Trauma Therapy & EMDR

Empowering Healing Through Trauma Therapy & EMDR in San Antonio & Schertz

“Healing involves discomfort-but so does refusing to heal. And, over time, refusing to heal is always more painful.”

Resmaa Menakem

You’re tired of living your life with fear always at the forefront of your mind. You can’t even remember the last time you felt like you were truly living and not just surviving. You’re paralyzed and stuck in this nightmare that you can’t seem to wake up from. The days change, but your pain stays the same. You’ve pushed aside your feelings and ever so carefully swept your painful memories under the rug. Out of sight out of mind, right? Only to find that buried things don’t always stay hidden. Your trauma always finds a way to creep in uninvited and tear your world apart at the worst times. You’re left exposed, having to face the reality that you can’t run from this. Pushing your pain away, thinking that it will someday disappear is no longer an option. You realize that the things you’ve experienced have changed the very fabric of who you are and everything you thought to be true. You’ve cut off almost everything, because nothing feels safe. You’re numb, but you desperately want to feel again. You want to be free, and you’re ready for change.

Our team of skilled EMDR and trauma therapists in San Antonio & Schertz will help you find peace again.

As trauma therapists, we help you heal from traumatic life events. We don’t gloss over the stressful and life changing things that have happened to you. We listen to your story and acknowledge your pain, while creating a realistic plan for you to take back control of your life. We work with you to feel safe, confident, connected, and alive again. We also help you identify safe people and places, so you are not always operating in a state of survival or chaos. We focus on eliminating the negative thoughts and emotions you’ve been carrying that represent the worst parts of your experiences. We challenge you to become more attuned and connected to yourself, so you can begin to dream about the life that you want. We empower you to reauthor your story, because the best chapters have yet to be written.

Trauma Therapy Process

Our trauma therapists are trained to use specialized evidenced-based approaches like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), TF-CBT (Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). In your weekly sessions, we help you remove the pain, anger, fear, and unwanted thoughts that have stopped you from experiencing emotional freedom and control. We work together to create a sustainable therapy plan, so you will no longer have to appear “normal” or “high functioning” on the outside while suffering within.

The beginning stages of therapy are focused on establishing goals, exploring your trauma history, ensuring safety, and building skills to increase your emotional regulation. During this time, you’ll learn and practice healthy coping skills and identify your own internal strengths so that our work will never overwhelm your ability to cope. When you’re implementing your learned skills more consistently, we then identify the traumatic experiences you feel ready to process. During trauma processing, we work through your traumatic experiences to decrease your emotional reactivity, improve your quality of life, and develop a more balanced view of your experiences. In the final stages of the trauma therapy process, you are encouraged to reconnect to life and the things that are meaningful to you.

Take the Next Step to Heal with Trauma Therapy in San Antonio & Schertz

Our trauma therapists are here to help you heal, without it feeling like you are constantly reliving your experiences. We know that taking the first step sometimes feels as overwhelming as the pain you’ve been carrying, so we make the process simple. Click the button below to schedule a free 15-minute online consultation. When we meet, we’ll share more in detail about how we can help and discuss a therapy plan that’s right for you. Get connected with us to start trauma therapy in our San Antonio and Schertz counseling offices.

Trauma therapy is not a one size fits all experience, so we offer a number of trauma specialties to address your unique needs.

Acute Trauma

Acute trauma often happens suddenly and is the result of a single, overwhelming event. These events can be deeply distressing and can leave a person feeling overwhelmed and unsafe. When a person experiences acute trauma, the mind and body may go into "survival mode". This is the body’s natural response to intense stress and emotional overwhelm. This can lead to a range of symptoms, like feeling constantly on edge, having trouble sleeping, and avoiding places or situations that bring back memories of the trauma. Many people have reported “replaying” the event in their minds or having nightmares, leading a person to feel as though they are reliving the trauma all over again. While this is a sign that the mind is attempting to make sense of what happened, it can be emotionally exhausting and deeply unsettling.

Acute trauma also affects a person’s relationships and daily life. A person may feel disconnected from loved ones and experience feelings of loneliness and frustration. The physical impact of trauma can take a toll on the body, causing headaches, stomach issues, or muscle tension, which can make even simple tasks feel challenging. When people struggle with these symptoms, it can affect their performance in their daily lives, and make it hard to enjoy activities they once loved.

If acute trauma is left untreated, it can lead to lasting emotional, mental, and physical challenges. Untreated acute trauma can contribute to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and panic disorders. The ongoing emotional toll may impact self-esteem and lead to feelings of shame, guilt, or helplessness, especially if the person feels they "should" have moved on from the experience a long time ago. Physically, the body's prolonged stress response can lead to chronic issues like fatigue, headaches, digestive problems, or cardiovascular stress due to high levels of cortisol and adrenaline that remain active when the trauma is unprocessed.

Childhood/Developmental Trauma

Childhood trauma is an intense disruption that occurs during childhood, changing how someone feels and acts as they grow and mature. Trauma therapists have found that this type of trauma disrupts the normal course of healthy development, interfering with a child's ability to form secure attachments, regulate emotions, and develop a coherent sense of self and the world around them. Trauma occurring in childhood can range from a number of overwhelming experiences, like physical, emotional, and sexual abuse or neglect, witnessing violence, or being in serious accidents and disasters.

