addiction, and a variety of other reactions and behaviors caused by underlying pain, big-T and small-t traumas and unmet needs.
As a professional, it is vital to build rapport with you, the client, as well as provide treatment directed to address the needs and circumstances you bring into the counseling session. A safe environment where you, the client, can confidentially share your pain and concern is necessary for success. Those interested in seeking answers to how their past is influencing the present and a deeper understanding of their identity in order to be transformed are encouraged to get started.
If you are frustrated about the fact that your coping skills are no longer working, request an appointment today!
