Large and small traumas can have a profound effect on our functioning including difficulty regulating emotions, irritability, increased worries, isolation, loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy, and changes in sleep patterns. Exposure to traumas, even seemingly small traumas, can lead to negative beliefs about the self.

 What Are Large and Small Traumas?

Introduction

My name is Valerie Ytzen and I help individuals dealing with the effects of trauma feel confident, secure, and balanced. I am a licensed clinical professional counselor and registered art therapist with over 10 years of clinical experience working with individuals who have experienced trauma, neglect, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, PTSD, grief and loss, attachment issues, identity issues, anxiety, and depression.

My Approach

I have been formally trained in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and can provide this therapy for individuals looking to process through past traumas, distressing memories, and negative self beliefs. EMDR is an extensively researched method shown to be effective in helping individuals heal from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, phobias, and distressing life experiences. Research has shown that EMDR can be an efficient and rapid treatment.

 How EMDR works

EMDR is a therapy that uses bilateral stimulation as a way to allow your brain to process through traumatic and distressing memories. When we experience trauma those memories often become stuck and we continue to react as if we are still experiencing the trauma. Following traumatic experiences or disturbing events we also often associate negative beliefs about ourselves as a result. EMDR helps to target those negative beliefs and disturbing memories in order to process through and remove the strong emotional reactions connected to those memories.