These experiences can deeply affect how a person sees themself, others, and the world around them, which affects relationships, self-esteem, and overall well-being. If left untreated, childhood trauma can contribute to the development of mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Many adults who have experienced childhood trauma, report carrying feelings of shame, guilt, and unworthiness, believing that they are fundamentally flawed or unlovable. These beliefs can become deeply ingrained, often leading to patterns of self-sabotage or withdrawal as a means of protecting themselves from further harm. Childhood trauma can also lead to physical symptoms, such as chronic pain, headaches, and gastrointestinal issues, as the body holds onto the stress and tension that has been built up from past experiences.

Complex Trauma

Complex trauma is a deep wound that results from prolonged exposure to multiple traumatic events, often occurring within interpersonal relationships and environments that are supposed to be safe and loving. Unlike singular traumatic incidents, complex trauma is defined by the mounting impact of ongoing abuse, neglect, or instability.

Individuals who experience complex trauma have often endured a number of adverse circumstances, like physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect, domestic violence, and community violence. These experiences can profoundly disrupt the development of a secure sense of self and connection with others.

Complex trauma can show up in a number of ways, including difficulties in regulating emotions, forming healthy attachments, and navigating social interactions. It can lead to distorted beliefs about trust, safety, and intimacy. Complex trauma can also dysregulate the body's stress response system, resulting in a heightened state of arousal and hypervigilance, even in the absence of immediate danger. Trauma therapists report that it can also contribute to the development of harmful coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse, self-harm, and disordered eating, as individuals attempt to cope with overwhelming feelings of pain, shame, and worthlessness.

Left unaddressed, complex trauma can contribute to the development of chronic mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), as well as physical ailments, including chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, and cardiovascular disease.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops in response to experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It's like carrying the weight of memories that refuse to fade. Traumatic events that can trigger PTSD include combat exposure, physical or sexual assault, natural disasters, accidents, or any life-threatening event that overwhelms the individual's ability to cope.

PTSD can affect thoughts, emotions, and behaviors long after the traumatic event has occurred. Individuals with PTSD may experience intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and nightmares related to the traumatic event, causing intense distress and feelings of helplessness. PTSD can also destroy a person's sense of self-worth and confidence, leaving a them to blame themselves for the traumatic event or feel ashamed of their reactions and symptoms.

Left untreated, PTSD can have profound and far-reaching consequences for one's mental, emotional, and physical well-being. It can impair a person's ability to function in daily life, disrupt relationships, and lead to feelings of isolation and despair. This type of trauma can also lead to hypervigilance and avoidance behaviors, as individuals try to protect themselves from potential threats and triggers associated with the traumatic event.

Racial Trauma

Racial trauma is an overwhelming experience rooted in the systemic injustices, racism, and discrimination faced by marginalized racial and ethnic groups. It includes a range of distressing experiences, such as racial slurs, microaggressions, and acts of violence, as well as systemic injustice rooted in institutions like education, healthcare, and criminal justice. 

Individuals who experience racial trauma, report feeling like they are carrying the weight of centuries of oppression and inequality on your shoulders. Others report feeling like they don’t belong, that they're somehow less deserving of respect and dignity because of the color of their skin or the language they speak. This internalized racism can lead to feelings of shame, self-doubt, and alienation from one's cultural heritage and community. Racial trauma can destroy a person's sense of self-worth, fuel feelings of anger, frustration, and helplessness, and create a general sense of fear and hypervigilance when navigating everyday life. 

Left unaddressed, racial trauma can impact interpersonal relationships, as individuals may struggle to trust others or feel a sense of belonging in spaces where they represent the minority. Every interaction, whether subtle or overt, then serves as a reminder of the systemic barriers and prejudices that exist in society. 

Religious Trauma

Religious trauma is a complex experience resulting from harmful or abusive practices within religious contexts. It occurs when individuals face emotional, psychological, or physical harm due to rigid beliefs, teachings, or authoritarian structures within religious communities. Religious trauma can involve a number of distressing experiences, including spiritual abuse, indoctrination, shaming, and ostracism, which deeply affect a person's sense of self and relationship with spirituality.

Individuals who experience religious trauma often struggle with feelings of unworthiness, fear of punishment, and doubt about their beliefs and identity. Religious trauma can lead to internalized beliefs of being flawed or unworthy of love and acceptance, as individuals wrestle with conflicting messages about their inherent value and worthiness.

Trauma therapists believe that this type of trauma can impact a person's relationship with spirituality and organized religion, leading to feelings of disappointment, uncertainty, or outright rejection of religious beliefs and practices. It can create a sense of spiritual disconnection and alienation, as individuals struggle to reconcile their faith with their experiences of harm and betrayal within religious communities. Left unaddressed, religious trauma can hinder personal growth and self-actualization, as individuals struggle to break free from the chains of fear, guilt, and shame instilled by their religious upbringing.