Everyday life can bring the unexpected. Some events are more severe than others. Trauma can occur from a variety of sources including natural disaster, an accident, assalt, or a personal violation such as rape. When we experience something unexpected and frightening, our minds struggle to make sense of what happened. Recurring flashbacks to the event are a common and normal part of the "processing" our brains do.

When we think back to the traumatic event, it brings with it all the emotions that we experienced at the time. Depending on the severity of the emotions (and the event), we may struggle to contain or tolerate what we feel as the memory plays out on the movie screen in our heads.

In cases of personal violation or assalt, it can be particularly difficult to face the memories. Often, people may push aside or bury these intrusive flashbacks because they feel that they will be overwhelmed emotionally, lose control, and lash out or otherwise do something damaging. The problem is, so-called burying the memories only delays the natural process the brain must do to move past the trauma.

Unresolved trauma is a relationship killer. When you cannot face the reality of the past and deal with it emotionally, you are less likely able to tolerate regular issues of life and relationship. Normal conflicts in relationship become a distraction of what's really going on. Worse, yet, the use of controlled substances becomes an attractive alternative to facing the hurtful memories.

In some cases, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the result of unresolved trauma. The prefered treatment of PTSD is a technique known as Eye Movement Desinsitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

EMDR is not appropriate for everyone. An assessment session will determine if this treatment protocol will help the individual resolve traumatic memories.